Microsoft Builds a Speed Test Directly Into Windows: Why Redmond Wants to Replace Your Favorite Internet Diagnostic Tool

For years, checking your internet speed has meant opening a browser and visiting a third-party website like Ookla’s Speedtest.net or Netflix’s Fast.com. That ritual may soon become obsolete for Windows users. Microsoft is quietly testing a native network speed test tool built directly into the Windows 11 Settings app, a move that signals the company’s broader ambition to absorb common utility functions into its operating system.

The feature was first spotted in a recent Windows 11 Insider Preview build and reported by Lifehacker, which noted that the tool appears under the Advanced Network Settings section of the Settings app. Users running the latest Canary or Dev Channel builds can find a new “Network speed test” option that, when triggered, measures download speed, upload speed, and latency — the three core metrics that have long been the domain of standalone applications and web-based tools.

A Simple Tool With Significant Implications for Third-Party Developers

The speed test feature, as currently implemented, is straightforward. It runs a quick diagnostic and presents results in a clean, minimalist interface consistent with Windows 11’s design language. There are no ads, no upsell prompts, and no requirement to create an account — a stark contrast to the experience on many popular speed test websites, where banner advertisements and premium subscription pitches have become standard fare.

Microsoft has not issued a formal announcement about the feature, which is typical for tools that surface first in Insider builds. Not every feature tested in preview channels makes it to the general release. However, the inclusion of a speed test aligns with a pattern that has defined Windows development over the past several years: the steady absorption of third-party utility functions into the operating system itself. Screen recording, clipboard management, advanced screenshot tools, and even phone mirroring have all been folded into Windows in recent update cycles.

The Technical Details: What Microsoft’s Tool Actually Measures

According to the reports from testers who have accessed the feature, the built-in speed test measures three primary metrics. Download speed, expressed in megabits per second, reflects how quickly data can be pulled from a remote server to the user’s machine. Upload speed measures the reverse — how fast data travels from the local machine to the internet. Latency, measured in milliseconds, captures the round-trip time for a data packet to travel to a server and back, a figure that matters enormously for gaming, video conferencing, and real-time applications.

What remains unclear is which servers Microsoft uses for the test and how the company’s methodology compares to established players like Ookla, which operates a global network of thousands of test servers. The accuracy and consistency of any speed test depend heavily on server proximity, network congestion at the time of testing, and the testing protocol employed. Microsoft has not disclosed whether it is using its own Azure infrastructure for the backend, though that would be a logical choice given the company’s massive global data center footprint.

Why This Matters for Ookla, Fast.com, and the Speed Test Industry

The speed test market, while not glamorous, is a meaningful business. Ookla’s Speedtest has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times across platforms and serves as a data source for internet service provider rankings, regulatory filings, and academic research. The company monetizes through enterprise data licensing, advertising on its consumer-facing platforms, and partnerships with ISPs and device manufacturers. Netflix’s Fast.com, meanwhile, was built specifically to give consumers a quick, no-frills way to check whether their ISP was throttling Netflix traffic — a concern that peaked during the net neutrality debates of the mid-2010s.

A native Windows speed test tool would not necessarily kill these services, but it would almost certainly reduce casual traffic to them. For the majority of users who run a speed test only when something feels slow, having the option a few clicks away in Settings — without opening a browser — removes the friction that currently drives them to Speedtest.net or similar sites. This is the same dynamic that played out when Microsoft integrated antivirus protection through Windows Defender, gradually eroding the consumer market share of Norton, McAfee, and other paid security products.

Microsoft’s Long History of Absorbing Utility Software

The practice of incorporating third-party functionality into an operating system is as old as the software industry itself. Microsoft’s bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows in the late 1990s triggered one of the most consequential antitrust cases in American business history. More recently, the company has been more careful about how it integrates new features, generally positioning them as convenience additions rather than competitive weapons.

The Snipping Tool, which has evolved from a basic screenshot utility into a capable screen capture and recording application, replaced the need for tools like Greenshot or ShareX for many users. The built-in clipboard history feature, activated with Windows+V, reduced demand for clipboard managers like Ditto. The Phone Link app, which mirrors Android phone notifications and apps on a Windows PC, competes directly with third-party solutions that previously filled that gap. Each of these additions was welcomed by consumers while quietly compressing the market for independent developers who had built businesses around those exact functions.

The Broader Context: Windows 11 Under Pressure to Justify Itself

Microsoft has been under sustained pressure to give users compelling reasons to upgrade to Windows 11, which has faced slower adoption rates than the company would prefer. According to data from StatCounter, Windows 10 still commands a significantly larger share of the global Windows install base than its successor, despite Windows 10’s end-of-support date looming in October 2025. Adding practical, everyday tools like a built-in speed test is one way to make the newer operating system feel more complete and more worth the transition.

The company has also been aggressively integrating artificial intelligence features through Copilot, its AI assistant, across Windows and its Microsoft 365 productivity applications. The speed test tool, while far simpler than any AI feature, serves a complementary purpose: it reinforces the idea that Windows is a self-contained environment where users can accomplish common tasks without reaching for third-party software. For Microsoft, every interaction that stays within the Windows environment is an interaction that strengthens user engagement with the platform.

What Testers Are Saying So Far

Early feedback from Windows Insider participants has been largely positive, though tempered with the usual caveats about pre-release software. Users on forums and social media have noted that the tool is fast and unobtrusive, taking only a few seconds to complete a test. Some have raised questions about accuracy compared to established benchmarks, a concern that Microsoft will need to address before a general release. A speed test that consistently reports different numbers than Ookla or Fast.com would create confusion rather than convenience.

There has also been discussion about whether Microsoft will store speed test results over time, allowing users to track their connection performance and identify patterns. Such a feature would add genuine diagnostic value beyond what a one-off test provides. ISP customers dealing with intermittent slowdowns, for example, could use historical data to support complaints or service change requests. Whether Microsoft builds this kind of longitudinal tracking into the tool remains to be seen.

Regulatory and Competitive Considerations Going Forward

In Europe, where the Digital Markets Act has imposed new obligations on designated “gatekeeper” platforms, Microsoft’s practice of bundling additional features into Windows could attract regulatory scrutiny — though a simple speed test tool is unlikely to trigger enforcement action on its own. The greater risk for Microsoft lies in the cumulative effect: each new built-in feature, taken individually, seems reasonable, but the aggregate pattern of absorbing third-party functionality raises familiar questions about platform power and market competition.

For now, the speed test tool remains in testing, available only to Windows Insiders willing to run pre-release software. If it follows the typical development timeline, it could appear in a stable Windows 11 update sometime later in 2025. When it does, millions of users will gain a small but genuinely useful capability — and a handful of companies that have built their businesses around internet speed measurement will feel the ground shift slightly beneath them. It is a familiar story in the technology industry, and one that shows no signs of changing anytime soon.