More ways to test, monitor, and understand your network

Orb 1.5 is now available. Since Orb 1.4, we have shipped improvements across the app, Orb Cloud, and the sensor to make Orb easier to read, easier to run in the background, and more useful for testing network paths.

This release includes a new Orb-to-Orb testing mode, an upgraded UI, Android background measurements, app performance improvements, and several other updates, including Guest Orbs, live Orb Score in the menu bar and system tray, enhanced Orb Cloud linking, expanded Wi-Fi metrics, and more.

A note on compatibility

We refactored our datasets and app interactions to improve performance and data rendering.

This work changes how the app and sensor interact with measurement data, making the app feel faster and more responsive when displaying results. It also gives us a better foundation for future improvements to charts, historical views, and large datasets. These changes are not backwards compatible with on-sensor data from earlier versions. On upgrade, the last 24 hours of on-sensor data will no longer be viewable in apps.

A new app will work correctly with an old sensor. However, an old app will not work correctly with a new sensor.

To avoid issues, update your app before updating your sensor, or update both together. This change lets us improve performance, data rendering, and future measurement experiences, but older app versions do not understand the updated sensor data model.

Here’s a full rundown of what’s new in Orb 1.5.

New features

Orb-to-Orb testing now supported in-app

Users can now configure their Orbs to test to another Orb instead of only testing to the internet.

This makes it easier to isolate network segments, compare paths, and understand whether an issue is happening locally, upstream, or between two specific points in your environment. By changing the endpoint from the internet to another Orb, you can monitor the path between two Orbs and get a clearer picture of how traffic is performing across your own network.

Orb-to-Orb testing is especially useful when troubleshooting private networks, branch locations, home lab setups, VPN paths, managed customer environments, and internal infrastructure where “is the internet working?” is not the only question you need answered.

To configure this change, see advanced settings in the Orb Menu.

Wi-Fi information available in-app

Wi-Fi information and data are now included in the Orb app, giving you more context about the local wireless environment behind each measurement.

These details can help explain changes in Orb Score, lag, responsiveness, and overall network quality when the issue is related to Wi-Fi conditions rather than the broader internet connection.

On iOS, Wi-Fi information requires an Apple Shortcut to be installed before Orb can collect the data. Once the shortcut is set up, Orb can include Wi-Fi details alongside the rest of your measurement data.

Android background measurements

The Android app can now continue measuring your network when the app is closed or running in the background.

To turn this on, open app settings and enable the “Run in Background”. Once enabled, Orb can keep measuring without requiring the app to stay open on screen.

A note on background measurements: some metrics, including lag, may show slightly higher values while Orb is running in the background. Android may deprioritize apps depending on device settings, battery mode, and manufacturer-specific background behavior, so background results may not always match foreground measurements exactly.

Upgraded UI: easier on the eyes + new app settings

We have updated the app UI with new elements designed to improve readability and accessibility.

The goal is to make Orb easier to scan at a glance and when digging into the details. You will see clearer visual history, improved spacing, and updated interface patterns across key parts of the app.

Two new app settings are now available:

• Increase contrast (on by default) displays the new app UI with better readability
• Reduce motion (off by default) disables the responsiveness radar

Not-so-new features (previously released)

Guest Orbs

Guest Orbs let you invite users into your Orb network and gain real-time internet experience metrics from their connection. This makes it easier to troubleshoot remote environments without requiring a permanent Orb setup for every user.

Group Orbs in Orb Cloud

Orb Cloud now supports grouping Orbs by useful dimensions like operating system, ISP, connection type, connection status, and location. This makes larger deployments easier to scan and manage.
Offline Orbs are also easier to identify. They now appear dimmed and display an estimated offline duration, so you can quickly tell which Orbs need attention and how long they have been unreachable.

Better linking and connection visibility

We have improved Orb linking options and visibility across platforms to make it easier to connect devices to Orb Cloud Spaces. Orb Cloud connection handling has also been improved across the apps, helping devices connect more reliably and recover more gracefully.

Measurement and platform improvements

Live Orb Score in the menu bar and system tray

Orb Score is now easier to see without opening the full app.

On macOS, Orb Score can appear in the status bar. On Windows, Orb Score can appear in the system tray. We also improved readability and made the Live Orb Score experience clearer.

More detailed Wi-Fi information

Analytics outputs now include more detailed Wi-Fi information, and the CLI has added support for Wi-Fi Metrics reporting. These updates make it easier to understand how the local wireless environment may be affecting the overall internet experience.

More configurable endpoints

The CLI added support for configurable Web Responsiveness endpoints and custom speed endpoints. These controls give advanced users more flexibility when testing specific network paths and measurement targets.

Expanded platform support and reliability work

We have continued to improve support across platforms, including Android 10 and Android 11 support, a FreeBSD package, improved handling of unhealthy pingers, first hop improvements on FreeBSD and Windows, better network interface detection on Windows, improved Wi-Fi detection on Linux, and fixes for Live Metrics memory usage.

As always, this release also includes bug fixes and optimizations across the app, CLI, and Orb Cloud.

What’s next

We are continuing to refine Orb based on your feedback and real-world network conditions. Check out The Forge changelog for detailed release notes by platform.