The Android landscape is incredibly diverse, encompassing over 24,000 distinct device types, manufacturers, and custom operating system builds worldwide. Because of this vast variance, ensuring universal hardware and software interoperability across every single Android device is a unique technical challenge.
At Ookla, we endeavor to make the Speedtest Pulse product work seamlessly across as many makes and models of mobile phones as possible. While we cannot provide blanket guarantees for future compatibility, as major Android OS updates or manufacturer-specific system modifications can alter how devices interact with external hardware, we maintain a rigorous quality assurance process to ensure a stable, reliable experience.
Our Android Device Test Bank
To maintain strict performance and stability standards, Ookla tests all current and future Speedtest Pulse device firmwares and mobile app versions against a dedicated test bank of hardware. Before any software update or firmware deployment is released, it is thoroughly verified against this baseline.
Compatibility has been successfully tested and verified across the following baseline devices:
| Brand | Model Name | Official Manufacturer Model Number / Type Code | Android Version |
| Samsung | Galaxy S21+ 5G | SM-G996B/DS | 15 |
| Samsung | Galaxy Tab S8+ 5G | SM-X806B | 16 |
| Samsung | Galaxy A71 | SM-A715F/DS | 13 |
| Samsung | Galaxy Tab S6 Lite | SM-P610 | 13 |
| Pixel 10 Pro | GEHN3 | 16 | |
| Pixel 9 | GUR25 | 16 | |
| OnePlus | 12 | CPH2581 | 16 |
In addition to this primary test bank, our engineering teams frequently conduct ad-hoc validation across a wider variety of Android makes and models. However, because these secondary devices sit outside our mandatory baseline, they are not explicitly validated against 100% of new software updates or firmware releases.
What if my device or Android version is not listed?
If your phone model or specific operating system version (including legacy versions) is not included in the test bank above, it does not mean it will not work with Speedtest Pulse.
Many unlisted Android devices connect, pair, and function perfectly with the Speedtest Pulse hardware. However, because these models sit outside our primary testing environment, we cannot guarantee full compatibility, nor can we preview how future operating system updates might impact performance.
How to Get Support
If you are using an unlisted device and experience connectivity or performance issues, our team is here to help. Please reach out through your standard support channels so we can work directly with you to investigate and troubleshoot the issue. Support is available via:
- The Speedtest Pulse Support Portal: https://pulse.ookla.com
- Interact with Speedtest IQ, your AI assistant for Speedtest Pulse, for real-time guidance.
- Contact your dedicated Ookla Account Manager for further escalation.
Next-Generation OS Compatibility (Android 17)
As part of our commitment to forward-looking development, our engineering teams proactively test early builds of upcoming operating systems. We have recently conducted internal validation on Android 17 using Google Pixel handsets.
Because Android 17 is brand new and has not yet been officially deployed across the vast majority of consumer device makes and models, early-stage interoperability anomalies can occur. Currently, we are tracking an issue specific to Android 17 where the application fails to recognize the connected Speedtest Pulse hardware. Please note that these identical Pixel hardware models function correctly when running Android 16.
Our development team is actively investigating this connection behavior and working hard to resolve these constraints as a top priority. We are fully confident that a comprehensive fix will be deployed swiftly, ensuring seamless operation well ahead of Android 17's wider public consumer rollout.
Important Note on Huawei Devices
Huawei phones and tablets have utilized the EMUI/HarmonyOS operating system since 2020 due to U.S. government sanctions. EMUI/HarmonyOS is a modified operating system built upon the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).
Due to these regulatory restrictions, Ookla distributes the Speedtest Pulse app exclusively through official channels (the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store) and cannot deploy the application to the Huawei AppGallery.
While some Huawei users may choose to independently access the Google Play Store via third-party environment emulation or sideloading tools to download the app, Ookla does not directly distribute or support application files (APKs) for manual installation. Consequently, we cannot guarantee that Huawei devices will be compatible with the Speedtest Pulse app or hardware, irrespective of which version of EMUI or HarmonyOS is being used.