What is the Best Way to Test a Mobile App?

TestDel
8 min readSep 23, 2021

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Developers are finding good jobs in mobile app development as smartphones become more popular. Millions of apps will ultimately overwhelm the market. However, the truth is that only a select handful are able to build a name for themselves and dominate the mobile world. With such a high competency proportion, you must ensure that your application, in addition to providing something creative and interesting to your customers, is also free of bugs. As a result, testing mobile apps are becoming increasingly important.

An excellent mobile application is based on a fantastic concept. But, no matter how good and profitable it is, one mistake might send it into extinction. That is why it is critical to identify any potential system defects prior to release. But how do you go about doing it? From setup on various OS versions to GPS tracking, we’ll show you what goes on behind the scenes of efficient mobile app testing today. Every mobile product owner or anyone interested in keeping consumers happy with a mobile app would benefit from this checklist.

1. What is Mobile Application Testing and What are its Essentials

The process of evaluating mobile applications for usability, functionality, and consistency flaws is known as mobile application testing. Software testing and web testing are not the same as mobile app testing. Before undertaking mobile app testing, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Turning on and off the GPS
  • Screen resolution
  • The position of the screen (landscape, portrait)
  • Manufacturers of various devices
  • OSs

2. Things Users Aren’t Expecting From A Mobile App

Do you know that if a consumer has a poor mobile experience, 40% of them will switch to a rival company? The explanation for this is straightforward: they have a wide range of options. There were 3.36 million mobile apps on the Google Play store as of September 2020, and 3.1 million in the Apple App Store.

What is the secret to getting ahead of the competition? Customer service is important. You must understand what causes an app to leave a negative impression. Weak password validation, inappropriate verification, non — secure cookies validation, installation / de-installation bugs, navigation and scrolling issues, localization mistakes, design and understandability issues, inaccuracies in the backdrop configuration, usability issues, inappropriate error messages, inaccurate form inputs are all bugs that must be detected and fixed in order to provide a convincing customer experience for mobile applications.

Unnecessary procedures within the program must be deleted as a golden rule to satisfy end users. A good app user interface is straightforward, simple to use, and free of components that don’t contribute to the app’s value. Aside from the visuals, an app’s design also provides the app’s audio effects and animations.

3. A Feasible Approach to Mobile App Testing

Mobile application testing is not an easy task, as you may have anticipated. There are numerous sorts of testing used to ensure quality and even more types of mobile applications. It’s only natural that the most important question isn’t “what should be tested,” but rather “what should not be evaluated?” To help you find an answer, we’ve separated the key elements that define a successful mobile testing approach and compiled them into this checklist. It’s obvious that you’ll need to be a QA specialist to figure out whether the testing technique is more or less appropriate, but it can still serve as a useful roadmap for staying on track and not getting trapped.

4. Manual vs. Automated Testing for Mobile Applications

If you want to start with the basics, there are two options: manual testing and test automation, just as with any other product. What’s the distinction between the two? In brief, manual testing is software testing in which tests are carried out manually by QA experts. Testers build code/test programs to automate test execution in automated testing.

Which is the best option or which one should be chosen? There is no one-size-fits-all solution because there are so many factors to consider. In the short term, manual testing for mobile applications, for example, is more adaptable and cost-effective. Although manual testing can give you a better model user engagement, it does have some drawbacks: the testing method is time-consuming, and manual test cases are difficult to reuse.

Because some test cases (such as load testing) cannot be completed manually, so there is automation.

Advantages of Automated Testing for Mobile Apps: The total testing process consumes less effort, it is more cost-effective in the longer term, automated test cases are easy to reuse, it can be the sole solution for some types of testing (performance testing), and testing results are quickly available.

Disadvantages of Automated Testing for Mobile Apps: Some mobile testing methods have limits, and test automation isn’t always the best way to determine usability.

5. The Definitive Checklist for Mobile App Testing

Let’s examine the different forms of testing that should be done on mobile apps to ensure that they satisfy user expectations. The first portion is about the various kinds of manual testing:

5.1. Installation Testing

The installation of mobile applications is a metric of success. The first instance a user interacts with your program is during the installation process. Installation testing, which includes both upgrading and uninstalling software, will make it go smoothly and quickly. Checking that old data is not damaged after an app update to an older version still functions after the update is aborted in the middle is required for this. Uninstalling tests guarantees that no trash files remain in the system after the de-installation procedure is completed and that all files are completely erased.

5.2. Compatibility Testing

This testing is required to ensure a consistent experience across all devices. Apps that are successful must work on the majority of modern mobile devices. Compatibility testing examines whether a program is compatible with devices that have varied operating systems, browsers, screen resolutions, networks, and hardware. To reduce errors and guarantee an equal user experience, it’s critical to test the app across all potential software and hardware combinations. A real device is, without a question, the greatest way to evaluate a mobile application. Testing on a genuine device ensures the highest level of accuracy.

5.3. Functionality Testing

Functionality testing is used to combine brilliant experiences with correct functionality. We test the app’s stated functionality, covering field validation, navigation, networking, payment transactions, error messages, sound and video effects, in-app advertising mechanism, application, and user manual compliance, and so on.

5.4. GUI Testing

GUI testing will indicate whether your app’s graphical aspects match the requirements and are implemented correctly. The following components of the app UI are examined:

  • Menus, toolbars, and other navigation elements
  • GUI elements are displayed in a variety of sizes for different screen resolutions.
  • Notifications from apps
  • Formatting text and layout
  • Image quality and alignment.

5.5. Interruption Testing

Because smartphones and tablets are versatile and multifunctional devices, multiple events and notifications may interrupt the application. We test the app’s ability to manage the following interruptions:

  • Inbound phone calls and text messages.
  • Notifications from the system;
  • Installation and removal of cables
  • A network outage and its re-establishment;
  • Alarm.

5.6. Usability Testing

In today’s extremely competitive market, application usability is one of the most important factors influencing a product’s appeal. Usability testing helps us to find areas of your program that aren’t appealing enough or are tough to navigate or utilize on touch displays. You should also ensure that the application’s resource consumption model corresponds to the intended audience.

5.7. Security Testing

This is the first form of testing connected to Test Automation on this list. If you value your company’s confidential information, security testing, often known as pen-testing, is necessary. Without penetration testing, it is nearly difficult to supply banking software and solutions to the e-commerce business. Before the final release, security testing that comprises the following stages is considered to prevent hacking attempts:

  • Begin by carrying out vulnerability and penetration testing.
  • Simulating real-life scenarios
  • As soon as possible, begin security testing.

5.8. Performance Testing

Yet another test automation technique for mobile apps. Users care about memory usage, battery consumption, CPU usage, loading speed, program performance in a multitasking context, and low-resource options. Make sure your program doesn’t take up too much of the user’s time or patience. Automated scripts perform various checks while following typical ‘user app’ interaction scenarios. After the scripts have been run, a complete report is produced. We use the newest tools and technology, such as Appium, TestNG, JUnit, and Allure, to obtain the best outcomes.

6. Challenges of Mobile Application Testing

  • Time constraint for app marketing
  • Mobile phone usage patterns and environments are constantly changing.
  • User Experience and App Performance Issues
  • A testing approach based on device
  • Availability of multiple mobile user interfaces
  • Greater security issues.

7. Strategies for Testing a Mobile App

Let’s try to organize our information and figure out the most important strategize for mobile app testing.

  • Make sure you know everything there is to know about your mobile app. Learn everything there is to know about it.
  • Understand that you’re testing a mobile app rather than desktop software.
  • Consider the hardware characteristics as well as the operating system of the device you’re testing.
  • For best testing results, use real devices wherever possible.
  • Use the mobile application testing tools you’re already familiar with rather than picking one based on its popularity.
  • Consider employing cloud-based mobile testing.
  • Utilize most of the development menu options.
  • Emulators and simulators can safeguard you; utilize them when necessary.
  • Don’t chase automation. maintain a balance of automated and manual testing
  • Aside from that, beta testing is always a plus.
  • Create a checklist for the various testing activities.

8. To Sum Up

You must apply a brilliant idea to make an excellent mobile application, but you must also care about testing to create a perfect product for people. Unexpected issues such as poor design, awful user experience, slow load time, and failures shortly after installation can occur. Mobile testing, on the other hand, is the best safeguard against such threats. However, one thing to keep in mind is that meeting mobile users’ expectations is a continuous effort. As a result, mobile testing should be a high priority for you.

Manual testing is key when it comes to mobile app usability and accessibility. Even said, monotonous work can cause tiredness and contribute to the discovery of defects, especially if the same tests must be run repeatedly. Before you begin manual app testing, you must first arrange the testing stages.

Testdel carefully chooses the most relevant devices, taking into account the software features, target audience, and industry peculiarities, to maximize the time and cost-efficiency of your mobile app testing.

To do so, we use our three-step approach:

  1. Analyze the requirements

a) Create a list of requirements and determine who your target audience is.

b) Examine the hardware and software features that are important to you.

  1. A look at the most popular devices in the region

a) Examine market conditions.

b) Compile information

  1. Devices for testing selection

a) Devices are classified according to their priority.

b) Create a test plan.

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