Android 8.1 isn't available on many devices quite yet, but those that do have it are now getting a new feature.
Google has announced that on Android 8.1, users will be able to see the speeds of Wi-Fi networks before they connect to them. When you're viewing nearby public Wi-Fi networks, you'll see one of the following four options:
- 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.
If for some reason you'd like to disable this feature, you can do so by going into Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi Preferences > Advanced > Network rating provider > None.
This looks like a pretty nifty feature. It can be frustrating when you're out and about and you're looking for some Wi-Fi to get you faster speeds than cellular or just to save some data usage, but then you connect to a Wi-Fi network and find your speeds slow to a crawl. With this feature, you can avoid that situation entirely.