An important guide to Mobile Application Testing
Mobile application testing evaluates the functionality, usability, and consistency of application software designed for handheld mobile devices. The testing of mobile applications might be automated or human, and mobile applications can be downloaded via mobile software distribution channels or arrive pre-installed. In 2015, global mobile app revenues were 69.7 billion dollars, and by 2020, they are expected to be 188.9 billion dollars. Bluetooth, GPS, sensors, and Wi-Fi are some of the most critical technologies in wearables. As a result, mobile application testing focuses on field testing, user emphasis, and areas where hardware and software must be evaluated simultaneously.
Why Is Mobile Testing Crucial For Your App?
Apps must now be tested across a variety of mobile devices and operating systems to ensure compatibility, usability, and consistency. Automation testing can be used to develop apps that are scalable and accessible across numerous platforms. Automation makes sense for a wide range of repetitive operations, such as regression and performance testing, because manual testing is time-consuming, expensive, and prone to errors. Testers will be able to swiftly check for problems, defects, and vulnerabilities in fresh or recent upgrades or changes to the application using automated testing. It also aids them in:
- Run testing on various devices at the same time.
- Repeat tests
- Expand your coverage
- Achieve a higher return on investment (ROI)
Mobile Application Testing Techniques and Methodologies
Testers must use a variety of testing skills and approaches to uncover as many problems as possible in a variety of locations and scenarios when testing mobile apps.
Here are some key mobile testing types and techniques:
Functional testing: It determines whether or not an application’s functions are performing properly. This testing focuses on the app’s ability to perform in accordance with the criteria.
Compatibility testing: It is a non-functional sort of testing that ensures that the software runs smoothly on a variety of operating systems, devices, networks, and internal hardware specs.
Usability Testing: Usability testing evaluates an app’s ease of use and intuitiveness. It assists in the detection of flaws in order to improve the client experience.
Performance testing: It examines how an app behaves or performs under various loads.
Security testing: It prioritizes the security of a user’s personal data and examines app behavior in response to various device permission requests.
Installation testing: It is used to determine whether the software is correctly installed and uninstalled. It also ensures that app updates go off without a hitch.
Exploratory Testing: Exploratory testing is used to investigate the app’s many functionality and usability in order to identify critical flaws and guarantee that it functions as intended.
Automated testing: It is utilized for regression testing or when a circumstance necessitates recurring operations. It aids in the assurance of app quality and rapid delivery.
Storage Testing: Storage testing examines how well an app handles storage-related functions. There are several functionalities in which the application must either store, retrieve, or erase data from the hard disc. It also examines how the app performs when the device has no or limited storage.
Interrupt Testing: Push notifications may cause 50–80 disruptions per day for a smartphone user. Interrupt testing aids in the investigation of the disruptions created by these interrupts. When performing interrupt testing on a mobile device, a tester must consider UI issues, app crashes, and performance difficulties.
Input Testing: When testing a mobile app, a mobile tester should use the device to conduct a variety of input operations, including multi-finger and voice input. Ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, Gyroscope, pressure sensor, magnetic sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and so on are examples of sensors.
Apart from that, a tester should use a variety of different techniques, such as:
- Hardware Specific Testing
- Battery Usage Testing
- Installations & Updates Testing
- Standby Testing
- Test-Driven Development (TDD)
- Local Storage Testing
