What it does:
Accurately measure the performance of your mobile broadband service by running active tests to evaluate the following metrics – download and upload speed, latency, jitter and packet loss.
You can run these tests over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections.
The data from these tests contribute to the FCC’s Measuring Broadband America program. The program is run by the FCC to fulfil its Congressional mandate to collect and make publicly available accurate and transparent performance metrics on US broadband.
Your privacy is completely safeguarded. No personally identifiable information is collected.
How it works:
Once you install and open the app periodic automatic background tests will be scheduled, testing download, upload, latency, jitter and packet loss.
You can set a monthly data cap to ensure tests do not go over your limit. You can also monitor data usage in the app so you do not exceed monthly allowances by your carrier.
You can also run manual tests whenever you’d like and control which tests you’d like to perform.
Using the built-in GUI, It’s easy to compare tests and historical data collected to see how performance changes over time, or according to Wi-Fi/cellular connection.
In addition to the test-generated in-app information, you can also export additional data collected during a test. This passive data such as Cell ID, Signal Strength and GPS location can be used to further analyze performance across time and locations.
About the App
As part of the Measuring Broadband America Program The FCC Speed Test App assists with improving the visibility, accuracy and transparency of performance data on US mobile broadband.
More information: https://www.fcc.gov/general/measuring-mobile-broadband-performance
Privacy Policy: https://www.fcc.gov/general/mobile-broadband-performance-application-privacy-notice-and-terms-use
The app basically stopped working. The map that was full of hundreds of readings doesn’t show anything anymore. I guess the upload test fails since I get a annoying notification about the upload trying to finish that won’t go away unless I reboot my phone. I tried contacting the developer but just got a canned answer in response about constantly looking for ways to enhance and improve the app which totally ignored the problem I brought up. I’ll fix it myself. I’m uninstaling the app….
Great idea, but Data caps are something that should be looked into as well. Where I live I can only get Verizon, or Hughes net. No other cell service works. So $200 a month between both I get a total of 65 gigs of high speed data. Which my kid can eat up in 30 minutes if I don’t pay attention…… App tends to slow down phone amd freeze it up on occasion which forced reboots. I’m reinstalling again after a bit without to see if anything changed.
I like that it’s a pretty straightforward speed test app, and the speed results seem to be universally slower here than in other more commercial oriented speed test apps. Whether that’s due to a limited set of test servers or that the FCC app is giving us more accurate results, I don’t really know. It’s nice to have both ping and jitter measured, and the ability to set daily automatic tests when the phone is idle is a nice way to build a history of speed results. Sadly, the interface is super clunky and the ability to chart past results is extremely limited, to just a few timeframes in bar graph format.
Wish it ran more reliably when automating. It would be nice to have better sorting between the different types of networks and the ability to thumb left or right to look at dates in the past or future without redrawing and forcing you to view the next ‘set’. Look at glasswire for a great example of how to do this better. GREAT app otherwise, a true rarity- funded by US tax dollars. 👍👍👍
Original 04/30/2021: The speed analysis seems to be accurate for me, only showing a little slower than a computer on wired connection (as expected). However, the scheduler seems to not work properly. I have it set to run a wifi only scan every hour, but it went 4 days without scanning (all while connected to my wifi network). Update 06/01/2021: Scheduler is definitely not working and hasn’t been fixed. -1 star
Really glad to see an app like this that’s not from a network provider. It’s easy to use, had common sense settings for mobile data usage, and it also has helpful charts and graphs for comparing results over time. This is a great tool, and I’m hopeful it will provide the FCC with better data to improve internet access and availability in places that don’t have that.
I like the charts, but I wish the data was available in csv format so I could combine it with other device data and other speed test apps. Recently the notifications for the scheduled tests have shown the test running interminably. Have force stopped, flushed cache, etc. Still keeps doing it. Lastly, this app seems to produce consistently lower test results than other apps. Frankly I’d pitch it if it wasn’t for the nice charts.
Pretty good. Like the fact it notifies you when it does a random test. Wish there was a way to have it do a set number of random tests per day. Also wish there was an option to take a picture and tag the uplink/downlink/latency data into the EXIF data. Also needs an option for the map showing LTE 5/1 compliant speed tests on the map.
Looking forward to seeing how my speed tracks over time with this app. And to running it in locations I know don’t have access to broadband. The only complaint I have, having used the app for all of 15 minutes, is that the download test on its own requires 120-140MB of data, so if the mobile data cap is set to 100MB, the test will crash when testing the mobile network. Maybe remove the option for the 100MB mobile data cap so that the download test has a chance to succeed at least once.
The app doesn’t seem accurate. I have gigabit service and all other speed tests reflect a much higher speed than this app does. It also gives no option to choose a server to test against. In other apps you can select various servers to test against and the results vary greatly from server to server, regardless of distance, jitter, etc..
As others have said, something changed and now it runs and never ends. On android, I get on notification that it completed, and then another showing the Upload test is running and it never finishes. Hopefully this will be fixed soon, as clearly it’s affecting a lot of people.
Very nice! But, it could have multi- and single threaded tests. The app could also turn off wifi (for unattended tests) and use just (as what it says) “mobile broadband” / ie. cell/mobile data. Jitter, icmp, scheduling, stats and data cap included which is nice. Way above average app for testing the link, and map all areas. Great job FCC!!!! Get the broadband to everyone in the USA, and help/allow to provide choices to areas with a monopoly. ISP link is an utility – Title 2 of the Comm Act!
After administration in White House changed the app started to work. The design was change. Could not tell how I like it because it difficult assuming some WOW for simple app. The app collected a data of network performance and at that time I did not see my provider improves quality of my signal. It will be better if that app helps FCC to inforce network providers to provide good quality of service. One of bug negative things of the app: it consumes lot of bandwidth (2-3 gigs monthly).
Recently learned this app is a joke. They partnered with T-Mobile to test speeds of the ‘area network’ and not the actual speeds delivered to the device. The FCC app does not take up data to speed test on T-Mobile but won’t give you the speeds you’re actually getting. Using OpenSignal DOES take your data but shows actual device speeds received and transmitted. Uninstalled since I’m sending back flawed device data.
Not FCC fault but with the carrier. I know they’ll allow unlimited speed but my carrier at&t will allow the app unlimited speed but I couldn’t even stream a single video at 1080p nor 720p. I even tried a few other apps streaming services and the same result. FCC needs to mask their servers so carriers can’t cook the books! Other then that it’s works as advertised and pretty happy with it.
Can’t stop background testing. I turned off all the settings for background testing, but it keeps trying to run them. I get silent notifications of uploading test results that I can’t stop. I finally gave up and uninstalled the app. It otherwise worked well but would be a battery killer if left to do its thing.
Dropping this to two stars. The concept of fantastic but the execution is not great. The app does a great job running but then gets stuck in my notification section showing that’s it’s still running. I always have to force stop it.
“Contact us” form always displays the following error: “An error has occurred, please check that you’ve filled in everything correctly and try again. I’m trying to report an issue with this app’s background test feature and you can’t even contact the developer to report said bugs.
This app definitely needs an update. It barely does what it’s supposed to do without freezing or hiccuping. You have to press the button a million times over just to get it to do the one thing it needs to do and we need to make sure that this app cannot be manipulated by any of the companies to show false speeds as speed test now does. Speed test the app everyone knows now shows unrealistic speeds because the companies that provide internet can see you’re doing a speed test on that app…
Endless loop running upload background test on my Samsung tablet. No problems on my Samsung 10 Note+. Worked previously, now just runs in the background until forced stop. Uninstaller. Showed 2gig of data used in a month? Uninstalled.
I used the speed test on the Comcast app, they were claiming 65mbps down and connected through Boston. FCC app shows connected through New York and 26mbps. Someone is not being truthful. I’m guessing it’s the people saying I need to pay more to upgrade to 1gbps because I’m not even getting the speeds I’m currently paying for. I hope this gets the data needed to have Comcast held to some level of accountability.
A very important app for speedtests without any bells and whistles or even ads! This app helps the fcc get more accurate data over inflated company values, and for those wondering about reliability, i have had the same results as ookla speedtest on mobile and on wifi. For those of us with low bandwiths (freaking 2mbps on verizon in worcester county ma) this may be a lifesaver to get better bandwiths intetnet. Be warned that the app checks connection frequently, so mobile data users be wary
My results for NE Oklahoma LTE (T-Mobile)- 1.69mb/s down, 1.34mb/s up, with 70ms latency. Sad thing is, this has been the norm as new technologies have been ‘scabbed’ onto a decades old network backbone. I personally invite “infrastructure improvement”. I’m used to the slow speeds, but I still get jealous after seeing the rest of the country getting 150mb/s down on their LTE speed tests.
Amazing! I wish they’d released this app years ago. It measures all the key metrics for bandwidth, allows you to schedule the frequency and chart it over time! Now hopefully, they will use this data to redraw the coverage maps instead of relying on the carriers and ISPs to self report the bandwidth they claim to be providing.
Runs tests all the time, which is nice to keep my cell phone company in check. With the last update though, it keeps a notification saying it’s running tests. It never goes away, even after it finishes a test. I have to restart my phone in order to get it to clear the notification.
Was an excellent tool until recently. Now it always shows Upload Test constantly, often showing a date that’s 2 or more days prior. Tried rebooting and got zilch. Now I force stop it until I decide to do a manual test, then back to sleep. I expect better from the FCC!
Every time it runs, it stays in the notification bar as still running. That eats up the battery. The only way to fix is restart the phone or uninstall. I’m tired of restarting the phone everyday.
Test finished but second notification that test is still running never goes away and stays active. This is why I uninstalled it a year ago. I was expecting that to be fixed by now.
There needs to be options to transmit the data automatically or manually. The data is collected, but it is not clear what the user should do with the data! Needs to be clarified! The app is very efficient in collecting the data. Transmitting needs to be efficient too! Thank you.
I think this is a super important app for those of us in bad cell coverage areas- hopefully we can help the FCC understand how overstated the cell companies coverage maps really are! Maybe accurate FCC maps will force cell providers into providing better coverage. All major providers show coverage in my area, but in practice I frequently have zero bars. Maybe the cities are all jazzed about getting 5G coverage, but I just want to have more than periodic one bar coverage!
The speed readings are very inaccurate because it keeps testing my connection to a server 300 miles away, instead of the Spectrum Internet office that I’m actually connected to, that’s only 5 miles away. I voiced my opinion about this to the FCC customer service, but it hasn’t changed. So I’ve uninstalled the app, since I don’t want to continue providing inaccurate data to the FCC. If they’re going to base any federal policies on this information, I want the information to be correct.
Used to work well enough years ago. I forgot it was on my phone until I saw the background test notification pop up. So I checked the logs just out of curiosity…they show nothing at all on my S9+. Months of empty logs from what I assume were failed tests. Uninstalling. It’s about 4 years overdue for even a minor update and there are plenty of other trusted speed test apps out there. As trusted as any of them can be when providers actively try to detect and boost these tests, of course.
Beware of background tests. This app runs background tests, so be sure to disable those options in settings if you are concerned about data usage. To the developers, this background feature seems superfluous. Please do away with it; or at the very least, disable it by default.
The app is about data collection so broadband providers can be independently assessed, which is important. The language could be clearer in scheduling options: Do “Device idle” and “Device charging” mean it will only run tests when these two are happening? I assume so, but instead of “constraints” the header could be explicit: “perform tests only when”, since it’s public facing.
Works when it wants to, the scheduled scan will follow through when it wants to, I did disable battery optimization for this app so it would stay open but it still doesn’t run reliably, and sometimes during scans, it just crashes back to the main app screen and doesn’t save any test data.
This app is neat, but I think a lot of people wouldn’t like the idea of having their phone perform speed tests in the background. You can set rules, and I set mine to only test Wi-Fi while my device is charging. A dark mode would be a nice addition they could add.
Absolutely important that we help build an accurate dataset. Areas show coverage but as we all know they aren’t. The more data the better here and maybe we’ll actually get the speeds and coverage we pay for.
Does not work correctly or reliably on Pixel 6 Pro. It runs indefinitely, with the only option of stopping it from draining your battery being to go into settings and force stop it. However, once it starts again in the background, the evil loop continues 🤦🏻♂️ Solution: Uninstalled
It was working great until about early Sep 2021. It stopped saving results (so no Charts). After two months, not receiving a response, I just uninstalled and reinstalled the app and saving data feature is back on. 1 star less for no response.
I think it needs a bit more work. My normal home WiFi is around 300s download, and it starts picking that up and when it finishes the test it shows in the 20s. Upload speeds seem correct. With cell service it works pretty well.