Android 8.1 Oreo lets you determine quality of your Wi-Fi speed

Here’s how to test quality of Wi-Fi speed on your smartphone running Android 8.1 Oreo.

Google doesn’t precisely tell you the Wi-Fi speed but gives you an overview of it (Diwakar Prasad/ Hindustan Times)

Google has started to roll out a new feature to its Android 8.1 Oreo operating system that allows users to check Wi-Fi speeds.

The feature is aimed at users who regularly connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots. "Public Wi-Fi can be spotty. For the first time, AndroidOreo 8.1 lets you take out the guesswork and see the speed of networks before you hit connect," Android official Twitter handle tweeted on Tuesday.

How to use it

Google doesn't precisely tell you the Wi-Fi speed but gives you an overview of it. The labels show up under the network name in the list of available Wi-Fi connections.

"Signal strength shows on the Wi-Fi icon. A fuller icon means a stronger signal," notes Google on its website.

There are four general categories and Google describes them as -- "Slow" which means Wi-Fi calling can be used for phone calls and sending texts.

"OK" is where users can read webpages, use social media and stream music. "Fast" will let users stream most videos. "Very Fast" is when users can stream very high-quality videos.

Users who do not wish to see these label notifications can turn them off from the "Settings" app under Network and Internet. This feature was part of the Android 8.1 OS changes announced in December.