Mobile phones dominate the world. Literally.
The number of smartphone users has surged from 4.4 to 6.6 billion in half a decade. Currently, our population is 8 billion, so approximately 82.5% of the world owns a mobile phone.
Additionally, it is estimated that US adults spend up to 88% of their screen time on apps. That proves the immense potential of the mobile app market that developers must tap into.
But there’s a catch.
In such a crowded space, developers must deliver only the highest-quality applications and digital experiences to remain competitive. All aspects of their apps, from performance to functionality must be tested before release to deliver an enjoyable user experience.
That’s why we need mobile testing. It involves testing the functionality and performance of mobile applications, either manually or with automated testing tools. Mobile testing is key to successful apps that rock Google Play and AppStore.
Mobile App Categories
There are 3 types of mobile applications. While the development approach to each may differ, they all require mobile testing.
1. Native Applications
Native applications are designed for one particular operating system to achieve optimal performance and reliability. Native applications can easily access the camera, contacts, and device-specific functionalities.
2. Web Applications
Web applications are more versatile as they can be accessed from any device via a browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari.
A good example of web applications is https://m.facebook.com, which has a subdomain “m” in front of the domain name “facebook”, indicating that it is a web dedicated solely for mobiles.
3. Hybrid Applications
Hybrid Apps are a combination of Native Apps and Web Apps. They can be installed via Google Play or AppStore and have functionalities well-adapted to each operating system, but can also be accessed via web browsers.
Gmail is a perfect example of a hybrid application that can be accessed both as an app and via a browser.
Mobile Testing Checklist
To effectively perform mobile testing, you need a comprehensive testing strategy. Here is a checklist of the steps you should follow to achieve testing effectiveness:
1. Understand mobile testing goals and challenges
You know the saying: “Begin with the end in mind”. Before you test, make sure that you know your goal and the challenges on the journey to that goal.
- Device Fragmentation: Hybrid apps run on multiple devices and OS combinations, and we need to test our apps on all of those. We can choose to test on either real devices for true-to-life results or emulators/simulators for testing agility.
- Screen Size: The iPhone 13 alone has 4 different screen sizes. The UI may look fine with this resolution but not on another, and we need to test on all screen sizes.
- Bandwidth Issues: some users browse with limited Internet speed, which is not ideal for certain heavy features. Travelers in particular may want to use their app on an unstable Internet connection. Testers need to take all of that into account.
2. Determine manual testing vs. automated testing
Manual testing is more suited for ad-hoc testing, while automated testing is great for unit testing. They should be used in conjunction for best results.
A high level of automation is essential to detect regression bugs while ad-hoc testing, performed by skilled testers, can pinpoint defects outside the scope of the planned test. When combined, they allow teams to test more efficiently and ship quality products.
3. Decide Your Mobile Testing Platform & Tools
After you have decided your test strategy, it’s time to find good mobile testing tools to start testing. Open-source testing tools are cost-effective but require high technical knowledge while vendor-based testing tools have built-in features to help teams get started immediately.
Here are some of the best mobile testing tools on the market:
1. The Katalon Platform
Built on top of Appium and Selenium, the Katalon Platform allows users to automate testing for mobile apps and web apps, all in 1 platform. Instead of having to constantly switch between tools for different testing types, QA teams now only need 1 platform to do everything from test planning, authoring, to test analysis.
With Katalon Platform, testers can run tests on a wide range of mobile device models and operating systems thanks to its on-cloud testing environment. This considerably increases test coverage while reducing the need to invest into physical machines.
AI-powered features are also integrated into Katalon Platform, empowering teams to deliver intelligent, scalable tests. Katalon’s algorithm is able to calculate test flakiness, perform self-healing to reduce test failures, and even identify critical UI changes, all in 1 single place.
2. Appium
Appium is the most popular mobile testing framework for both native and hybrid apps. It supports many programming languages as well as cross-platform development. You can have a look at some of my in-depth mobile testing tools reviews for a more comprehensive understanding.
Conclusion
Mobile testing is an essential part of mobile app development, and by adopting best practices, you are one step closer to achieving success with the app that you spent so much time and effort to create.
