The change is small but easy to notice, and it fixes one of the more pointless shortcuts in recent Windows releases. Whether it counts as Microsoft "backing down" on Bing promotion is a question of interpretation, and we'll get to it.
What changed in build 26340.9767
Microsoft's release notes for Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9767 say that Windows Insiders can now run an internet speed test and see the results directly in Quick Settings, without being redirected to a browser.
The notes list three ways to start a test:
- The new Speed test tile in Quick Settings
- The Wi-Fi or Cellular flyout
- Right-clicking the network icon in the system tray and choosing Test internet speed
While the test runs, Quick Settings shows its progress and results, including download speed, upload speed, and ping. Microsoft also says the new version builds on the internet speed test we previously introduced for Windows Insiders, bringing the test and its results directly into Windows. That's about as close as Microsoft gets to admitting the first version was a browser hand-off.
The speed test isn't the only addition. Pureinfotech reports the build lets users filter Feature flags, control the Magnifier shortcut, and manage Microsoft 365 recurring billing in Windows. It also adds Mobile devices phone controls to Quick Settings.
Section summary: The speed test now runs and reports in Quick Settings rather than sending you to Bing. You can start it from three places, and it shows download speed, upload speed and ping.
How the Bing shortcut got here
To see why people are calling this a win, you need the backstory.
September 2025 – first spotted in Insider builds. Tom's Hardware reported early builds adding speed test buttons to the network icon's right-click menu and the Wi-Fi Quick Settings page. Clicking either opened Bing in a browser. Tom's Hardware tied those changes to the 26220.6682 and 26120.6682 (KB5065782) Dev and Beta builds.
February 2026 – Release Preview. Tom's Hardware reported a "Perform speed test" option in builds 26100.7918 and 26200.7918. It opened the default browser to Bing, which showed a simplified Ookla Speedtest interface with latency, download and upload readings. The outlet concluded the feature was technically just a website link sitting in the taskbar.
Spring 2026 – general availability. Windows Latest says the shortcut reached everyone through the February 2026 optional update and the March security update, and it still only linked to Bing.com. Microsoft's own March 2026 messaging described a network speed test available from the taskbar. Third-party coverage made it clear that this meant a route to Bing, not a test built into Windows.
October 23, 2026 – build 26340.9767. The option is renamed from "Perform speed test" to "Test internet speed," and the test now stays inside Quick Settings.
| Stage | Label | What happens when you click |
|---|---|---|
| Insider builds, Sept 2025 | Speed test button | Opens Bing in your browser |
| Release Preview / retail, Feb–Mar 2026 | Perform speed test | Opens a Bing page with a simplified Ookla test |
| Experimental build 26340.9767, Oct 2026 | Test internet speed | Runs and shows results in Quick Settings |
Section summary: The old button opened a website. The new one runs the test inside Windows. It took about a year of Insider testing and a retail rollout to get here.
Same engine, minus the browser?
Windows Latest's Abhijith M B reports that the small info (i) button in the new flyout says the test is powered by Speedtest. Since the old Bing page also used Ookla, he argues the measuring engine hasn't changed. Only the browser and the Bing branding are gone.
Microsoft's release notes don't name a measurement provider or a test server. Treat the Ookla attribution as something one hands-on tester observed, not something Microsoft has documented.
Abhijith also describes the test sequence: the flyout goes through finding a server, measuring ping, then testing download and upload speeds, with a gauge that goes all the way up to 1000+ Mbps. His virtual machine's Ethernet connection measured 31.5 Mbps down, 34.4 Mbps up and 32 ms ping. Results came back in under 30 seconds and roughly matched tests on two Android devices. He also says the flyout looked right in light and dark themes and with the taskbar moved to other screen edges. These are one person's results on one VM, not Microsoft benchmarks.
How to try it, and why it may not show up
The feature is limited to Windows 11 Insider Experimental Preview Build 26340.9767 or newer. Microsoft's Flight Hub says these 26H2 Experimental builds are delivered on top of Windows 11 version 25H2 through an enablement package that raises the build number into the 26300 range.
If you're on the right build and still don't see the tile, that's normal. Microsoft's Learn release notes list the speed test under "Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out". Microsoft's Experimental channel reminders say many features use Controlled Feature Rollout: they start with a subset of Insiders and expand over time. Features can also change, be removed or never ship beyond Insiders.
What Windows Latest's author did when the tile didn't appear:
- Install Experimental build 26340.9767.
- Open Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program > Feature flags.
- Find Quick Settings Speed Test and set it to Enabled.
- Open Quick Settings and look for the Speed test tile, or right-click the network icon and choose Test internet speed.
Microsoft's public notes don't mention this specific flag or tell anyone to enable it. They do confirm that this build adds the ability to filter Feature flags by enablement state, which makes the list easier to search. If the flag isn't on your list, the rollout probably hasn't reached your device yet.
Section summary: This is an Experimental-channel preview with a staged rollout. Retail Windows 11 PCs don't have it, and Microsoft hasn't given a release date.
What the test can and can't tell you
Microsoft says the test runs against your active internet connection, so you can quickly understand how your current connection is performing without leaving your workflow. Use it for a quick check before a Teams call or a big download.
It won't diagnose anything. A bad result doesn't tell you whether the problem is weak Wi-Fi, a congested home network, your ISP, routing, or the test server. Tom's Hardware made a similar point when the shortcut first appeared: routing, packet loss or DNS problems can cause trouble even when raw speed looks fine. For real troubleshooting, the usual tools still apply. That means ping and tracert in a terminal, Windows' network troubleshooting settings, or a wired comparison test. That last point is general networking practice, not something from Microsoft's notes.
Is Microsoft really backing off Bing?
The headline says Microsoft was "pushing Bing" and is now "quietly backing down." The evidence supports something narrower. The old shortcut opened Bing, and the new preview keeps the test inside Windows. Microsoft hasn't said why it rebuilt the feature, and nothing public shows the original design was meant to drive Bing traffic. It's a reasonable suspicion, since a shortcut that only opens a search page saves no time over typing "speed test" into a browser. But it's still commentary.
Bing doesn't appear to need the help. On Microsoft's FY2026 Q3 earnings call, Satya Nadella said Bing monthly active users had reached one billion for the first time. Windows Latest also says Microsoft added a toggle earlier this year to turn off Bing web results in Windows 11's new Search. Taken together, two Windows features that used to send users to Bing can now run without it. That's an interesting pattern, but it doesn't prove a change in strategy.
Skeptics will ask why the speed test wasn't built this way from the start. That's fair. Still, in an operating system that has often been criticized for sending users to Microsoft's web services, a utility that simply runs and reports is an improvement.
The bottom line
- What's new: A speed test that runs and shows results inside Quick Settings, launched from a tile, the Wi-Fi/Cellular flyout, or the network icon's right-click menu.
- Who gets it: Some Windows Insiders on Experimental build 26340.9767 or newer, through a staged rollout.
- What's unconfirmed: The Ookla engine and the Feature flag workaround come from one hands-on report. Microsoft hasn't given a retail release date.
- What it's for: A quick snapshot of your current connection, not a troubleshooting tool.
If you're in the Experimental channel, check whether the tile has reached you and share your results and any oddities in the Windows Insider discussions on WindowsForum.
Update: Speed test reportedly continues after Quick Settings closes (October 24, 2026)
Neowin reports that the new Quick Settings speed test keeps running in the background if you click away and close the flyout before it finishes. Returning to Quick Settings after a few seconds should then show the completed result rather than forcing the test to restart.
That behavior is not described in Microsoft’s release notes, so it should be treated as a hands-on observation from Neowin’s testing of Experimental build 26340.9767 rather than a documented guarantee. If it holds across the rollout, it makes the feature more practical: users can start a test, continue working, and check download, upload, and ping results later without keeping Quick Settings open.