Mobile app testing may have started as a simple device to make phone calls, but it has evolved into one of the best technological creations in the world. Today, smartphones perform everything, from making a video call to lifestyle coaching. Also, smartphones may take all the honors, but applications undergo extreme testing to make them special. So, what is the importance of mobile app testing?
The mobile app market is expected to reach $407.32 billion by 2026, which hints app testing will only become more prominent in the coming years. To know how? Read the blog until the end and learn the significance of mobile app testing, challenges, and more details.
What is mobile app testing and its significance today?
Mobile app testing refers to validating a mobile app’s functionality, usability, and scalability before deployment. Here, testing helps compare the app results with business expectations. Therefore, the importance of mobile app testing stands to be successful only when the app performs best across all screen resolutions, OS versions, and network bandwidths.
Do you know that 80% of customers delete an app due to poor user experience? This is where mobile app testing becomes crucial. It’s just that it is best to discover security problems or possible bottlenecks without system failures. In addition, it minimizes the danger of losing customers and revenue.
Below are just a few mobile application testing features and benefits you can enjoy after mobile app testing.
- Increased brand reputation.
- Enhanced product revenue.
- Resource efficiencies such as bandwidth and network.
- Gains an edge in the industry.
- Clear pictures and convenient operation.
- Improves software performance and security.
So, by now, you must have realized the importance of mobile app testing. The next section describes the various types of testing to check that mobile applications are functioning properly.
What are the different types of mobile app testing?
Are you aware that with good features, users spend 4-5 hours a day on mobile applications? Goodness! Of course, the app workflow here is based on extensive testing of many factors. Hence, deciding upon the testing types and carrying them out can improve an app. Let’s see the main types that lead to the importance of mobile app testing:
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Functional testing
This mobile testing type verifies that every app functionality works as needed. It checks usage scenarios like working text buttons, sending push notifications, user sign-up, app launch, etc. Moreover, ensures seamless transactions within apps like banking.
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Usability testing
Usability testing is unavoidable when it comes to ensuring the importance of mobile app testing as it ensures user-friendliness. It checks ease of use, intuitiveness, appealing layout, design, response time, and more. Unlike other types, it prioritizes actual customer preferences and working on real devices.
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Speed testing
Website loading time, especially on mobile phones, should be low and can be achieved with speed tests. It checks how fast the site loads, app installation time, and simultaneous compatibility with various browsers. Hence, it drives healthy user traffic to the app.
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Performance testing
In the importance of mobile app testing, performance testing aims to eliminate all bottlenecks from the app. It comprises many short tests like spike, endurance, load, and volume testing. Likewise, it estimates all network, API, and device performance factors that need improvement.
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Security testing
App users are extremely concerned with data security. Almost 70% of netizens report that their personal information is shared without consent. Therefore, security testing is a must for claiming confidentiality and preventing users from cyber-attacks while using the app.
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Interruption testing
In this testing, we can check how an application reacts to an unexpected interruption. Some of them are incoming calls, messages, low battery, etc., all while the application runs. Hence, this is crucial as these factors can demonstrate the importance of mobile app testing.
How to execute automated mobile app testing?
A mobile app testing company has to dedicate extra time and effort to improve the quality of applications. But automation is the best choice to achieve all features within a short testing time. Let’s explore the step-by-step process of performing automated app testing:
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Define your objectives and goals
Relative to the user, testing strategy is helpful since it allows organizations to meet their goals. Hence, start by discussing and deciding on the goals. These should include financial targets, project funding, anticipated UI designs, app quality, etc.
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Design test cases and scenarios
Right test cases are important while testing a mobile application. They should be chosen based on app requirements, target audience, etc. Further, divide test cases into different levels and select services like unit tests, functional tests, integration tests, and many more.
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Select your testing framework
Once test cases are set, choose the right automation testing framework. It’s an integrated system that has rules and guidelines for processing them. We have linear, modular, library, hybrid, and data-driven frameworks. Testers can choose one that aligns with their purpose.
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Choose the right automation testing tool
One last prep is finalizing your automation testing tool for mobile apps. Choose among tools within your budget, like Appium, Espresso, Quantum, etc. Ensure it supports OS, various test types, a simple interface, and clear reporting while enabling integration with CI/CD tools.
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Execute tests on virtual and real devices
The last one on our list of importance of mobile app testing is the execution of tests. Here, virtual devices refer to iOS simulators and Android emulators. They help you test the apps’ functionality by mimicking real-time environments so they are faster. At the same time, testing within real hardware can analyze app configuration for varying conditions.
What are the popular mobile app testing tools?
Mobile testing tools are used to check the functionality and performance of applications in different frameworks. They should be easy to use and, at the same time, effectively monitor everything from screening to reporting bugs. Let’s explore the top mobile app testing company along with prominent features of tools:
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Katalon Platform
The Katalon Platform is the best automation testing tool for mobile, API, and desktop applications. This has built-in reporting, low-code scripting, and pre-made project templates for test creation. Further, it promotes quick troubleshooting, cross-environment execution on devices, and free learning resources for developers.
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Appium
Appium is a renowned open-source testing tool. It particularly favors testing both mobile and web applications using WebDriver protocol. Scripting languages like Java, Ruby, PHP, and many more can be used to code. Moreover, it allows integration with other testing platforms and code reusability between iOS and Android.
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Robotium
Regarding justifying the importance of mobile app testing, Robotium has the best test framework and executes gray box testing on Android applications. Test case developers or non-coders can write, function, and system and accept test scenarios for various mobile activities. Mostly, it follows automated testing and reporting with minimal code and time.
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Espresso
Expresso is commonly used for developing and testing native Android applications. As can be seen, this is an open-source and automated tool. It provides platform-specific solutions while performing unit and black-box testing on lightweight APIs. Further, it enables automatic synchronization of UI elements using scripting languages like Java and JUnit.
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Flutter
Flutter is designed by Google, especially for testing mobile and desktop applications. It does background caching and integration tests to interact with a running app on real devices. It also creates UIs using widgets, rich motion APIs, etc. Indeed, it is an open-source tool that supports automation tests regardless of app complexity.
Pay high attention to mobile application features and benefits when choosing a suitable tool because they leverage the whole application’s success. Let’s see the common challenges faced while performing mobile app testing in the next section.
What are the challenges faced during mobile app testing?
Consequently, developers must test application variants before the launch of the mobile app to prevent issues and good user experience. Because the importance of mobile app testing comes in eliminating more risky challenges like:
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Different screen sizes
As the number of mobile users is increasing, so are smartphone options. All the newest versions have varied screen sizes and resolutions. They demand applications to be flexible for all screen sizes. Therefore, app testing prioritizes scalability and usability through all resolutions and sizes.
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Device fragmentation
Fragmentation is the biggest challenge for any mobile app testing company. Because the number of active devices running an app at a specific time increases yearly, compatibility issues for iOS, Android, etc., are caused. At the same time, it should be consistent enough to run on different system versions.
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Battery life
Well, power consumption has always been a consistent challenge to increasing mobile usage. More complex apps and apps running in the background drain the battery quickly. So, testers need to test the power consumption of the app. Likewise, they should balance the longer use of mobile apps for lower battery power.
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Security issues
Security concerns challenge the mobile application testing features and benefits at every phase. Developers often face poor encryption of sensitive data, causing data breaches and easy access to caches. Even downloading fake apps and their cookies can leak all your vulnerabilities to cyber attackers.
Conclusion
With the surge in mobile devices, the demand for mobile applications has increased to another level. Many organizations recognize the importance of mobile app testing and are heavily investing in them. To put it differently, mobile apps easily gain popularity and generate good revenue for the company. So, acknowledgment is a must!