Microsoft is adding a built-in network speed test to Windows 11, giving users a quick way to check their connection speed directly from the taskbar without navigating to a third-party website.
The feature is included in an update currently rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders through the Release Preview Channel. To use it, users can right-click the network icon in the system tray and select a new speed test option, which opens in the system’s default browser. The tool supports testing over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular data connections.
According to the Windows Insider blog, the update covers Windows 11 versions 24H2 (Build 26100.7918) and 25H2 (Build 26200.7918). Microsoft first began testing this speed test functionality last year, and the Release Preview Channel rollout suggests a broader general availability release is on the horizon.
The addition addresses a routine but common need: checking how fast your connection actually is without having to remember a URL or open a separate app. Third-party speed test tools are widely used, but they require opening a browser and navigating to an external site. Having the option built into the OS and accessible directly from the taskbar streamlines the process for users who check their speeds regularly.
The same update brings several other smaller additions to Windows 11. A new camera settings option will appear in the Settings menu, allowing users to control pan and tilt for supported cameras — though Microsoft has not yet specified which devices are compatible. The update also adds new emoji, a full-page Widget settings menu, and the ability to set .webp image files as a desktop wallpaper, a format that has grown increasingly common on the web but lacked native wallpaper support in Windows.
Keeping Windows updated remains important for both security and functionality, and the Release Preview Channel gives Insiders early access to features before they land for the general public. Users not enrolled in the Insider program can expect these additions to arrive in a future standard update.
