If you've ever tested your network's internet speed, chances are that you have at least heard of Speedtest, a popular online service by Ookla that does exactly what its name implies. Millions of people have used the service to check the download and upload speed of their network connection since Speedtest launched in 2006.
With Speedtest for iOS, you can "measure the quality of your streaming experience before you queue up your next video."
Test How Well Your Network Can Stream Videos
On the Speedtest blog, Ookla announced that you can now use the iOS app to measure videos' max resolution, buffering time, and loading time on your network. The video test is free, and will eventually come to other platforms in time.
Ookla explains that you need a dedicated speed test for videos because "[network] providers routinely prioritize video traffic differently than other traffic." This means that the way your network handles video content may be different from the way it deals with text and photos, for instance.
How to Use Speedtest for iOS and How It Works
Testing video streaming speed with Speedtest is simple. Upon opening the app, select Video from the navigation bar at the bottom, and then the pulsing yellow start button. It'll only take a few minutes for the app to test different video qualities on your network before you get your results.
Download: Speedtest for iOS
When you stream a video, it's delivered to you through adaptive bitrates that adjust the video quality depending on network conditions. The video test measures this adaptive bitrate to give you an idea of what kind of performance you should be able to expect from your connection.
Wondering whether you should stream that Netflix series on your smart TV or on your mobile device? Speedtest has you covered. The results also tell you which devices work best at your network's performance level.
That said, it's possible that the video test will come back and tell you that your network cannot successfully stream the maximum resolution supported by your device. If this happens to you, it's likely a network problem.
How Fast Is Your Network Connection?
Ookla seems proud to present that its app gives you "actionable results." If you find that your network provider's service does not align with the agreement you have, you can use your video test results to prove it.
Hopefully, the ability to test video streaming will come to PC and Android soon.
