PowerToys Run is among my favorite modules, which I use daily (some of them should be integrated into Windows 11). This powerful utility is great for finding stuff, launching apps, navigating the web, and a lot more. Third-party modules help expand PowerToys Run's functionality and add additional capabilities like controlling Spotify, asking ChatGPT, and more. Now, there are three new modules you may find useful: speed test, video downloader, and vocabulary.
The SpeedTest module uses Ookla Speedtest CLI for local execution without third-party tracking or ads. It has a modern, theme-aware user interface, and runs with a single command: just open Run and type spt to measure your internet connection speed. The result will show up in a new window with the ability to copy the result URL. The module also supports x64 and ARM systems.
The VideoDownloader plugin lets you download videos from YouTube and other websites. You can specify the video quality and format (audio-only, for example) and select where to save the video. To make it work, open PowerToys Run, type dl and add a video URL.
Finally, the Definition plugin from the same developer works as a powerful vocabulary that offers word definitions, word pronunciations, phonetics and synonyms, usage examples, and more.
Note that these modules are not available in PowerToys out of the box. You need to download them from GitHub and install them manually. Here is how to do that:
- Download SpeedTest, VideoDownloader, or Definition plugins from their GitHub repositories.
- Extract downloaded plugins into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\PowerToys Run\Plugins\
- Open PowerToys Run (Alt + Space is the default shortcut) and launch plugins using their corresponding shortcuts (spt, dl, or def, all three can be customized in settings). You can also configure plugins in PowerToys Run settings.
You can find more third-party modules for PowerToys Run on GitHub.
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