Check if an online service has gone offline

When you’re having problems accessing a website, app or your internet network, it’s useful to know whether the problem is at your end or caused by the service you’re using.

One of the best ways to find out is to check Downdetector (www.snipca. com/44165), which lets people report issues they’re currently experiencing with online services. Downdetector has now been integrated with the brilliant free app Speedtest by Ookla, so you can quickly diagnose if there’s trouble with your connection or if there’s a more widespread fault.

To use this new feature, install the Speedtest app for Android (www.snipca. com/44118) or IOS (www.snipca.com/44119) and tap the Status tab at the bottom of the screen (see screenshot 1 below). This lists thousands of online services and tells you at a glance if they’re presently offline or experiencing other problems – entries with a red line and exclamation mark at the top of the list have the most reported issues. Tap a service for a graph and pie chart showing the number of reports over the last 24 hours in a number of categories, including landline internet, mobile internet, TV streaming, email or total blackout. Tap the blue Report A Problem button 2 to share details of the trouble you’re having and make Downdetector’s data more accurate.

This a great addition to Speedtest, which has long been our favourite tool for checking a connection’s download and upload speeds. It also includes a network-coverage map, a videostreaming test and a free VPN. When you first run the app, you can choose which data to share – select ‘Do not allow’ for any options you’re uncomfortable with.