Android 8.1 Oreo now displays a speed label next to public Wi-Fi networks

Android 8.1 Oreo

When Android 8.1 Oreo started rolling out in early December 2017, it was certain this was going to be an incremental upgrade. Usually, such upgrades don’t bring major changes, but they come with minor upgrades, small but nifty features as well as iron out previous issues. This is exactly what Android 8.1 Oreo is.

In addition to coming in with features such as the dark theme and support for HD Voice Calling, Android 8.1 Oreo also showed off a feature that added a speed label next to open Wi-Fi networks. Rather than manually try out each of the available networks before finally landing on the strongest, users would be able to check these labels and decide whether to connect to the open public network or not.

Well, this feature is finally rolling out right now. Google confirmed this through its official Twitter handle, but so far, the feature is only limited to Android 8.1 Oreo. At the moment, only Google’s Pixels and Nexus devices have this OS installed, but hopefully, other Android versions will get it at some point in the near future.

Here’s how Android 8.1 will label open public Wi-Fi networks on your phone:

  • Slow: If you can use Wi-Fi calling, you can make phone calls and send texts.
  • OK: You can read webpages, use social media, and stream music.
  • Fast: You can stream most videos.
  • Very Fast: You can stream very high-quality videos.

The feature also allows users to hide the network speed label through Settings>Network & Internet>Wi-Fi>Wi-Fi Preferences>Advanced>Network rating provider>None.

Are you ever concerned about the speed of open Wi-Fi networks? Let us know in your comments below.

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