Speedtest by Ookla Reviews

I have tried using Speedtest many times and never get an accurate reading. I go on laptop and use another speed test that is much closer to reality. When it searches for nearby signals, it shows that it reads from areas near 100 miles away from my home while the web based finds signals only 5 miles from home. Speedtest will tell me I only have 14 mbps while I actually pay for 200. When I use laptop it will show my almost 150 mbps out of possible 200. Then i compare to 2 other web based speed tests and they run very close to each other. Then try Speedtest again and still between 14 to 20. Totally useless if they can’t get real readings. Am deleting after many many failed attempts. It just seems they want you to download Speedtest for information collection on users rather than to supply services as stated in descriptions. Totally not cool and just reconfirms my reason not to trust apps very much. Apps are not here for you, they are more about collecting personal information for ads and informational sales to other parties. Ads are killing the positive internet experience. Not the reason I buy a computer, laptop or any other device.

I have used Speedtest and website to measure real time download and upload speeds both in professional settings and in my own home for about the last 4 years. But I have noticed something peculiar lately. I use the Nighthawk app for my home network management and they recently added a this app feature. So the curious thing is that most of the time the Nighthawk app will show somewhere between 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps but every other device will show only about 10% of the download speed, sometimes including my phone running Speedtest . Regardless of being on the manual 2.4/5ghz bands or in the router’s smart mode. The upload speed is usually consistent between all devices. And the speeds shown really don’t change as devices are taken off the network. This includes a smart tv, PCs and other peripheral devices, gaming consoles, phones and tablets. Any idea as to why the major difference between the two?

Something that needs to be put back in is the cat Easter egg. Little touches like that are what caught my eye in the first place. That would make it five stars again! Brought a smile to my face. Otherwise great work guys! Anyone who is having trouble getting a read from their phone: your cell phone connect in different ways than your computer. Most carriers tether you to two or three towers to give you stable signal. These towers aren’t always close by and can be over 100 miles away depending on where you live. In mountainous regions your phone will connect to any tower it gets a signal from which won’t give a proper reading but Speedtest can only work with the signal it’s given. There are apps that let you choose what towers you are tethered to but I’m not here to talk about them. I’m here to sing the praises of almighty Ookla! Long may she reign!

I’m just a normal user of iOS devices and probably don’t understand all that I could do with Ookla, but I love having it available in my “utilities” folder. I probably use it 3 or 4 times a month, both traveling and around town, as I find myself running into “performance” issues. With Ookla, I can quickly pinpoint if there are any connectivity/speed issues with the internet provider at hand or if there are other things I need to check out. Just last week at home, I thought I noticed an issue. I ran Ookla and discovered that for the first time since we signed up with CableOne as our provider 18 months ago, they were delivering only half the guaranteed download rate. I called them, they verified the problem was theirs and resolved it. Without Ookla, I would not have had the data to back up my concerns when I called them.

I use Speedtest in many different aspects. Not only is it super helpful at home in testing both my 2.4 GHZ speeds but also in mapping my 5GHZ signal strength and assisting in laying out range boosters to get the most out of my ISP. I also use Speedtest in the work place and assist in internet hook ups and networking on the job so my bosses company can run fluidly. I love the ability to hold the internet companies accountable and to detect problems early by simply running a speed test. My only suggestion to the devs would be to add that info to the home screen when running the test. I’d love to be able to see the signal strength and potential packet loss and such right on the main test screen but with some knowledge and know how this info can be guessed at for the meantime. Thanks again Ookla for an awesome app and hope to see more in the future.

I’ve used Speedtest for quite awhile for testing my internet speed. However, for the past little while I’ve noticed that Speedtest (both on iPhone and on the windows store) has been reporting my upload speed way higher than it really is (2 to 3 times greater, so ~6 mbps as 12-18 mbps). That being said, because its done over a webpage, the website version reports the proper values! (Yay) I noticed this started happening with Speedtest several months ago and its still there... and its also ONLY the upload speed. Download seems to still be reporting properly. It agrees with the website version and my knowledge on what my download should be and has always been.

I love Speedtest and it is the best one out there for testing network speed. However, in the settings, it seems that if you want the results in the Mega (M) range, the speeds are displayed in bits (small "b") per second and if you want results in the kilo (k) range, the speeds are displayed in Bauds (capital "B") per second. This becomes confusing and I would prefer if results were always displayed in bits (b) per second. This is the only criticism I have of Speedtest as I find it exceptionally utilitarian.
I use Speedtest every day to check my home broadband connection download speed (50Mb/sec) and whenever I am out to check the cellular broadband speed as well as the download/upload speeds of any WiFi Networks that I might use.
ThankYou.

Update: Still a great and essential app. ThankYou!

I’ve got an idea for feedback. This speed test really just does a speed test. One thing I’d love to see added is tests that’ll indicate throttling, speed drops because I notice a lot of internet companies will shoot max speed at the beginning for a speed test then drop a lot during downloads, and a test for frequency stability because that can cause problems with an internet company. I had problems with that with an internet company before with frequency instability causing bandwidth drops and disconnections. Once the internet company puts a stabilizer box between the router and cable, fixes the problem. If your Moro is to keep internet companies honest these sort of testers would be amazing. I work in the military for networking so I know a decent amount of how it all works but not as good as I want to know yet.

As of a couple weeks ago Speedtest has failed in many ways. It does not read the connectivity of your internet, it also sticks n glitches extremely bad. I uninstalled Speedtest cause it mislead the readings n i had the internet provider come out only for it to show Speedtest was way wrong. When running the speed app against theres it was clear Speedtest was not correctly reading my speeds. I re downloaded Speedtest today may 5th to see if they addressed the glitching issues and can clearly see they have not. It say my internet was running fine. Yet Speedtest cannot read connections correctly if its glitching out extremely bad and sticking about 7x during the read. N stops short of the actual speed due to all the glitching issues Speedtest has. I would suggest Speedtest but as of recently Speedtest has failed miserably n i wouldn't suggest using Speedtest until they fix the issues at hand n from what ive seen the developers are in no hurry at all to fix the issues. So il be deleting Speedtest once again.

this app is exactly what I have been looking for to determine the speed of my internet connection no matter where I am. It quickly tests and displays the speed of any WiFi or cellular data connection, no matter whether you are on a private or public network. I use it constantly to see whether to use the closest WIFi network, the cellular data connection on my phone, or the Onstar data connection in my car. Speedtest is easy to use and automatically saves each test result, which is great for comparing the speeds available on various devices and for determining whether the speed on a particular device has changed (such as when your cellular provider chokes your cellular data speed after you reach a certain data limit). Well done this app!

UPDATE: fixed, bravo! 5*

Ookla is a great app, but has become useless. Given the new data directives, I opened Speedtest this evening and was presented with privacy options (I have been using Speedtest over a year). I chose to pay in order to be ad free and wound up in a loop. The GO button would appear momentarily and then immediately is replaced by the Security Option screen. When I clock done I get the GO screen which is immediately replaced by the Security screen. A loop. I see I have an update and figure this must be the issue. I get the update and, for good measure, reboot. Now I get the Security screen and am asked to again pay for the ad free version - it’s ground hog day and I appear to be out a buck. Kindly fix this & I’d be delighted to give you 5 stars.

Has Ookla become operationally irrelevant? Testing technical speed, sure, it will still work and show slowdowns of service due to connection and transmission issues. But, with regulations no longer making service providers treat content the same, does Ookla now give false sense of speed? Seems provides can now let Ookla have preferential treatment thus getting what appears to be great results while in actually still providing poor service with many sites to include news services being slow. Streaming and gaming win as they pay service providers while loading a simple page takes multiple minutes often with restarts. Ookla no longer reflects such slow speeds hence customers can’t complain to their providers for not providing advertised speeds. Ookla needs to disguise itself while running tests so as to reflect actual operational environments.

I've used Speedtest since the iPhone 3. Back in the day the ads weren't so in your face like now.

If you have an older device you might experience sluggishness because of the ads running during your speed test.

Support has always been helpful but nothing really has changed much in 12 years which I consider useful...with Speedtest that is.

With the desktop version I can log into my account and see my speed test history. Can I do the same with Speedtest ? Nope. At best I can email myself the results as a CSV. I don't see much point using the VPN test mode even though I use a VPN. Doing so results in significantly slower speed results regardless of WAP.

Many carriers and ISP’s don’t like it's when you use Ookla. Often they'll try to dispute the results in their favour. It's not keeping them honest. What it shows is how dishonest they can be. They usually steer you to another site that provides better, less accuracy or make an excuse for the poor speeds.

Oh, Speedtest is a ridiculous data hog. It's easy to chew up a gigabyte of data in minutes simply because Speedtest uses large files. It’s no longer feasible to test my mobile carrier’s LTE data speeds because of this. In most of North America unlimited data remains a unicorn. As a result, only 2.5 stars.

Several months ago I noticed while updating apps on my iPhone that the connection speed was terribly slow... the WiFi symbol on the phone showed “full strength” so I was confused. The this app app saved my sanity, because it proved there was a problem with my Spectrum connection. This could have been costly had I activated the “use data when WiFi is slow” iPhone button. After calling Spectrum, the router was reconnected remotely; the iPhone had detected an active router, but could not determine the router was not connected to the system. Spectrum technicians had suggested I download Speedtest on both my phone and computer during system setup and now use the data I report for troubleshooting. Thanks, Ookla!

Update: just checked my wife’s iPhone 7 Plus, also uses iOS 11.3.1. Same problem. Please remove this Privacy Page please! Thank You.

I uninstalled app, shut down my iPhone X, then reinstalled the this app app. I accepted the location and allowed data sharing. Again, when I tapped Done it keeps going back to the Privacy Page over and over. I’m about to head out on vacation for 10 days. I use Speedtest the most when I’m traveling to ensure bandwidth integrity. When will you issue fix for iOS? Thank you.

Ok, I have the paid version. I reviewed the new privacy policy. I tap next, then Done. Then it keeps going back to the “Welcome to this app, Lets review your privacy options page with the giant padlock in the middle. What’s going on? I keep tapping Next, then Done over and over and it keeps going back the the privacy page. Please fix ASAP. Thank You.

Every now and then I have to contact my Internet providers from cable to cell phone Internet. Funny thing is when I use their speed test I always show higher numbers. But when I run this test it shows a more accurate numbers which is always a lot lower. I have even used other competitor testers which comes out to about the same as this. Keep your Internet providers honest. I didn’t insist that they start using Speedtest as a standard. Usually the person that was in the call center totally understands. Like they already know there are throttling down your Internet. Keeping them honest using this awesome tool

30Oct2018 Uninstalled again. Even with today’s update it will not connect while others do.

The gage only goes to 50MB but in Singapore live testing goes to 78/88 so Speedtest crashes. Might consider a fix for that.

The high rating from other users tells the story. Great app. I use it to check my wifi performance before starting anything. Speedtest is right there in my start-up folder. My service provider could careless if I complain of slow connection times. But Speedtest keeps a public record of service provider performance worldwide for everyone to see and compare. Market place performance reporting provided by Speedtest is my insurance for good service. Many times the upload/download speed is just too slow for email or Facebook to work properly so I look for another connection that is faster. I can also check my previous readings to see if there is a better time of day to be logged on.

Positive:
Most people just leave a five star review and don’t actually say a lot about it, but I really do believe Speedtest deserves is. It’s a very quick, reliable app that runs efficiently and effectively. this app is one the fastest apps(of any type) to load. Even with a measly 2mbps out in the boonies where I live, this app is extremely fast with providing live speeds to me in a split second. It never freezes up on me like many of my built in iPhone apps do. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an app of this kind.

Negative: this may sound a bit odd, but I am trying to think of any honest improvements that could be made, but I cannot think of one. 👍

Love Speedtest . If anyone complains about internet connectivity or speed, I just pop open Speedtest and flash my FAST speeds in their face. Also I like to get what I pay for so it’s great to keep your provider honest. I do wish there was a video for dummies at the top of the page so that they could get told about the features and explain what jitter and ping are along with common reasons your speed could be slowed down, such as having interference objects next to your router, etc. Having a video would save some of us from having to explain more than once to some folks. That said, easiest tool to use to check your internet speed. AWESOME!! Keep up the good work y’all.

Great app, I use it often, but comprehending what I’m looking at is hard. Something to think about with Speedtest - for certain regions or networks, tell the user how fast the average test is, or what they should expect to be seeing based on traffic in their area. Then they could know if they are actually experiencing a slow connection.

Also think about saying “x” upload speed is considered standard or “y” jitter is totally normal so that users can get a real sense of what we are looking at. Right now it’s very obscure. The numbers alone may make sense to someone accustomed to this line of work, but a normal person just needs bad, good, excellent to help understand our results.

Thanks!

All around, a great, stable, efficient, and attractive app! I've used Ookla for as long as I've had my iPhone, and a quick thirty seconds seems to be just what my particular iDevice needs to get it going in the morning 😉
On a side note, if you use Speedtest like I do, and you haven't discovered the Easter Egg yet.... You've got some strange and random good times ahead of you! Lol
I was actually creeped out at first when i found the initial clue, not realizing what I had stumbled across
... That line was chilling... But also just enough to get me started digging🤓🕵️🏽‍♀️🐈⏱👁‍🗨
Keep up the great work, guys! Thanks again for all you've done with this hidden gem of an app!

Seems to work flawlessly, has useful notes feature, trustworthy results I’ve come to expect but would be MUCH more useful to have some sort of aggregate of average speeds in my area for context.

Thanks to Speedtest, I know *what* my up/down is but it sure would be nice to have comparative numbers to arm myself with knowledge if my service wasn’t up to local standards - otherwise how does a non-techie know what their speeds *should/could* be? Please consider adding something along those lines for those who want the best local internet service but who may not be technologically inclined enough to fully understand your results.