Ookla Speedtest maps are available for iOS; better measure latency

Originally only available on the Android app, Ookla Speedtest maps are now available on the iOS app. This allows you to see at a glance how different mobile operators compare in your area, as well as pinpoint problem areas…

Speedtest cards

Okla says there are three main ways to use this feature:

If you want to use your new 5G phone on your upcoming vacation, you can check the map to see if your carrier has 5G service at that location. If you constantly find yourself dropping calls in the same place during your daily walk, you can check our map to see if others using the same provider are experiencing the same in the same area. You can then pass this information on to your carrier to ask them to improve their service in that area. If you want to change operators, you can check who provides the services you need in the places you visit most often.

To use it, tap on the “Maps” tab and at the bottom you will see one of the carriers. Slide this up to switch to another carrier to see how their coverage compares.

You can also see the difference between theory and practice. Carriers love to list their highest speeds, even if they’re only available in a few small patches here and there. Swipe down from the top to switch between best and most common speed.

More realistic delay

While download and upload speed is, of course, the main thing people like to measure, there is another important number that can have a big impact on your experience: latency. This is a measure of how long it takes the server to respond to your request in the first place.

The app has always measured this, but the number can be misleading as latency can increase according to your internet load. The company now runs three separate pings, providing latency data for each:

Simple ping. This test at the beginning of your Speedtest measures the response to a query on your network as if it were not being used. Download Ping. Latency is measured during a download test to see how latency is affected by download activity on your network, such as a family member downloading a large game while you are trying to work. Download ping. Latency is also measured during the download test to see how latency is affected by download activity on your network, such as someone on your home network downloading a year’s worth of photos.

You can download the Speedtest app here. When it asks for permissions, give “when using the app” location sharing permission if you want to contribute to maps without allowing wider tracking.

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