Windows 11 Tests Native Speed Test and Customizable Right-Click Menu

TechRadar reported that in Windows 11 preview build 26340.9767, Microsoft has integrated an internet speed test directly into Quick Settings. Previously, the feature opened an online speed test in the default browser on a Bing search page. Microsoft said in release notes that Insiders can now run a speed test and see results in Quick Settings without being redirected to a browser. The company also said the updated experience builds on the speed test previously introduced for Windows Insiders. Users can start the test from Quick Settings or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray, TechRadar reported. The change is in the Experimental channel and is still in testing, but it is intended to reach all Windows 11 users eventually.

In a separate preview release, Microsoft is testing a customizable right-click menu in File Explorer, ZDNet reported. The feature is available in the latest Windows 11 Insider Beta preview. Users can add or remove specific commands, move items to different positions and choose whether certain apps appear in the main menu or a submenu. The options include Copilot, Clipchamp, Notepad, OneDrive, Paint and Photos, as well as third-party apps installed on the PC, according to ZDNet. Users can also turn file actions such as Send to, Print, Create shortcut, Copy as path and Rotate image on or off; ZDNet noted that these options are context-sensitive, so Rotate image appears only when an image file is right-clicked. Additional settings let users place standard file commands such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename and Delete at the top of the menu or within it, put cloud-storage actions in their own section, show the Customize menu command and move Properties to the bottom. A command to show more options can also be displayed, which opens the older-style menu.

Microsoft said the updated context menu is designed to feel faster, cleaner and easier to tailor, according to ZDNet. The company said the design reduces top-level clutter, keeps commonly used actions easy to access and adds a Settings experience for more control over what appears in the menu. ZDNet's reviewer said the new menu offers a much-needed change to the cluttered right-click menu but would like Microsoft eventually to remove the old-style menu completely, because the dual-menu approach can get in the way. The feature is in the Beta channel, one step closer to an official debut, ZDNet reported. The timing will depend in part on Insider feedback, and ZDNet said positive feedback could mean the menu reaches all Windows 11 users before the end of the year.

TechRadar's report on the speed test described the previous browser redirect as clunky and as a piece of Bing promotion. Microsoft's release notes described the change as making it faster and easier to check internet connection performance in Windows. The speed test remains in preview, and the context menu is also still being tested with Insiders.

Editor's Summary

Microsoft is testing a native Windows 11 internet speed test in Quick Settings and a customizable File Explorer right-click menu in Insider preview builds, according to TechRadar and ZDNet. The speed test removes a browser and Bing redirect, while the menu lets users reduce clutter and choose which actions and apps appear. Both features remain in testing, with the context menu potentially reaching all users before the end of the year depending on feedback.