Microsoft is enabling you to test the speed of your internet connection via Bing directly from the results page.

You can conduct a speed test simply by typing ‘internet speed test’ into the Bing search bar, which provides an overview of your IP address, latency, download speed and upload speed.

The feature, which is similar to the Network Speed Test app for Windows, does not currently show up on the Bing mobile site or app for all users, which is a sign that Microsoft is either A/B testing it or rolling it out.

Microsoft was cagey about the new feature when asked about it by VentureBeat, with a spokesman telling the technology innovation news site: “We’re always testing new experiences for Bing, which includes the speed test experience. We have nothing further to share at this time.”

Enhance

Windows Central reader Kabi Cheema brought the speed test to the attention of the Windows news site, which said it was part of Microsoft’s continuing enhancement of Bing; the search engine now shows information about movies, lists cinema times and does sums on its results page, saving you from having to click through to a website to see them.

Common practice

VentureBeat said that it is now common practice for search engines to integrate such tools into search results, but that doing so with an internet speed tester is more complicated than with a calculator or currency convertor, showing that Microsoft was upping the ante with Bing.

Microsoft beat Google to the punch in adding emoji search support to Bing and recently incorporated classic mobile phone game Snake into the search engine.

VenureBeat added that, while such features are unlikely to entice anyone to switch from Google to Bing, Microsoft’s pushing of the envelope is welcome as the search engine market is sorely in need of competition.

Technology news site Clapway said the new feature shows that Microsoft is tasking Bing seriously and that such additions will make it more competitive, and that Bing could eventually replace Internet Explorer and Edge to become Microsoft’s signature web browser.