Introduction

The excitement in mobile app development would fade if it wasn’t backed by proper and comprehensive testing procedures. Application development and testing go hand in hand. As the saying goes “To err is human!”, and since the creators of these apps are also human, it is necessary to test the apps.

Therefore, even a seasoned app developer needs an equally competent tester to test their apps. In Europe, the Commission of the European Union requires that developed applications be tested before they are made public.

What is mobile app testing?

For aspiring geeks, mobile app testing is the process of testing an app developed exclusively for a mobile device and using a particular operating system. Testing is done to determine if the app’s features work properly, are easy to use, and durable. Tests are performed at different times and conditions before the application is certified as worthy of use.

History of mobile app testing

Like any other process, mobile app testing also underwent changes to keep up with the latest in app development. The next couple of paragraphs attest to the extent to which testing has adapted to the rapid changes in the mobility space.

Hardware-based testing (for first-generation mobile apps): Various components and interconnect cables were used to test mobile apps, primarily through remote access. Most of the time, a hardware interface called a screenshot was used to interact with the application being tested. Such techniques later died out due to their indifferent performance against later applications that were richly designed.

Software-Based Testing (for 2nd Generation Mobile Apps): In this method, designed especially for richly-architected apps, software is used to access the object in the app and its attributes that make the app perform tasks. Because it takes advantage of the object class directory, this technique produces few incorrect results compared to the hardware test method.

Challenges in mobile app testing

Unlike personal computers, the mobile market has to deal with a diversity of options while testing the application, and these present the greatest challenges.

The problem could be compounded for enterprises where different mobile infrastructures run on multiple operating systems, negating any integration efforts. The development of applications such as mobile retail, mobile banking, mobile health, etc. It presents challenges in terms of scale, integration, deployment, and supporting touchpoints for business operations. A mobile app development company must take these factors into account when developing apps for such enterprise customers.

Most of these challenges can be categorized into the following list:

• Multiple Operating Systems (OS): Operating systems like Android, iOS, Windows, Bada, Blackberry, BREW, etc. they pose a challenge for testing that sometimes requires adjustments in testing techniques.
• A mind-boggling number of phones: Like grains of sand, the staggering number of mobile phones available on the market has ensured that testing apps on at least some, if not all of them, represents a stifling exercise. Screen size, resolution, search/input methods, processor, etc. determine how well an application works. These parameters must also be taken into account when testing applications on mobile.

Along with different operating systems, these two factors pose the biggest challenge for testing apps on mobile devices.

• Communication technology: Mobile communication is carried out mainly through the standards Group Speciale Mobile (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA). These standards impose their nature on the physiology of the applications and their operation, thus being named as test factors.
• Network Service Providers: There are many mobile network service providers on communication standards. The information flow in the applications depends on the type of service provided on top of the standard.
• Scripts – Different mobile devices and different operating systems pose a challenge in that scripts need to be customized in terms of command input methods, keystrokes, navigation structure, etc.

Different ways to test apps

A one-size-fits-all test obviously doesn’t work in application tests. Instead, different approaches are required to test apps on mobile devices that vary in size and features. On a broader level, the following types of tests can be performed:

• Performance tests: The behavior of the application is determined under various conditions, such as network coverage, battery status, memory status, access to the server hosting the application, and its load capacity. Most of the time, the worst case or highest stress point is applied for the test, for example, the application performance is tested when the mobile battery is low.
• Lab tests: Network providers typically perform this test on applications that use the network’s voice and data services.
• Functional Testing: Functions that the app claims to perform are thoroughly tested.
• Usability Testing – This type of testing determines if the application is easy to navigate and performs all required functions without hesitation or delay. This is an important test as the success of the app depends on how users perceive it.

There are other tests like memory leak test, installation test, certification tests that also need to be completed before the app is worthy of being used on a large scale.

directs

As mentioned earlier in this article, mobile app testing goes hand in hand with mobile app development. The application developed specifically for enterprise mobility must undergo mandatory tests. So, whether one is into Android app development, Windows Phone app development, iPhone app development or any other mobile app development platform, you need to test your apps. This also applies to independent app developers. Therefore, they enlist the help of other developers in their community to test their applications.