What are some of the most commonly used Mobile Automation Testing Tools?

Here we have mentioned the complete list of automation testing tools.

Mobile Testing

Superapps: Is the Future of Mobile Apps Here?

sitemanager — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 14:43:50 +0000

Content 1. What is a Superapp? 2. Why Superapps? 3. How Do Superapps Work? 4. Examples of Superapps 5. What are the Advantages of Superapps? 6. How can Superapps Help Digital Businesses? 7. Security Concerns with a Superapp

What is a Superapp?

A Superapp is a type of mobile application that offers its users various services and features in one platform, creating a unified platform for a wide range of needs. Unlike a traditional app that generally offers only one service or function, a superapp provides users with an all-in-one solution for various tasks, including shopping, messaging, ordering food, booking a ride, paying bills, and more.

Superapps first gained popularity in Asia, where apps like WeChat, Grab, and Gojek dominated the market. These apps offer everything from messaging to online shopping, ride-hailing, and even financial services such as payments and loans. Superapps offer convenience and efficiency to users by eliminating the need to switch between multiple apps to complete different tasks. Superapps leverage Big data and AI to provide personalized services to each user’s preferences and provide a more tailored experience.

Why Superapps?

Superapps have become a new trend in the tech industry, and many companies are now investing in developing their own superapp. Evidently, superapps provide a unique opportunity for companies to expand their offerings and increase their user base while offering users an all-in-one solution for their everyday needs. Superapps are becoming popular due to their ability to offer convenience, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use to users, catering to diverse consumer segments, providing seamless integration between services, and leveraging data and analytics to offer personalized and targeted services.

One of the primary reasons for the popularity of Superapps is their ability to cater to the needs of diverse consumer segments. For instance, a single Superapp can offer different services, such as messaging, online shopping, and ride-hailing, hence catering to users’ varied requirements. This makes it easier for users to manage their digital lives, as they don’t have to download multiple apps for different services.

How Do Superapps Work?

Superapps typically use advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data to offer personalized services to users. These technologies allow the app to learn about the user’s behavior, preferences, and needs to offer customized recommendations and services.

Superapps also often partner with other digital businesses to offer a broader range of services to their users. For example, a ride-hailing service may partner with a food delivery service, so users can order food directly from the ride-hailing app. This not only enhances the user experience but also provides a way for companies to cross-sell their services and reach new customers.

Overall, superapps are designed to simplify the user experience by offering a broad range of services in one app. They are becoming increasingly popular in many parts of the world and are likely to continue to grow in popularity as technology continues to evolve.

Examples of Superapps

WeChat:

It is a Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media, and mobile payment app that also offers a wide range of features including online shopping, ride-hailing, food delivery, gaming, and more.

Gojek:

Originating in Indonesia, Gojek provides a platform for various services such as ride-hailing, food delivery, e-wallet, and other on-demand services.

Grab:

It is a Singapore-based superapp that offers a range of services such as ride-hailing, food delivery, e-wallet, and more across Southeast Asia.

Alipay:

A mobile payment app developed by Alibaba Group, it is widely used in China and offers a range of services including mobile payments, insurance, and wealth management.

Paytm:

An Indian app that started as a mobile wallet for digital payments, Paytm has expanded into a superapp with services including online shopping, mobile recharge, and bill payments.

What are the Advantages of Superapps?

Here are some advantages of superapps for consumers:

Simplifies daily activities:

Superapps provide a one-stop solution for various daily activities like shopping, booking tickets, ordering food, and more. This eliminates the need to download multiple apps and switch between them, making the process simpler and more efficient.

Saves time and effort:

With all the services and features available in one app, users can save time and effort by not having to navigate different interfaces and log in to different accounts. This can be especially useful for busy individuals who want to complete their tasks quickly and easily.

Personalization:

Superapps can use data and AI technology to personalize the user experience, making it more relevant and convenient. The app can learn the user’s preferences and make recommendations based on their behavior, providing a more tailored experience.

Cost-effective:

Superapps can offer discounts and deals on multiple services and products, providing a cost-effective solution for consumers. Users can save money by availing these deals and avoid paying multiple fees for different services.

Seamless integration:

Superapps integrate multiple services and functionalities seamlessly, allowing users to switch between tasks and services without having to log in or out of different apps.

Overall, superapps provide a convenient, personalized, and cost-effective solution for consumers. With their growing popularity, they are likely to become an essential part of many people’s daily lives.

How can Superapps Help Digital Businesses?

Increased User Retention:

Superapps provide multiple services within a single platform, making it more convenient for users to stay within the app for their various needs. This results in increased user retention as users are less likely to switch to other apps, leading to a larger user base and higher engagement rates.

Improved User Experience:

Superapps offer a seamless user experience as users can access a range of services within a single app, eliminating the need to switch between different apps for different purposes. This improves user satisfaction and results in a positive brand image.

Better Data Insights:

Superapps allow businesses to collect data on user behavior across multiple services, providing insights into user preferences and trends. This data can be used to personalize services and marketing efforts, improving the overall user experience.

Cost-Effective:

Developing and maintaining multiple apps for different services can be expensive. Superapps eliminate the need for businesses to develop and maintain multiple apps, reducing costs and improving efficiency.

Competitive Advantage:

Superapps provide a competitive advantage as they offer a unique value proposition that sets them apart from other apps in the market. By providing a range of services within a single app, businesses can differentiate themselves and attract a larger user base.

Diversified Revenue Streams:

Superapps can generate revenue from multiple sources, including advertising, e-commerce, payment, and other services. This diversifies the revenue streams and reduces the dependency on a single source.

How are Superapps Revolutionizing the Mobile App Ecosystem?

Superapps are revolutionizing the mobile app ecosystem by enabling users to access multiple services from a single app. This has created a more seamless and efficient user experience, making it easier for users to accomplish their daily tasks. Additionally, superapps are also changing the way businesses operate by enabling them to offer their services directly within the app, reducing the need for a separate app or website.

Superapps have also enabled businesses to expand their reach by leveraging the existing user base of the superapp. Overall, superapps are changing the way people interact with technology, and they are likely to become even more prevalent in the coming years.

Security Concerns with a Superapp

While Superapps are becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience, they also pose several security concerns. Here are some of the key security concerns that arise with Superapps:

Privacy concerns:

Superapps often require users to provide sensitive personal information such as their name, address, phone number, and payment details. This data can be highly valuable to cybercriminals, and if not properly secured, can be used to perpetrate identity theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activities.

Data breaches:

A single vulnerability in a Superapp can potentially expose a large amount of sensitive user data to hackers. A data breach can result in the exposure of user data such as passwords, bank account details, and other sensitive information. This can cause significant harm to users, and the reputation of the Superapp may be damaged as a result.

Malware attacks:

Superapps can also be vulnerable to malware attacks, which can infect users’ devices with malicious software. Malware can be used to steal personal information, monitor users’ activity, and even take control of their devices.

Fake apps:

Superapps are often targeted by cybercriminals who create fake versions of the app to trick users into downloading them. These fake apps can be used to steal user data or infect devices with malware.

Payment fraud:

Superapps often involve payment processing, which can be vulnerable to payment fraud. Fraudsters can use stolen credit card details to make unauthorized purchases or transfer money from users’ accounts.

Conclusion

Superapps are rapidly changing the digital landscape, revolutionizing the way we use technology in our daily lives. By consolidating multiple services and functionalities in a single platform, superapps are offering convenience and simplicity to users while providing endless opportunities for businesses to expand their reach and engagement. As technology continues to advance and consumer demands evolve, it’s clear that superapps are here to stay, and their impact on our daily lives and the business world will only continue to grow.

The post Superapps: Is the Future of Mobile Apps Here? first appeared on TestingXperts.

Why is Mobile App Software Testing Imperative for Outstanding UX?

sitemanager — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 13:58:46 +0000

Content 1. Mobile App Testing: An Overview 2. Top Mobile App Crash Incidents in the Recent Years 3. The State of Mobile App Testing in 2023 4. Why Does Mobile App Testing Matter for an Imperative UX? 5. Benefits of Mobile App Testing for Digital Businesses 6. Conclusion 7. How TestingXperts Helps Businesses with Mobile App Testing?

Mobile App Testing: An Overview

Mobile app testing is the process of evaluating the functionality, usability, performance, security, and other attributes of a mobile application before releasing it to the public. The purpose of mobile app testing is to identify and resolve any issues or bugs that could negatively impact the user experience, and ensure that the app functions as intended on different devices and operating systems.

There are several types of mobile app testing, including:

Functional Testing: This involves testing the core functionality of the app, such as user interface, navigation, and features.

Performance Testing: This involves testing the app’s performance in terms of speed, responsiveness, stability, and scalability.

Usability Testing: This involves testing the app’s ease of use, user interface, and user experience.

Compatibility Testing: This involves testing the app’s compatibility with different devices, operating systems, and screen sizes.

Security Testing: This involves testing the app’s security features and identifying any vulnerabilities that could compromise user data.

Localization Testing: This involves testing the app’s functionality in different languages, cultures, and regions.

Mobile app testing can be performed manually or using automated testing tools. Manual testing involves a human tester performing various test cases on the app, while automated testing involves using software tools to run pre-defined test scripts to identify issues automatically.

Top Mobile App Crash Incidents in the Recent Years

YouTube (2022): In December 2022, a number of iPhone users reported having problems with the YouTube app on iOS. Affected users reported that the app crashed within a minute of opening.

Robinhood (2021) – In January 2021, the popular stock trading app Robinhood experienced a major outage, preventing users from buying or selling stocks during one of the most volatile periods in the stock market. The outage sparked outrage among users and prompted an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Google (2020) – In December 2020, a major outage hit Google’s suite of apps, including Gmail, Google Drive, and YouTube, affecting millions of users. The outage lasted for several hours and was attributed to a problem with Google’s authentication system.

Zoom (2020) – In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to force people into remote work and learning, Zoom experienced a surge in usage. However, the app also experienced a number of crashes and security vulnerabilities, leading to widespread criticism and calls for the company to improve its privacy and security measures.

TikTok (2020) – In May 2020, a bug in the TikTok app was discovered that allowed hackers to access users’ private videos and personal information. The company quickly patched the bug, but the incident raised concerns about the security of the popular social media app.

Facebook (2019) – In July 2019, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp experienced a widespread outage that lasted for several hours, affecting millions of users worldwide. The outage was reportedly caused by a server configuration change and prompted concerns about the reliability of these social media platforms.

These are just a few examples of the many mobile app crashes that have occurred in the past three years. While these incidents can be frustrating for users, they also serve as reminders of the importance of proper app development and testing, as well as the need for robust security measures.

The State of Mobile App Testing in 2023

As of 2023, the state of mobile app testing has advanced significantly due to the growing demand for mobile applications across various industries. With the increasing complexity of mobile apps, there has been a corresponding increase in the complexity of testing these apps.

Here are some of the key trends and developments in mobile app testing in 2023:

Automation:

Automation is becoming more prevalent in mobile app testing. This is due to the need to test multiple devices and operating systems, as well as the desire to reduce testing time and costs. Automation tools are now capable of performing complex tests such as visual testing and exploratory testing.

Cloud-Based Testing:

Cloud-based testing solutions are gaining popularity due to the ease of use, scalability, and cost-effectiveness they offer. These solutions allow testing teams to test apps on a range of devices and operating systems without having to purchase and maintain physical devices.

Shift-Left Testing:

The shift-left testing approach is gaining popularity in mobile app testing. This involves testing early and often in the development cycle to catch bugs and issues before they become more difficult and expensive to fix. This approach requires close collaboration between developers and testers.

AI-Powered Testing:

AI is being used more frequently in mobile app testing. AI-powered testing tools can analyze user behavior to identify potential issues and automatically generate test cases. AI can also be used to improve the accuracy of test results and identify patterns that are difficult to detect manually.

Security Testing:

With the increasing importance of mobile apps in the daily lives of users, security testing has become a critical aspect of mobile app testing. Security testing involves testing for vulnerabilities such as data breaches, malware, and other security threats.

Why Does Mobile App Testing Matter for an Imperative UX?

Mobile app testing is a critical process in ensuring that the mobile app provides an imperative user experience. Users expect apps to function flawlessly and meet their needs without any hiccups. Mobile app testing allows developers to identify and fix any issues that may hinder the user experience.

Without proper testing, an app may crash or freeze, which can be frustrating for users and lead to negative reviews and a decrease in app usage. Additionally, testing can ensure that an app is compatible with various mobile devices, operating systems, and network conditions.

Mobile app testing involves thoroughly testing the app on different devices, platforms, and networks to ensure that it works as expected and meets user needs. It also involves testing for different scenarios such as low battery, poor network connectivity, and different user inputs. This helps to ensure that the app is robust, reliable, and user-friendly.

Overall, mobile app testing is critical for ensuring that an app functions seamlessly and meets the expectations of its users. Investing time and resources into testing ultimately leads to a more successful app and a better user experience.

Benefits of Mobile App Testing for Digital Businesses

Mobile app testing is an essential part of the software development process, especially in today’s world where mobile applications have become an integral part of our lives. Here are some reasons why mobile app testing matters:

Ensure Functionality:

Mobile app testing helps ensure that the application functions as intended. It helps identify bugs and issues that could affect the functionality of the application.

Improve UX:

Testing helps ensure that the application provides an excellent user experience. It helps identify user interface issues, navigation problems, and other usability issues that could affect user experience.

Enhance Reliability:

Mobile app testing helps ensure that the application is reliable and stable. It helps identify performance issues, crashes, and other problems that could affect the reliability of the application.

Ensure Compatibility:

Testing helps ensure that the application is compatible with different devices, operating systems, and screen sizes. It helps identify compatibility issues that could affect the user experience and performance of the application.

Reduce Costs:

Testing helps identify and fix issues early in the development process, reducing the cost of fixing them later. It also helps reduce the risk of revenue loss due to poor user reviews and ratings.

Overall, mobile app testing is crucial for ensuring the quality, functionality, and reliability of mobile applications. It helps enhance user experience, reduce costs, and increase the likelihood of success in the highly competitive mobile app market.

Conclusion

Mobile app testing helps to ensure that the app functions smoothly and meets the needs of its users. By testing mobile apps, businesses identify and fix issues before the app is released to the public, which can save time and money in the long run. Additionally, thorough testing helps to enhance the user experience, increase user satisfaction, and ultimately drive more downloads and revenue. With the increasing importance of mobile apps in our daily lives, mobile app testing has become more critical than ever before. By prioritizing mobile app testing, developers can ensure that their apps are high-quality, reliable, and meet the needs of their users.

How TestingXperts Helps Businesses with Mobile App Testing?

TestingXperts (Tx) is one of the top 5 pure-play software testing company globally. Tx has been chosen as a trusted QA partner by Fortune companies and ensures superior testing outcomes for its global clientele. We have rich expertise in enabling end-to-end testing services for global clients across various industry domains like healthcare, telecom, BFSI, retail & eCommerce, etc.

Tx offers comprehensive and reliable mobile app testing services to ensure that your app is fully functional and meets the needs of your target audience. We understand that mobile app testing is a critical step in the app development process, and we take it very seriously. Our team of experienced testers is well-versed in testing all types of mobile apps, including iOS and Android apps, and we use a variety of tools and techniques to ensure that your app is thoroughly tested.

Tx Differentiators:

Here are some of the key business differentiators that set us apart from other mobile app testing services:

Comprehensive Testing:

We offer comprehensive testing services that cover all aspects of your app, including functionality, usability, security, and performance. We leave no stone unturned when it comes to testing your app, so you can be confident that it will perform flawlessly when it is released to your users.

Experienced Testers:

Our team of testers is highly experienced and knowledgeable, with a deep understanding of mobile app testing best practices. We use a variety of tools and techniques to ensure that your app is thoroughly tested, and we are always up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in the mobile app testing space.

Flexible Services:

We understand that every app is unique, and that’s why we offer flexible testing services that can be customized to meet your specific needs. Whether you need a one-time test or ongoing testing services, we can create a testing plan that works for you.

Quicker Turnaround:

We know that time is of the essence when it comes to mobile app development, and that’s why we offer fast turnaround times for our testing services. We work quickly and efficiently to deliver your testing results as soon as possible, so you can keep your development process moving forward.

Affordable Pricing:

We believe that high-quality mobile app testing services should be accessible to everyone, which is why we offer affordable pricing options for our testing services.

The post Why is Mobile App Software Testing Imperative for Outstanding UX? first appeared on TestingXperts.

Test Automation for Mobile Apps

sitemanager — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 14:11:05 +0000

Content

Mobile Test Automation
What are the Benefits of automating mobile app testing?
3. What are the basic considerations that should be followed for mobile test automation?
How to automate mobile app testing?
Various mobile app testing types to leverage
What challenges do testers face while automating mobile app testing?
How to overcome the above challenges with best practices for automated mobile app testing?
Major automation testing tools for mobile application testing
Conclusion

In today’s technologically advancing world, the usage of mobile apps is continuously growing, and these apps have become an indispensable part of human lives. Mobile apps provide a great convenience to users with seamless on-the-go transactions for various activities. More importantly, businesses should ensure their mobile apps are user-friendly, scalable, and fully functional to deliver a great user experience (UX).

However, mobile apps often fail to provide a great UX due to various issues such as slow loading speed, security loopholes, poor performance, broken links, poor app navigation, etc. Therefore, removing these issues from mobile apps is vital for enabling a seamless UX. Hence, businesses should leverage automated mobile app testing to get scalable, robust, and fully functional mobile apps.

Mobile Test Automation

Test automation is a software testing technique wherein automated software testing tools are used for testing different types of mobile apps developed for handheld devices. Usually, there are three main types of mobile apps, i.e., native, hybrid, and web apps, and test automation can be performed for all mobile app types. Mobile test automation ensures the proper functioning of these apps and improves their quality, usability, performance, security, and reliability. There are many benefits to leveraging automated mobile app testing for businesses.

Benefits of automating mobile app testing

Ensures faster releases:

By automating the mobile app testing process, repetitive tasks are automated, saving significant time and speeding up the test execution process, and enabling faster releases.

Ensures faster releases:

Automating tasks significantly reduces the overall regression time.

Improves app functionality:

Automated mobile app testing involves thorough validation of app functionality and ensures there are no functionality-related errors or bugs. Thus it provides the functioning of mobile apps.

Ensures app security:

Mobile app security loopholes can lead to customer credentials/identity loss and bring monetary and reputational loss to businesses. By automating the security testing of mobile apps, security loopholes in an app can be easily identified and removed.

Boosts app performance:

During automated mobile app testing, several performance tests are conducted to ensure no performance bottlenecks exist in an application and that the app performs well under all user loads.

Increases app scalability:

Automated load testing is also performed on mobile applications to handle user load fluctuations effectively and accommodates high user load without displaying any performance issues.

Ensures faster app loading:

Slow loading speed of mobile apps hampers the UX; thus, mobile app providers need to provide a faster-loading speed for all android and iOS apps. Automated mobile app testing ensures a faster loading speed by removing bugs from the app.

Improves app usability:

Automated mobile app testing ensures proper app navigation, proper placement of multimedia files, active links, correct color contrast, high-quality images, etc., which makes the app user-friendly and improves its usability.

Validates app compatibility:

Mobile apps should be compatible with all OS, browsers, and devices to deliver a great UX. Mobile compatibility testing ensures app compatibility across all device-OS combinations.

Saves costs:

Test automation of mobile apps save businesses from sudden app failures or app crashes, which saves a lot of the expenses for businesses and protects the brand reputation.

Saves time:

Automated testing saves testers from repetitive mundane tasks and ensures faster test execution.QA testers can utilize this time for solving high-priority and other complex tasks.

As detailed above, mobile app test automation has many benefits, and businesses must leverage them. However, a few points must be considered to ensure successful test automation of mobile apps.

What are the basic considerations that should be followed for mobile test automation?

•Test mobile apps on real devices along with simulators and emulators

•Test mobile apps on various OS versions

•Test mobile apps on various device fragmentations

•Test mobile apps on multiple networks

•Test mobile apps for multiple locations

•Test mobile apps for varying screen dimensions and other specifications

Along with these factors, the success of mobile app testing relies heavily on the testing strategy. Therefore, it is essential to follow the below-mentioned steps for a successful mobile app testing process.

How to automate mobile app testing?

Create a test plan and identify testing types

It is essential to create a test plan by choosing the target devices with varying screen sizes for mobile app testing. It is also necessary to determine what type of testing is to be conducted on the mobile app, such as front-end, back-end, functional, etc. Testers should identify whether the mobile app under test is a native, hybrid, or web app.

Develop test scripts and test cases

The next step is to develop the test cases for every application function. Test cases should also include battery usage, app speed, memory, etc. Automated test scripts should be developed, and these reusable automation test scripts can be changed according to the project requirements.

Setup the test environment:

It is important to download, install and configure the application on the testing device to set up the test environment. Also, establish the test version of the app before starting the actual mobile app testing process.

Execute various types of tests:

Finally, testers should execute the tests leveraging various test automation tools. There are different types of tests that are executed on mobile apps.

Various mobile app testing types to leverage

Functional testing

In this software testing type, the functional aspects of the software are validated to ensure the app functions properly under all conditions.

Usability testing

The main aim of this testing type is to ensure an app delivers a great UX to users.

UI testing

This test ensures users face no difficulty accessing the app. It also delivers e a highly responsive UI of an app.

User acceptance testing

The main aim of acceptance tests is to ensure an app is acceptable to end-users. During this test, end-users are involved in the testing process, and their reactions or responses are recorded to further improve the quality of an app.

Performance and load testing

This test is performed to ensure effective app performance and load handling capacity of an app under various conditions like fluctuating networks, varying bandwidths, increased user loads, etc.

Security testing

The main aim of this test is to remove security flaws or loopholes from an app to ensure its protection from cyberattacks.

Accessibility testing

This test is performed to ensure an app complies with accessibility guidelines such as WCAG 2.1, 2,2, ADA act, STANCA act, etc. This software testing type ensures an app is equally accessible by all people, including people with specific disabilities such as partial blindness, motor limitations, cognitive disabilities, etc.

Digital testing

This testing type covers the entire gamut of software testing and is essential for digital apps. It ensures the effective functioning, performance, security, usability, and accessibility of digital apps.

Cloud Testing

This test ensures an app’s proper functioning, security, and performance under cloud networks.

However, while executing the above mobile tests, the testers face some challenges. Below are details about those challenges and how to overcome such challenges.

What challenges do testers face while performing mobile automation testing?

Device-OS fragmentations:

Today, users access mobile apps from different devices and OS mobile platform combinations. Hence, testers need to test mobile applications on all types of devices and OS fragmentations which sometimes becomes quite challenging.

Selecting the right test automation tool:

There are various test automation tools, but which test is best for a particular mobile app or project is always tough to decide.

Identifying the right test automation strategy:

There is no one size fit for all approaches to testing automation strategy as it differs with domains and project needs. Therefore, testers face challenges in preparing the right test automation strategy.

False positives and false negatives:

One of the major challenges testers face with test automation is false positives and false negatives, resulting in flaky tests.

Lack of team collaboration:

Another challenge that testers face during test automation is the lack of proper team collaboration. This usually happens when developers and testers work separately on a project.

How to overcome the above challenges with best practices for automated mobile app testing?

Leverage cloud-based testing platforms/simulators and emulators:

Testers can overcome the challenge of testing mobile apps on various device-OS fragmentations by leveraging cloud-based testing platforms and using simulators and emulators.

Select the right test automation tool/testing frameworks:

Testers can overcome the challenge of selecting the right automation testing tool by leveraging industry-leading open source and commercial tools by properly analyzing their need and proper project evaluation.

Evaluate carefully the need for test automation:

Testers should identify the test automation needs, business needs, current IT infra, technology stack, tools requirement, etc., to prepare a successful mobile app test automation strategy.

Leverage script-less mobile test automation tools:

Testers can leverage advanced script-less test automation tools or even reuse the test scripts developed previously by some testers for similar tests to overcome the challenge of test script creation.

Embrace the DevOps process:

It is preferred to embrace DevOps, as it breaks the silos between developers and testers and ensures collaboration between them, resulting in successful test automation of mobile apps.

Major automation testing tools for mobile application testing

Tricentis Tosca:

It is a continuous testing platform used to design automated, functional, and end-to-end software tests. This testing tool allows codeless testing for any mobile app with the help of a simple drag/drop functionality. Tricentis Tosca allows testing of native, hybrid, and web applications on iOS and Android devices, including mobile cross-browser testing. It allows scaling mobile testing efforts by enabling testers to run tests in the local environment or seamlessly execute tests in the cloud on any device, simulator, or emulator.

Appium:

It is an open-source automated testing tool for testing mobile applications. This tool supports the automation of native, hybrid, and mobile web applications built for iOS and Android. This tool uses vendor-provided automation frameworks and is based on server architecture. Appium released its latest version in January 2020 – Appium 1.16.0, which allows beta support for flutter, iOS simulator geolocation setting for testing, and Safari weblogs capabilities.

TestComplete:

It is one of the easy-to-use tools, and it helps in automating tests for mobile apps, desktop, and web applications. This tool provides maximum test coverage with a hybrid object and visual recognition engine. It allows scripting in various programming languages, like Python, JavaScript, Delphi Script, C++Script & C# Script.

Ranorex Studio:

It is an all-in-one automation testing tool, and it powers on a selenium web driver with capabilities like UI object recognition, intuitive interface, and full IDE. This tool also has a record and playback feature which helps in easy automation. Ranorex allows cross-platform testing and is used for end-to-end testing on web, desktop, mobile, and APIs

Conclusion

The growing usage of mobile apps and rising customer demand for seamless apps for a great UX increased the need for robust testing of mobile apps for today’s businesses. Therefore, today it has become essential for businesses to leverage effective mobile test automation to get scalable, robust, and high-performing mobile apps.Companies should leverage software automation testing for mobile apps from a next-gen QA and software testing services provider for quality mobile apps enabling a great UX. Undoubtedly mobile automation testing improves the app quality and helps in delivering a great UX.

The post Test Automation for Mobile Apps first appeared on TestingXperts.

A Detailed Mobile Application Testing Guide

sitemanager — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 16:23:12 +0000

Today, mobile apps have become an essential part of human lives. People across the world use mobile apps to perform various tasks, including banking transactions, fitness updates, insurance claims, etc., on the go. These mobile apps have also enabled businesses to connect with customers, increase sales, and build customer loyalty easily and rapidly. According to Statista, In 2025, consumers are projected to download 187 billion mobile apps from the Google Play Store, up from 109 billion apps downloaded from Google Play in 2020. Therefore, today the importance of high-quality mobile apps is growing in the market. Thus, it has become essential for businesses to ensure their mobile apps in all (app) categories should deliver seamless transactions and enable a great user experience (UX).

Mobile app categories

Native mobile apps: These apps are designed specifically for one platform, i.e., iOS, Android, or Windows. Native apps are easy-to-use and easy to optimize.

Web apps: These apps run on web browsers of mobile devices. They can be directly used on PC browsers and do not require a separate download. Web apps can work on different mobile operating systems, such as Android, iOS, or Windows.

Hybrid mobile apps: These apps are both native and mobile web apps. Hybrid apps can be installed on devices like native apps, but they run through web browsers.

With the ever-increasing need for these mobile apps across industries, businesses should ensure that they are end-to-end tested, leveraging mobile app testing.

An overview of mobile application testing

Mobile application testing is a software testing process wherein applications designed for hand-held devices are tested for functionality, security, usability, accessibility, etc. Typically, even before the mobile app is released into the app store or play store, these apps are tested to meet all functional and non-functional requirements, business requirements, and user expectations. The main aim of mobile app testing is to improve the quality of mobile apps and deliver a great UX.

Why is mobile application testing essential for businesses?

Helps in achieving fully-functional apps:

The main aim of mobile app testing is to ensure that the app’s functionality work fine as expected. This testing method helps to improve the overall functionality of the app.

Uplifts brand image:

Mobile app testing helps deliver high-quality apps to customers. A high-quality mobile app keeps the customer engaged and increases their trust in the brand, which in turn uplifts its brand image in the market.

Improves the app UI:

During mobile app testing, testers test the product from the end-users perspective and assess the overall app experience it delivers to the user. Testers validate the user interface (UI) compatibility with various devices of varying screen sizes and ensure it is convenient and easy to use. Thus, mobile app testing helps to improve the UI of an app.

Increases user satisfaction:

Mobile app testing ensures the app meets all functional and non-functional requirements. This helps businesses deliver high-quality mobile apps to the user, which increases customer satisfaction.

Improves the overall quality of an app:

Mobile app testing helps improve the overall quality of the app by removing bugs from the apps that hamper its functionality, usability, security, and more. Hence, businesses can deliver high-quality apps to their customers by leveraging mobile app testing.

What are the features to be included in a mobile application testing checklist?

• Compatibility of an app across platforms, OS, and browsers

• Check for the compatibility of in-app features

• Graphical User Interface (GUI)

• Network compatibility

• App navigation

• Security vulnerabilities

• App performance

• App installation/uninstallation

• Memory usage

• Battery consumption

What are the steps involved in mobile application testing?

Identify the testing needs:

The first step is to identify the testing needs. Testers need to decide what is to be tested in an app and decide the scope and the test coverage.

Decide the type of testing to be performed:

Once all the testing needs are identified, testers need to identify the type of tests to be performed on the mobile apps. Various types of tests are performed on new mobile apps, including functional testing, regression testing, performance, and load testing, interruption testing, localization testing, speed testing, usability testing, security testing, accessibility testing, etc.

Create test cases and test scripts:

The next step involves creating test cases and automated test scripts. Testers should ensure that the test cases should cover all the critical areas and functionalities of an app.

Plan to automate/manually execute:

Based on the testing needs, testers need to decide whether to automate or manually execute the test. Testers need to leverage automated mobile testing tools as per testing requirements to perform mobile automation testing to quicken the releases and ensure faster time-to-market.

Track and manage the defects:

Once the testers execute all the test cases, they need to identify the issues in an app and fix them as soon as they are identified.

Lastly, testers must prepare a test execution report detailing all the pass/failed test cases, bugs identified, bugs resolved, and other remarks. The report must be shared with all stakeholders to help them make informed decisions.

However, in today’s fast-paced world, for an app to be successful in the market, it should work seamlessly on all hand-held devices available in the market. But, testing mobile apps on all possible devices is difficult for testers. Therefore, testers need to leverage a combination of real devices and virtual devices (Simulator and Emulators) for mobile app testing.

What are the differences between real device testing and virtual device testing?

Point of Difference	Real testing devices	Virtual testing devices
Testing Accuracy	Testing on real devices ensures accurate test results as tests are conducted under real-environment	Virtual devices testing results are comparatively less accurate than testing on real devices
Debugging	Debugging on real devices is comparatively difficult	Debugging on virtual devices is relatively easy
Validation of battery issues, incoming interrupts, color displays	Real devices can easily simulate battery issues, incoming interrupts, exact color displays, etc.	Virtual devices cannot simulate battery issues, incoming interrupts, color displays, etc.
Simulation of memory-related issues	Memory storage level for real devices is less as compared to virtual devices	Memory storage level for virtual devices is more as compared to real devices
Cost	More cost is involved in the purchase of real devices	Virtual devices cost less as they can be installed for free

Overview of simulators and emulators for mobile application testing

Virtual Device	Description
Simulator	Simulators are virtual testing software that mimics mobile device software characteristics and configurations. They are made for iOS devices, i.e., iPhone and iPad
Emulator	Emulators are software programs that create virtual devices on a computer. They are used to mimic the target device hardware and software on the workstation. There are two types of emulators, namely, android emulators and iOS emulators.

Benefits of leveraging simulators and emulators for mobile application testing

Allows easy download from the internet:

Simulator/emulators can be easily downloaded from the internet. This easy availability of simulators/emulators makes mobile app testing easy and convenient.

Virtualizes various devices:

Simulators/emulators allow virtualizing various devices for mobile app testing. Due to this, testers can ensure the app testing on all possible combinations and device form factors without any need for actually buying the real devices.

Reduces costs:

Simulators/Emulators allow mobile app testing at less price as compared to real devices. Since these virtual devices need no special labs for storage and maintenance, it reduces high costs compared to real device testing.

Ensures effective testing in time-bound situations:

Emulators and simulators can be used for testing in some time-bound situations where the apps are to be launched quickly. They cal also be used in situations where real devices cannot be bought, as these virtual devices mimic almost all possible combinations of real devices.

7 Mobile application testing types

Functional testing:

It is performed to verify the functionality of an application to ensure it works fine as per expectations. The various functional testing methods, including unit testing, integration testing, system testing, acceptance testing, alpha testing, and beta testing, are all performed to ensure a fully functional mobile app.

Usability testing:

A group of users are selected and given a specific task to perform on the mobile app in this testing method even before the app is released into the market. The actions performed by these users are observed and recorded by the specialists, such as QA teams, test engineers, etc. Their feedback is collected, and proper actions are taken to improve the usability of an app.

Compatibility testing:

An app should ideally work fine across all different types of devices, platforms, networks, OS, and browsers. Thus, it is important to test the app's compatibility to deliver consistent performance across all platforms.

Performance testing:

This test is performed to check the speed, responsiveness, reliability, and stability of an app under fluctuating networks, bandwidths, and user loads. The main aim of this test is to eliminate performance bottlenecks from an app. There are various types of performance testing methods, such as load testing, spike testing, endurance testing, volume testing, etc.

Security testing:

The main aim of this test is to ensure that the applications are free from all vulnerabilities and security loopholes. The different types of security tests that are conducted are vulnerability tests, penetration tests, security scanning, security auditing, etc.

Localization and globalization testing:

This testing method verifies whether the mobile app has compliance with the language and cultural aspects at the local and international levels. This test ensures that proper time zone, i.e., date & time formats, are included in the app, local currency, text, and user interface are used, and L10N and L18N standards are followed.

Digital testing:

It is a software testing type that covers the entire range of mobile app testing, which includes functionality testing, security testing, performance testing, and more. It ensures end-to-end testing of mobile apps, i.e., functional, non-functional, compliance testing, etc.

What are the challenges faced by testers during mobile application testing?

Testing different screen sizes:

The screen sizes of mobile devices vary greatly, such as an iPhone differs from android and other smartphones. Testers have to check different layouts and elements against different pixel densities, which is time-consuming.

Varying battery consumption:

OS fragmentations:

OS fragmentation is another challenge as testers need to ensure that the app not only works on all OS like android, iOS, and windows but also across various versions of OS, like iOS 5X, iOS6X, etc.

Mobile networks:

Today’s customers need fast and high-performing mobile networks; however, testing mobile apps for different networks is quite challenging.

Changing customer requirements:

Frequently changing customer requirements is another challenge that testers face with mobile app testing.

Benefits of leveraging AI and RPA-based mobile app testing

With the rapidly enhancing technology landscape, mobile apps are getting advanced too. Therefore, it has become essential to test mobile apps leveraging advanced technologies like AI, ML, and RPA to ensure faster testing outcomes to help businesses go early to market. The usage of these advanced next-gen technologies brings many benefits:

Increases speed of automation testing:

As the app progresses, functional and regression test suites tend to become lengthy. Also, testers need to run all test cases all over again to fix a minor issue in the app. But, by leveraging technologies like AI and RPA, testers can identify the minimum number of test suites that need to be run and help identify and fix the issues in an app quickly and effectively.

Ensures easy bug identification:

AI and RPA bots can quickly check the overall app health much faster and send the overall report back to the testers. This report helps the testers be assured that the bot has visited and tested the most common paths of an application to see if there are any issues in-app. Thus, AI and RPA bots help identify the most error-prone areas in an app that can be fixed further with automated mobile testing.

Enhances the overall test coverage:

AI, ML, and RPA technologies increase the overall depth and scope of testing. These technologies can even check the data tables, memory and file contents, inner programs, and other critical areas of an app to ensure it works as expected. Thus, it enhances the overall test coverage of a mobile app.

Ensures accurate testing:

In comparison to the manual testing method, RPA bots can improve the accuracy of the test. Since RPA bots are much more accurate than humans, these bots can effectively test mobile apps without any error.

Enables scriptless test automation:

RPA bots do not require humans with great coding or scripting skills to run the test. Thus, any subject matter expert or QA with hands-on experience with RPA tools can execute scriptless mobile app testing effectively.

Saves significant costs:

Mobile apps are to be tested repetitively each time the source code is modified. Manually testing of app repetitively is not only time-consuming but costly too. But, with the help of AI and RPA, regression tests can be automated, saving overall time and costs.

Major mobile application testing tools 2023

Tricentis Tosca:

It is a continuous testing platform used to design automated, functional, end-to-end software tests. This testing tool allows codeless testing for any mobile app with the help of a simple drag/drop functionality. Tricentis Tosca allows testing of native, hybrid, and web applications on iOS and Android devices, including mobile cross-browser testing. It allows scaling mobile testing efforts by enabling testers to run tests in the local environment or execute tests in the cloud on any device, simulator, or emulator.

Appium:

It is an open-source automated testing tool for testing mobile applications. This tool supports the automation of native, hybrid, and mobile web applications built for iOS and Android. This tool makes use of vendor-provided automation frameworks and is based on server architecture. Appium released its latest version in January 2020 – Appium 1.16.0, which allows beta support for flutter, iOS simulator geolocation setting for testing, and Safari weblogs capabilities.

TestComplete:

It is one of the easy-to-use tools, and it helps in automating tests for mobile apps, desktop, and web applications. This tool provides maximum test coverage with a hybrid object and visual recognition engine. It allows scripting in various languages, like Python, JavaScript, Delphi Script, C++Script & C# Script.

Ranorex Studio:

Conclusion

The global mobile app market is rapidly growing and evolving with technology. Today, every business needs high-quality mobile apps to deliver a great UX. These mobile apps should be tested for their functionality, security, usability, accessibility, performance, etc. Therefore, businesses should leverage end-to-end mobile app testing from a next-gen QA and an independent software testing services provider to achieve high-quality mobile apps.

The post A Detailed Mobile Application Testing Guide first appeared on TestingXperts.

An Overview of Testing on Real Devices vs. Simulators vs. Emulators

sitemanager — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 15:40:01 +0000

Mobile apps are important for today’s enterprises as they continue to be the major business enablers. It is critically important that these mobile apps should function seamlessly at all times. Typically, these mobile apps should be tested for their functionality, usability, accessibility, consistency, performance, etc. Evidently, mobile app testing plays an important role in the overall mobile app development process. Mobile app testing helps identify various types of bugs that affect the functionality, security, and reliability of apps to ensure a seamless experience (UX). It is important to note that today’s end-users access mobile apps on various devices that differ in hardware configuration, operating systems (OS), browsers, etc. Thus, testing the mobile apps on various mobile testing devices is essential before releasing them to the market.

Table of Contents

Broad classification of mobile testing devices
What are real devices?
What are virtual devices?
What are emulators?
What are simulators?
Major differences between real and virtual testing devices
Key differences between simulator and emulator-based testing
How to decide when to test on real and virtual devices?
Mobile testing types to be performed on real and virtual devices
Conclusion
How can TestingXperts (Tx) help?

Broad classification of mobile testing devices

Mobile apps are tested using various types of mobile testing devices by analyzing application behavior, functionality, user interface, and many other factors. As mobile devices differ by hardware configuration, OS, screen resolution, etc., it is evident that what works on one type of mobile device might not work on another mobile device. Therefore, to ensure the consistent behavior of apps on different mobile devices, it is essential to test them using various mobile device solutions. These mobile testing devices solutions are broadly classified as Real Devices and Virtual Devices

What are real devices?

Real devices are the various models of actual handsets used by the end-users. Testing teams have access to a couple of devices of different versions. To test the functioning and behavioral patterns, the mobile testing team tests the apps on a range of mobile devices such as iOS, Android, Blackberry, Tablet, iPads, etc. The results generated by real-device testing are accurate, but there is a higher cost involved with their purchase. Also, as the devices get updated from time to time and new devices are launched frequently in the market, it is difficult for testing teams to test mobile apps on all real devices. Thus, to overcome this challenge, testers use virtual devices. But, specifically, there are certain use cases where only real devices can be used for testing, including push notifications, real-time messages, GPS data, etc.

What are virtual devices?

Virtual devices are software programs that mimic an actual smartphone device’s important features and nature. These virtual devices help testers run the application and understand how an application would work on real devices. The virtual testing devices are broadly classified into emulators and simulators.

What is an emulator in mobile testing?

Emulators are software programs that create virtual devices on a computer. They are used to mimic the target device’s hardware and software on the workstation. It works on machine language that the processor understands and translates to the language used by the system through a binary translation process. The two most widely used types of emulators in mobile testing are android emulators and iOS emulators.

What are simulators in mobile testing?

Simulators are virtual testing software that can only mimic mobile devices’ software characteristics and configurations. They are made for iOS devices, i.e., iPhone and iPad. The iOS simulator mimics the iOS and runs the required application within the environment by taking charge of the computer’s operating system. But, to run the iOS simulator, testers need to work on MacOS as the iOS simulator needs Apple’s native Cocoa API, which is essential for the GUI, runtime, and many other operations. It sometimes challenges testers as they have to either work on MacBook or virtualize MacOS on their existing systems.

Major differences between real and virtual testing devices

Point of Difference	Real testing devices	Virtual testing devices
Testing Accuracy	Testing on real devices ensures accurate test results as tests are conducted in the same condition as a user under real-environment	Virtual devices testing results are comparatively less accurate than testing on real devices
Debugging	Debugging on real devices is comparatively difficult	Debugging on virtual devices is relatively easy
Validation of battery issues, incoming interrupts, color displays	Real devices can easily simulate battery issues, incoming interrupts, exact color displays, etc.	These virtual devices cannot simulate battery issues, incoming interrupts, color displays, etc.
Simulation of memory-related issues	Memory storage level for real devices is less as compared to virtual devices	Memory storage level for virtual devices is more as compared to real devices
Cost	Cost is involved in the purchase of real devices	It is less costly as virtual devices can be installed for free

Emulator vs. Simulator-based testing

Point of Difference	Simulator-based testing	Emulator-based testing
Aim	The main aim of the simulator is to simulate the internal behavior/internal state of the target mobile device	The main aim of the emulator is to mimic the outer behavior of the target mobile device
Target area	Simulator-based testing is focused on testing the mobile device software’s characteristics and configurations. Simulators do not mimic hardware	Emulator based testing is focused on testing mobile device hardware, operating system, and software
Language	Simulators are written in a high-level language.	Emulators are written in machine-level assembly language
Debugging	Simulators are less suitable and less reliable for debugging	Emulators are suitable and reliable for debugging
Device support	One of the major difference between emulator and simulator is that simulators are used for testing iOS devices.	Emulators are used for testing android devices
Speed	Simulator-based testing is fast as no binary translations are involved	Emulator-based testing is slower as binary translations are involved

How to decide when to test on real and virtual devices?

Real devices can be used for critical scenarios and in situations like memory leaks, high CPU usage, latency, and while having network issues that might fail when tested with virtual devices. Virtual devices can be used for testing the functionality and user interface as they give good results, and these devices are much cheaper than real devices. Moreover, these virtual devices can be set up with any configuration, and many instances can be created from them. Real devices testing comes with a cost, and automation testing on these devices requires additional effort, while cloud solutions can be used for testing as they provide numerous real devices on the cloud.

Mobile testing types to be performed on real and virtual devices

Installation testing:

This testing method involves a check on whether the application can be successfully installed, uninstalled, updated, or not. This test ensures that applications work as expected after they are installed.

Compatibility testing:

This test is performed to check the compatibility of the app on various devices varying in platforms, OS, browsers, etc. Testers use various types of real devices, emulators, and simulators to check the compatibility of an app on the maximum possible device forms.

Functional testing:

This test is performed to verify the functional aspects of an app. It ensures that the app functions well and works as expected. There are a variety of functional tests conducted on applications such as unit tests, integration tests, system tests, acceptance tests, alpha tests, beta tests, etc.

Usability testing:

The main aim of usability testing is to ensure the user-friendliness of an app. A set of end-users test the app, and their responses are recorded further to be evaluated to improve the mobile app’s usability.

Performance testing:

This test aims to eliminate performance bottlenecks from the app before it goes live, and it ensures that the application meets the performance objectives. This testing method checks the application’s speed, responsiveness, and stability under varying user loads, fluctuating networks, etc.

Security testing:

The main aim of security testing is to ensure that the application is free from vulnerabilities and security loopholes. Various types of security checks are performed in this testing method, such as vulnerability tests, penetration tests, security scanning, security auditing, etc.

Localization testing:

This testing ensures that the application meets the language and cultural requirements of a particular region. This test ensures that proper time zone, i.e., date & time formats, are included in the app, local currency, text, and user interface are used, and local regulations are included based on the geographical region.

Storage testing:

The main aim of this test is to ensure that the application’s data is stored in the right format and right directory. This testing method checks that sufficient apps are available on disk so that the app does not terminate unexpectedly.

User Interface (UI) testing:

This test aims to ensure that the application’s GUI meets all the required specifications. This test involves checking the UI of an app across various types of devices differing in screen size, resolution, etc., to ensure it provides the same UX across devices.

Conclusion

The need for high-quality mobile apps is rising, and it is essential to leverage effective mobile app testing to enable seamless UX. Testers should ensure mobile app testing using emulators, simulators, and real devices to reap the significant benfits of each mobile testing solution. Testers also need to ensure that they properly plan the test coverage, application under test, and mobile automation testing tools to maximize the benefits of mobile app testing while performing on different devices. Businesses can leverage mobile testing for flawless and reliable mobile apps from a next-gen QA and independent software testing services provider.

How can TestingXperts (Tx) help?

TestingXperts, with its advanced mobile test lab, extensive expertise in mobile testing engagements, and breadth of experience in the right mobile automation testing, ensures that the mobile testing is thorough and cost-effective. Our mobile testing Lab has 250+ physical and unlimited cloud-based devices from leading brands and the ability to test with various network carriers on 2G, 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi. Tx provides end-to-end mobile testing services, including functional, security, performance, compatibility, usability, and test automation across different devices, models, networks, operating systems, browsers, and locations.

Tx has also partnered with Sofy, the No. 1 AI-powered no-code quality automation platform, and established Tx-Device Hub powered by Sofy. This device lab contains a vast library of devices that allows QA Teams to test their apps on hundreds of devices before a release, ensuring a great user experience and the ability to release features within hours with high confidence. Get in touch with our mobile testing experts to know more.

The post An Overview of Testing on Real Devices vs. Simulators vs. Emulators first appeared on TestingXperts.

Mobile App Testing – An Effective Guide for Businesses in 2023

sitemanager — Tue, 04 May 2021 15:10:45 +0000

Today, mobile applications have become the primary business enablers for all industries across domains. Most businesses invest heavily in mobile apps to enable high-performing mobile apps for ensuring a great User Experience (UX). These mobile apps are the primary means for users to perform various tasks such as online shopping, reading e-books, ticket booking, medicine orders, insurance payments, etc.

Content 1. Mobile apps’ significance across industry segments 2. What is Mobile App Testing? 3. What are the different types of Mobile App Testing? 4. Benefits of Mobile App Testing for businesses 5. What are the steps involved in Mobile App Testing? 6. How to overcome Mobile App Testing challenges? 7. What are the Mobile App Testing trends to look at in 2023? 8. Conclusion

These smartphone apps provide an effective platform for businesses such as banking, education, healthcare, pharma, telemedicine, etc. Indeed, these mobile apps continue to be significant business enablers as customers can easily interact and perform transactions without any physical limitations.

Mobile apps’ significance across industry segments

Education – According to Technavio the global education apps market is expected to grow by USD 46.88 billion during 2020-2024. This growth is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the education of many students across the globe. With the help of various education apps, video conferencing tools, other e-learning apps, students continue to attend online classes worldwide.

Healthcare & Fitness – According to Grandviewresearch, the global fitness app market size was valued at USD 4.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.6% from 2021 to 2028. According to IQVIA, more than 3,18,000 health apps are available on top app stores worldwide, with more than 200 health apps getting added each day. Also, the current pandemic gave a sudden rise to health apps, wellness apps, telemedicine apps, fitness apps, health management apps, etc.

Banking and finance – According to Fortunebusinessinsights the global mobile payment market was valued at USD 1.18 trillion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 8.94 trillion by 2027, with a CAGR of 29.0% during the forecast period (2019-2027). This growth is due to the digital-savvy customers. They prefer to use mobile banking apps to check balance, pay bills, transfer money, etc.

Games and entertainment – According to Mordorintelligence, the global gaming market was valued at USD 162.32 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach a value of USD 295.63 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 10.5% over the forecast period (2021–2026). Gaming and entertainment apps are accessed by users of all age groups varying from kids, youngsters to old-age people. There are various gaming app categories such as educational, action, adventure, puzzle, quiz, etc., Essentially these gaming apps should have an excellent User Interface (UI) to keep the users engaged and glued.

Retail and shopping/m-commerce – According to Businessinsider, m-commerce volume is expected to rise at a 25.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2019 to $488.0 billion, or 44% of eCommerce, in 2024. M-commerce has the potential to become a major channel for shopping and to change consumer shopping habits. Consumers are reliant on digital devices now more than ever.

Business Insider Intelligence predicts that mobile will inch closer to becoming consumer’s preferred channel for online shopping within the next five years. The two critical devices driving the m-commerce revolution are smartphones and tablets. Today, people prefer shopping online on the go with the help of mobile apps as it helps them view a variety of products, purchase at lesser costs, place in much lesser efforts, and get the desired with more comfort.

Telecom- According to MarketsandResearch, the global telecom API market size is anticipated to reach USD 827.45 billion by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.6% from 2022 to 2030. Some of the major factors driving this market growth are 5G, digital wallets, GPS services, and near-field communication (NFC). Some of the Telecom API’s major driving factors include improving telecom API user experience, monetizing telecom operator services, rising demand for advanced telecom services over the internet, and increasing adoption of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices among end-users.

The above detailed mobile app statistics by leading analysts depict the importance of mobile apps for various businesses and the impounding need for effective mobile app testing to deliver high-performing and high-quality mobile apps with great UX. Indeed, mobile apps have become the new way of life for today’s customers. Therefore, businesses should leverage mobile app testing to deliver seamless and flawless apps to customers.

What is Mobile App Testing?

It is a software testing process in which the application developed for handheld devices is end-to-end tested to check its functionality, security, performance, etc. Mobile app testing is an essential step in mobile application development, and if the software passes all the mobile tests, then only the mobile app is released into the market (App Store/Play Store).

What are the different types of Mobile App Testing?

Mobile apps should essentially deliver an unmatched user experience for users to perform various tasks effortlessly. Moreover, these apps should meet specific benchmarks of quick loading, seamless navigation, flawless performance, effective UI, etc. Businesses should leverage various types of mobile app testing techniques to get high-performing, scalable, and seamless apps.

Installation testing:

The first task that the user performs before using any app is to install the app. Therefore, it is necessary to check whether the application can be successfully installed, uninstalled, updated, or not. This software testing method ensures that the mobile apps work as expected after installation.

Storage testing:

This mobile app testing process ensures that the application’s data is stored in a suitable format and under the correct directory. It checks that sufficient app storage is available on disk so that the mobile app does not terminate unexpectedly.

Functional testing:

This testing method verifies whether all the app’s functionalities are working as specified in the design document. Some of these functional tests include installation testing, upgrade testing, GPS testing, touch testing, UI testing, connectivity testing, battery drain testing, memory testing, etc.

Performance testing:

This mobile app testing method checks the speed, responsiveness, operating capacity, scalability, and stability of the application under various workloads. The main aim of this test is to eliminate performance bottlenecks before the application goes live. This testing method also ensures that the application meets the defined performance objectives and some of these tests include load, spike, endurance, volume, etc.

Usability testing:

In this testing method, the users are given specific tasks to perform on the new application/software. The actions performed by the users are observed and recorded by the specialists such as QA teams, test engineers, etc. The test feedback is collected from the end-users with suggestions. Based on the suggestions given by user groups, necessary actions are taken up to improve the app’s usability.

Compatibility testing:

There are various devices with varying screen sizes, and users use apps on these devices under different networks. Thus, it is essential to test the app’s compatibility on various devices, platforms, OS, browsers, networks, etc.

Security testing:

This mobile app testing method verifies data integrity issues, storage issues and checks the app’s security. It also ensures that the applications are free from all vulnerabilities and security loopholes. The different security tests are vulnerability tests, penetration tests, security scanning, security auditing, etc.

Localization testing:

The main aim of this testing is to ensure that the proper date & time formats are included in the app, local currency, text, and local regulations are also included as per the region so that the app can be accessed seamlessly across the globe.

Digital testing:

This mobile app testing type covers the entire gamut of mobile app testing of both functional and non-functional testing methods, which includes security, Localization, performance, usability, accessibility, cloud testing, etc.

Accessibility testing:

With numerous users accessing mobile apps globally, it is also essential to perform accessibility testing to ensure the mobile app is accessible to people with disabilities such as colour blindness, deafness, hard-of-hearing, etc.

Benefits of Mobile App Testing for businesses

Delivers fully-functional apps:

Mobile app testing ensures that mobile apps are fully functional as per the requirements and perform seamlessly to deliver a great UX.

Enhances UI/UX:

Mobile testing allows testers to test the product from the end user’s perspective and assess the overall app experience. Testers check the logic behind the app and improve the UI of an app which ultimately enhances UX.

Improves customer satisfaction:

Mobile apps with seamless functioning and great usability deliver more excellent customer satisfaction. Such flawless apps help to increase the brand’s reputation and results in getting more loyal customers.

Delivers quicker ROI:

Mobile apps that are end-to-end tested using the latest DevOps methodology of development and test automation ensure faster releases and delivers quicker ROI with high-quality apps released to the market.

What are the steps involved in Mobile App Testing?

Identify the need and scope of the test:

• It is necessary to identify the need and scope of mobile app testing

• Prepare a testing strategy, and determine what features and functionality have to be tested

• Identify the types of mobile app testing required, such as functional, usability, compatibility, performance, security, or others

• Identify the test location; if your app has a global user base, go for localization testing that tests your app in multiple locations and languages with a worldwide network of testers using crowd testing

Plan the test:

• The next step is to determine how to test the ap

• Strategize an action plan and decide what type of tests to be conducted, who will execute the test, and at the timelines involved

• Prepare a test suite and write test cases or test scripts for automated testing

• Most QA teams prefer to integrate manual and automated testing for different stages of SDLC to releases fully functional mobile apps into the market.

Execute the test:

• Run these test cases and scripts

• The execution of the tests completely depends on test scope, test coverage, and release cadence.

• Some businesses follow the DevOps approach where the product is released daily, weekly or monthly, while some follow the agile approach where the product is released in sprints.

Track and manage bugs/defects:

• Once the tests are complete, track and manage the defects

• Prioritize the defects according to their severity level

• Log defects in the bug tracking tools such that teams know the status of bugs and can easily track them

Prepare test reports:

• Finally, review the entire testing process and prepare a test report

• The test report should state devices and OS combinations tested, bugs identified, bugs resolved, test methods used, total time taken, passed and failed test cases, release status, other recommendations, etc.

Some of the common challenges with Mobile App Testing

Testing different screen sizes:

The screen sizes of mobile devices vary greatly, such as for an iPhone differs from android and some other smartphones. Mobile apps need end-to-end testing to ensure that the apps work seamlessly on different screens. Testers have to check different layouts and elements against different pixel densities, which is a time-consuming process.

Varying battery consumption:

Mobile apps tend to consume battery life quickly. Users often use multiple apps at a time on their mobile phones. Hence, the apps that are left open in the background drain the battery power. Mobile app testers should ensure that the apps do not take much battery power even if used for extended hours or with multiple apps in the background. Testing the battery consumption for various devices under varying conditions is a tedious task but is an essential aspect of mobile apps.

Frequently changing user requirements:

Mobile apps and features are often upgraded as per the user requirements. With these frequent changes, each time, the newly detected bugs should be fixed to ensure flawless apps.

OS version fragmentation:

There are numerous versions of the operating systems available in the market. These OS versions get upgraded from time to time. OS version fragmentation is a big issue for android devices as these devices have more OS versions when compared to Apple’s iPhone. Testers have to test each combination of OS version and device to ensure that the app performs seamlessly across all OS versions.

How to overcome Mobile App Testing challenges?

Identify target base:

Testers should first identify the targeted customer base, which will help determine the most commonly used devices. Further, testers can test these devices to ensure screen size and OS compatibility, app usability, and reliability.

Test with real devices:

To check how much battery is being consumed by the app, the best way is to test the app with real devices in combination with emulators and simulators. Since emulators and simulators test the app in a simulated and unreal environment, it is necessary to use them along with real devices.

Leverage automation:

One of the best methods of mobile apps testing is to use automation. With the help of automation, teams will identify bugs and issues faster though changes are made from time to time. However, 100% automation is not possible; therefore, a combination of manual and automation testing should be followed by testers to deliver effective results.

Test using a combination of OS and devices:

Testers need to test each combination of OS and devices to ensure that the app performs seamlessly across all OS versions to overcome OS fragmentation. The best way to do this is first to identify the most common devices and OS versions the app supports and testing them on a priority basis.

What are the commonly used Mobile Testing Tools?

Selendroid:

It is a test automation framework that is used for testing android native and hybrid applications. Selendroid tests are written using the Selenium 2 client API. It can be used on emulators, real devices and integrated into the Selenium Grid for scaling and parallel testing. This tool comes with a built-in inspector that simplifies test case development and makes it easy to use.

Appium:

It is an open-source test automation tool used for testing native and hybrid iOS. It supports various programming languages such as Ruby, C#, Java, etc., and different android versions above 2.3 use WebDriver interfaces to run the test cases.

Testdroid:

It is a cloud-based mobile app testing tool that helps the teams speed up the product delivery to the market. This tool allows the developers to save the app development costs and reduces the unexpected scenarios of unpredictable expenses. With the usage of this tool, it becomes easy and quick to test the application over android and iOS devices across different screen resolutions, OS versions, and hardware platforms.

Ranorex Studio:

It is one of the most widely used mobile app testing tools. This tool supports android and iOS, including native mobile apps and mobile web apps. This tool has a shareable object repository and reusable code modules that help with easy test creation and reduces maintenance. It easily integrates with tools like Jira, Jenkins, TestRail, Git, etc. This tool enables cross-device parallel testing and generates customizable test reports.

Eggplant:

It is a commercial GUI automation testing tool used for android and iOS app testing. This tool supports various types of testing such as functional, image-based testing, mobile testing, network testing, web testing, cross-browser testing, etc. It has built-in image and OCR recognition abilities and supports various OS such as Linux, Windows, Mac OS, etc.

SeeTest Automation:

It is one of the leading mobile automation tools that support automated mobile app testing for iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone on real devices and emulators. It supports continuous testing of mobile app on a huge number of remote devices and supports parallel execution on several devices. It helps in increasing the test coverage and allows testing of device components like GPS, camera, audio, etc. It has its reporting mechanism that can contain screenshots and video recording of tests performed.

What are the Mobile App Testing trends to look at in 2023?

Automation testing to become dominant:

As enterprises continue to adopt agile and DevOps approaches, automation testing is critical for businesses. Due to the rise in demand for automation testing tools and frameworks in the upcoming years, test automation is expected to be more dominant.

Increased use of AI in testing:

Testers are using AI and ML algorithms to test mobile apps as these AI bots mimic humans and can test the app more effectively by exhibiting the same tasks as humans. With the help of AI bots, testers specifically need not design test scenarios or write a single line of code, as bots can explore the app interface and report critical bugs or errors faster than a human tester.

More focus on cloud-based testing of mobile apps:

Sometimes, it becomes hard for businesses to test mobile apps in labs on various devices, OS, and networks. Thus, it becomes convenient for testers to test the app on real devices in the cloud. Cloud devices are a better solution for manual and automated testing of mobile apps.

IoT testing to gain momentum:

With millions of connected sensors, devices, and computers worldwide, and with continuous exchange of data, these IoT devices need vigorous testing. These IoT devices need to be tested for connectivity, security, exchange of data and thus, need different types of testing such as security, performance, usability, etc.

DevOps continuous and frequent releases to lead:

Today, every business needs faster and quality releases to deliver seamless mobile apps to their customers. Enterprises can use an integrated approach wherein DevOps and agile practices will be combined together to get faster releases. Since DevOps practices include continuous integration (CI), continuous testing (CD), and continuous delivery (CD), DevOps testing helps businesses go to market faster.

Conclusion:

Mobile apps have become an essential part of our daily lives. These apps help users perform various tasks such as shopping, paying bills, booking tickets, etc. Since users access these apps on various devices with varying screen sizes, OS, and networks, businesses need to ensure that these apps perform seamlessly and are of high quality. Hence, businesses should leverage mobile app testing from next-gen QA and software testing service providers to achieve high-quality, seamless mobile apps bound to deliver more excellent customer experience.

The post Mobile App Testing – An Effective Guide for Businesses in 2023 first appeared on TestingXperts.

Major Mobile Testing Practices CXOs Must Adopt (Infographic)

sitemanager — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 13:29:32 +0000

Mobile application testing forms an integral part of the mobile app development and has to be taken up by mobile testing experts by following some of the best mobile testing practices.

Major Mobile Testing Practices CXOs Must Adopt

The post Major Mobile Testing Practices CXOs Must Adopt (Infographic) first appeared on TestingXperts.

8 Best Mobile Testing Practices Enterprise CXOs Should Know

sitemanager — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:21:21 +0000

Content 1. What are the benefits of Mobile Testing? 2. Major mobile testing practices CXOs must adopt 2.1 Select right device to perform testing 2.2 Perform early testing and define test scope in detail 2.3 Test on real-devices 2.4 Perform nterface, functional and usability testing 2.5 Adopt performance & security testing for app success 2.6 Automate Mobile Testing Process 2.7 Check for battery consumption 2.8 Test the app for global access 3. Conclusion

Today evidently, there has been a massive explosion of mobile devices running in billions across the globe. For all businesses, a larger extent of their business transactions is done using various mobile applications. Mobile apps usage has taken the world of connectivity to a new range with prominence revolving around customer expectations and customer experience (CX) these apps are supposed to deliver.

This basic and primary need of enchanting customers with great CX has been forcing businesses to deep dive themselves and ensure they deliver effective CX for their mobile apps along with ensuring seamless business transactions.

Today’s customers expect a fast and flawless mobile app experience while they interact either with the business applications. To ensure and deliver great CX, organizations and businesses CXOs should adopt and leverage mobile testing to get flawless mobile apps. Basically, mobile application testing forms an integral part of the mobile app development and has to be taken up by mobile testing experts by following some of the best mobile testing practices.

By following effective and best mobile application testing, businesses can eliminate a huge number of potential issues and bugs that the mobile apps might face when it goes into the market. Specifically, there are many benefits businesses get by leveraging effective mobile testing practices.

What are the benefits of Mobile Testing?

– Mobile app testing helps primarily to improve the mobile app quality

– Apps will be scalable and accessible across multiple platforms

– As apps are tested for functionality, usability and consistency, apps released into market will be of high-quality and users prefer such apps

– Successful mobile testing ensures mobile apps function well even when numerous users login at the same time without affecting app performance

– As effective testing is taken up, businesses can be ensured of seamless app usability when users interact with them

– With effective mobile testing, flawless and high-performing mobile apps tend to get more users and ensures increased app downloads

– As end-to-end network compatibility testing is done, any interruptions will be overcome and the app performs seamlessly across networks

– Mobile accessibility testing ensures the mobile app is accessible to users of all types, even for differently abled people

– Automated testing ensures efficient testing as it ensures speed, accuracy, repeatability and code reusability to deliver high-performing mobile apps

Businesses get numerous advantages by leveraging mobile application testing and primarily the CXOs should ensure their mobile app testers follow the below given best practices for mobile testing to leverage the above-mentioned business benefits.

Major mobile testing practices CXOs must adopt

1. Select right device to perform testing:

A proper device for mobile testing should be considered and selected based on various factors which includes consideration of the mobile app usage across tablets or smartphones, and enlisting the target audience usage of the popular mobile devices. This list should also consider what are the likely screen sizes and OS versions the mobile app needs to integrate for satisfying the target audience.

2. Perform early testing and define test scope in detail:

It is essential that the mobile testing process should begin right from the beginning of the development process. A proper testing strategy should be taken up and ensured that it is followed.

Mobile testing should be taken up along with development side by side at every stage of the app development to help identify bugs and correct them at early stages such that costs are reduced. If the bugs are identified at the production stage, then lot of time and cost will be involved to rectify such errors and bugs.

3. Test on real-devices:

Though testing on emulators and simulators is helpful and useful for mobile testing, but it is equally important to test the app on real mobile devices. This sort of real mobile devices testing ensures the test results are delivered in real-time which becomes very effective for the mobile app success.

4. Perform Interface, Functional and Usability testing:

Interface testing is essential to check validation of buttons, text inputs, screen validations, navigation validations, device orientation validations, etc. Functional testing is essential to test your app on the most popular devices used by the target audience and make sure all the specifications as mentioned in the requirements document are met.

It is essential to test for all functionalities across the app to identify any minute functionality errors to restrict them, before the app is actually moved to production.

Essentially, the usability testing on the mobile app should be taken up by first time app users to get a first-hand understanding about the app for which baby boomers and other older generation segment of people can be selected.

The mobile app thus developed should be user friendly, and should have intuitive user interface which delivers great user experience to users with simple navigation flows. This leads to the desired mobile app success as it deliver great usability.

5. Adopt performance & security testing for app success:

Today’s users prefer mobile apps that load instantaneously for which performance or load testing is critical to be taken up. Various sections of memory leaks, images size requirements, speed, reliability, scalability of the app under loads is all tested.

This sort of load testing ensures the app performs well even when many users access it or login and they will be able to perform all app activities seamlessly.

Security feature is an utmost necessity today with rampant cyber-attacks being experienced everywhere. The mobile apps should be tested for any sensitive data that is being sent or received which must be encoded.

Effective security testing should be taken up to ensure that the app is free from threats and vulnerabilities. Such Effective security testing effective security testing ensures safe and secure mobile app transactions.

6. Automate mobile testing process:

It is preferred to automate your mobile performance, security and functional testing to save time and costs. Automation with mobile testing tools ensures speed, accuracy and code reusability to quickly re-test various conditions. There are various mobile testing tools that can be leveraged to perform effective mobile automation.

7. Check for battery consumption:

It is a priority to maintain and ensure that the battery consumption should be lowest while using the mobile app. It is very important for testing teams to ensure that the app is designed in such a way that it keeps the processor busy for short time. Today, battery consumption is an important feature which people consider while buying smartphones and this aspect should be kept in mind while testing the mobile app.

8. Test the app for global access:

The app should ensure adoption by global users and hence should be tested across geographies to ensure its success. The mobile app should support different languages and currencies to ensure global audience can use it and hence has to be tested thoroughly.

Typically, testing mobile apps is not an easy task, and the landscape of testing keeps on changing. However, the above defined best mobile testing principles continue to remain there and CXOs should ensure their team concentrate on these practices for business success with effective and high-performing mobile apps.

Therefore, a well-defined mobile test design and strategy is essential along with selecting proper devices for testing which the CXOs and testing team should follow to get best mobile testing results. Though, emulators and simulators can be used for testing however to test on real devices is essential for effective mobile testing. Mobile testing has to be continuous and make sure you do performance and load testing in production to get seamless app performance.

It is also essential to automate mobile app testing and use a combination of mobile automation testing tools to achieve effective test results. Thus, the proper combination of the right principles and right set of mobile test automation tools will ensure your mobile apps are a true success and will delight your end users.

Conclusion

The number of mobile devices has exploded in the recent years and for businesses across domains, and these mobile apps have been the major mode of conducting their business. It is essential that these mobile apps should perform flawlessly and seamlessly to ensure end users enjoy and cherish using them.

Only those mobile apps that perform well are accepted by end users for which effective end-to-end mobile app testing is essential. There are many benefits businesses get by leveraging mobile application testing. But, while performing mobile testing, there are certain best practices CXOs should ensure their team follow to ensure their businesses get the best tested mobile apps.

Leverage next-gen mobile testing services provider to ensure you get the best and high-performing mobile apps to get your business have an edge over competitors

Related Queries on Mobile Testing

Q1. Why to consider mobile testing?

Ans. By following effective and best mobile application testing, businesses can eliminate a huge number of potential issues and bugs that the mobile apps might face when it goes into the market.

Q2. What are the types of mobile testing?

Ans. There are various types of mobile testing, some of them are Functional testing, Performance testing, Usability testing. Read more here.

Q3. What are the popular tools for mobile testing?

Ans. Various mobile testing tools are used to ensure the apps work effectively across different browsers. Click here to read more.

The post 8 Best Mobile Testing Practices Enterprise CXOs Should Know first appeared on TestingXperts.

Why Should Businesses Focus on Mobile Automation Testing

sitemanager — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 15:08:08 +0000

It is a known fact that every business sector is today surrounded with numerous mobile apps as these mobile applications continue to be the major business enablers. All businesses continue to expand their operations by enabling mobile apps, as there has been a massive increase in the use of smartphones across the globe.

This widespread usage of these connected smart devices has actually culminated in the heavy use of mobile apps, irrespective of the industry.

Content 1. What is Mobile Automation Testing? 2. Why Should Businesses Leverage Mobile Test Automation? 3. Mobile testing automation characteristics 4. What are the Steps to Follow for Achieving an Effective Test Automation of Mobile Apps? 5. What are the most commonly used Mobile Automation Testing Tools? 6. Conclusion

A leading research analyst reports, “mobile application market to garner $311.2 Billion by 2023 with 19.32% CAGR. It has also been stated that “the global mobile app analytics market is expected to exhibit a 17.24% CAGR from 2018 to 2025 (forecast period)”, according to the latest report by Market Research Future (MRFR) owing to the pervasiveness of smartphones.

The Some of the major drivers for the global mobile application market growth includes increasing data usage, widespread internet penetration, and majorly availability of different range of smartphone devices that are widely used to download loads of mobile applications.

Significantly, it needs to be stated that not all mobile apps have garnered good support from mobile users across the globe. Only some of the mobile applications have become widely used and continue to edge more users with lot of downloads while many apps do not gather much user base.

The major reason for mobile users to patron some mobile apps are the speed with which the app loads, the way various features are arranged and the most important amongst others is the performance and the user experience (UX) it delivers.

On the contrary, if the mobile apps are defective, mobile app users get annoyed using them due to the bugs and refrain from using them. They might even move to their nearest competitor in search of better mobile apps.

Thus, it is wisely said that mobile apps require effective testing to ensure great usability and performance. Therefore, businesses should leverage mobile automation testing to ensure the apps perform well and deliver great user experience (UX).

What is Mobile Automation Testing?

Software testing is the main process involved in the mobile application development, where every mobile app developed for handheld devices is tested for various app features. These includes its loading time, user experience, functionality usability, accessibility, security and performance of the apps across browsers, operating systems and numerous mobile devices.

Basically, mobile app testing is done using a variety of mobile automation testing tools to ensure the apps are flawless and perform well under varying load conditions. This type of mobile app testing using mobile automation testing tools is named as mobile automation testing. Leveraging mobile app automation testing, businesses can be assured that the mobile app is bug free and can be released into the market place (i.e. app store or play store).

Why Should Businesses Leverage Mobile Test Automation?

It is a known fact that across enterprises of all sizes, due to large number of smart phone users, mobile apps have fuelled the growth in business operations along with delivering better customer services. Evidently, a mobile app user decides which app to download based on the purpose of the task they wish to accomplish along with the ease of its usage.

Today, with millions of mobile apps available, the app ratings and reviews also play an important role for a new user to download mobile apps. Hence, it is primarily important that the mobile app automation testing should be taken up during the mobile app development phase to ensure the app is fully tested using effective mobile automation testing tools. There are various automation tools used for mobile application testing to ensure flawless apps.

Businesses should leverage mobile testing automation to achieve below characteristics:

App Functionality:

This sort of mobile app functionality testing ensures the mobile app functions as specified in the design document for various specifications.

App Performance:

This sort of mobile performance test automation assesses app responsiveness, operating capacity, scalability and readiness of the app, and how it performs with varying loads of users.

App Security:

The security testing verifies data integrity, storage security issues, significance of any tainted inputs and also checks the security of activity logs.

App Usability:

App usability automation testing is very importanttoday as mobile apps that deliver great usability are preferred more by users. Hence, this accessibility test automation ensures that users are able to perform the intended tasks on the app satisfactorily.

App Accessibility:

Today, it is a mandate that the apps should be accessible to differently abled population to ensure their easy access and usage. There are certain accessibility norms and regulations that should be adhered to ensure standardized accessibility to all users. Hence accessibility test automation should be taken up for mobile apps.

Across browsers, OS, various Mobile Devices:

Mobile test automation with various test automation tools should be taken up to ensure the apps work effectively across different browsers, operating systems and various mobile devices to ensure its easy accessibility for varied range of users.

In addition to all the above, businesses get these major benefits with effective mobile test automation such as: i) Increased test efficiency, ii) Increased test coverage, and iii) Quicker time to market.

It also ensures cost effectiveness and delivers quicker ROI with flawless mobile apps achieved. Hence, businesses should leverage mobile test automation tools for mobile application testing to ensure high-performing apps.

What are the Steps to Follow for Achieving an Effective Test Automation of Mobile Apps?

Creating a mobile app with all features embedded in it is not enough as effective mobile test automation strategy should be followed to ensure mobile app success. The following are the steps to be followed for mobile application testing process to ensure its success

Step 1: Effective Planning and Identification of Testing Types:

It is essential that proper planning by choosing target devices to test the mobile apps should be taken up. Check out whether the mobile app is native, hybrid or mobile web.

Proper planning should also involve whether the app requires front-end testing along with back-end testing. It is also essential to classify testing types and determine which functional requirements should be tested.

Selection of devices for testing with different sizes should be taken up to ensure better app testing outcomes.

Step 2: Ensure Effective Test Case & Test Script Development:

It is essential to develop the test cases for every function of the application. Special care should be taken to include battery usage, app speed, memory, etc. Automated test scripts should be developed and reusable automation test scripts can be changed according to the project requirements.

Step 3: Plan for Test Environment Setup:

In this step, it is important to download, install and configure the application on the testing device to set up the test environment. It is also necessary to ensure the test version of the app is established before starting the actual testing process.

Step 4: Perform Automated Testing:

Automation testing is performed with mobile test automation tools like Appium, Selendroid, etc. based on the application under test of either android or iOS. Basic functions are tested to ensure there are no glitches or faults.

Step 5: Perform Usability and Performance Testing:

Once the basic functions are tested then the usability testing should be taken up to ensure good user experience is achieved. Performance testing using mobile performance testing tools should be taken up to ensure the app deliver flawless performance even when numerous users login at the same time.

Step 6: Perform Security & Compliance testing:

The application is tested to ensure that the app is secure and does not have any data leaks. This is done by authenticating SQL injection, session hijacking, etc. Compliance testing should also be taken up.

Step 7: Perform Accessibility Testing:

Today, with numerous users accessing mobile apps globally, it is also essential to perform accessibility testing to ensure the mobile app is made accessible to disabled population by ensuring compliance with certain accessibility norms.

Step 8: Perform App Testing Across Devices & OS:

This is a very important step as all the test scripts should be executed in different devices and OS to ensure the app performs well with different devices, and operating systems.

What are the most commonly used Mobile Automation Testing Tools?

Functionality testing:

Appium (both Android & iOS), Selendroid (Selenium for Android), Robotium (Android)

BrowserStack, Browsera

Automated UI testing:

TestComplete
Native and Hybrid Apps (iOS & Android) testing:

Calabash, Testdroid, MonkeyTalk

Performance testing:

WebLOAD

Android & iOS testing Platform:

SeeTest

Conclusion:

For all businesses today, mobile apps continue to be the major means of enabling business. There are millions of mobile apps available in the market, but user’s patron only those apps that load quickly, deliver great user experience, show flawless performance under varying loads and with security features survive the competition.

But, for mobile apps to perform well and deliver great UX, businesses must leverage mobile test automation services by next-gen testing services. These service providers follow best practices of mobile test automation and its strategy to ensure their mobile apps deliver great user experience and thus are assured to gain large visibility and get more users.

Recommended Reading Blogs

1. Automation to Assist Mobile Testing – Best Practices You Can’t Afford to Miss! 2. 8 Best Mobile Testing Practices Enterprise CXOs Should Know 3. Major Performance Testing Challenges and How to Overcome Them 4. Unit Testing – What is Its Importance in Software Testing?

The post Why Should Businesses Focus on Mobile Automation Testing first appeared on TestingXperts.

What Factors to Consider for Mobile App Testing?

developer — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 14:04:07 +0000
Most businesses today depend on mobile applications for enabling their businesses and these applications form the most dominant way of delivering services to their customers. Many enterprises have been investing heavily in getting business apps to enchant their digital customers. But, these apps should upkeep specific benchmarks such as effective user experience, flawless performance, and quick loading. Both mobile and web applications should deliver excellent customer experience and should not have any glitches to ensure its success.

Contents 1. Why Mobile App Testing 2. What Factors to Consider for Mobile Application Testing? 3. What are the tips to select best mobile app testing tool? 4. What are the popular tools for mobile app testing? 5. Pitfalls to avoid with Mobile App testing 6. Conclusion

Why Mobile App Testing
Further, to retain mobile app customers, it is vital for these apps to be stable and perform flawlessly as per user expectations. Hence, as part of achieving efficient applications, mobile application testing plays a critical role in their success. It is a process used to test the functionality, usability, performance, consistency and other factors of the software developed for handheld devices. But, the process of mobile app testing has its challenges. Hence, it becomes a daunting task for testing mobile apps with varied factors to be considered; operating systems (OS), device types, diverse usage scenarios, and network compatibility.
What Factors to Consider for Mobile Application Testing?

1. Stable Network Bandwidth and Carrier Networks:
There is a dense impact of internet bandwidth on mobile apps. A typically slow or a bad internet connection adversely affects the mobile application behavior for different users. Mostly, users don’t wait for longer than 3 seconds for an app page to load. Hence, mobile testing should be taken up to check the impact of interruptions and network fluctuations.
Specifically, Interruption testing is a process to replicate abrupt or unexpected interruptions in the app such as battery removal, OS upgrade, plug in and out of charging, network loss and restoration, and device shut down, to name a few. Thus, it is essential to test mobile apps in actual network environments to get a real picture of mobile application behavior.
Mobile apps are usually developed to support multiple geographical locations and are available in multiple languages to engage end-users. These apps should be tested across carrier networks geo-location wise to ensure the app’s correct usage in different locations.
2. Great User Experience (CX):
The most important impression of any mobile app is the necessity to deliver a smooth and winning user interface. The user interface should be simple, effective and easy to navigate for the users. Hence, the mobile app should be tested with the mobile testing method of user-interface crowd testing. This helps to understand the initial response and feedback from real-time users. It also helps to test the app in real-world conditions with users from different locations to get a first-hand look and feel about the app.

3. Impressive Performance:
Mobile app users expect a good response from the application while using it. The app performance is measured by how responsive it is, how quickly it starts up, how well it uses its device memory, and how efficiently it uses its device power, etc. Moreover, a user’s expectation of responsiveness alters with the mobile device they are using. Optimizing screen size is an important aspect to deliver excellent app performance. Performance testing should necessarily be taken up to ensure flawless app performance as malfunctioning might lead to disengaged users.

4. Effective End-to-End Security:
With the cyber-threats all around and especially mobile apps being largely attacked, it is essential to get them thoroughly tested for security. Users demand their personal data safety, and secure transactions. For the mobile apps to perform stable payment integrations, end-to-end security testing should be taken up. Security testing helps to identify threats and vulnerabilities if any in the app and ensures data security.

5. Stable Across Operating Systems:
There are various mobile operating systems (iOS, Android, Windows 10, etc.) in usage, and each of these operating systems has multiple versions. There is a complexity of the supported platforms that have indeed gone to a new level. Typically, businesses should make sure that their mobile applications should perform well on all operating systems and their supported versions. To achieve compatibility across OS, effective end-to-end mobile app testing should be taken up across OS versions.

6. Delight with Usability:
Mobile apps should be user-friendly and intuitive to attract baby boomers, novice users as well as experienced users. The app should be interactive with a good look and feel and ensure effective navigation all through the functionalities. Complicated user flows confuse the users, and they might even restrain from using such mobile apps. Thus, usability testing should be taken to ensure the app has a smooth and straightforward flow all along with the functionalities.

7. Compatible Across Devices:
There are numerous types of mobile devices, and the mobile application should perform as expected across a combination of mobile devices and browsers. Mobile compatibility testing should be enforced to check the app compatibility on different devices and browser combinations to verify screens and behavior as expected. Compatibility testing is usually performed for the following:
– Testing across Databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, etc.
– Testing cross-wise over Web browsers such as IE, Chrome, Firefox, Mozilla, Safari, etc.
– Testing across System Software such as web server and updates
– Testing Cross-wise across various mobile platforms, devices, networks
Hence, with the diversity of devices, platforms, screen resolutions, memory sizes, and connectivity options, mobile compatibility testing helps to ensure the mobile app is compatible across all these variations.

8. Uniform Scalability:
When once the mobile app becomes popular, there is an evident increase in the number of users, and sometimes the growth could be exponential. Hence, it becomes apparent to test the mobile app for its scalability with increased and decreased user loads using Load testing. Load testing helps to decipher whether the app can scale when numerous users access it at the same time.

9. Wide Localization:
It is also essential that a mobile app should adhere to the regional settings; customizing the app according to the target country/region with a linguistic touch for mobile app success. Hence, localization testing is necessary to ensure the app balances the cultural and linguistic aspects of a particular region. Linguistic testing, cultural testing, cosmetic testing, and functional testing should be taken up to ensure an all effective mobile app that truly enchants the end-users.

What are the tips to select best mobile app testing tool?

Cross-Platform Support:
The chosen mobile testing tool should be able to support devices across various platforms and operating supports.
Reusability:
The testing tool should provide the ability to reuse the testing scripts as this saves time and effort of the teams.
Support for Vendor:
The selected tool should support the vendor on all scenarios such as for installation, for maintenance, device availability on the tool, etc.
Cost:
When planning for a tool, the cost is one of the important factors to be considered, hence it should be analysed whether the ownership of the tool is under the budget of the enterprise or not.
Integration with other tools:
The mobile testing tool should have the ability to get integrated with other test management tools, application lifecycle management, and help in communicating with all stakeholders.
Cross-Browser Support:
Testing is essential across various browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc. to check the app performance. Therefore, it is important to consider a tool that provides cross-browser support.

What are the popular tools for mobile app testing?

Appium:

This is a cross-platform test automation tool for native and hybrid iOS. This open-source tool supports various programming languages such as Ruby, C#, Java, etc. Also, it supports Android versions above 2.3 and uses WebDriver interfaces to run test cases.

Robotium:

This is an open-source tool that is exclusively processed to test android applications. In this tool, the test cases are written in Java and it is widely known for writing automated black-box test cases. This tool helps a tester to perform various activities and benefits to write test cases in lesser time.

Test Project:

This is the world’s first community-powered test automation platform that helps users to perform tests over android, iOS, and web applications across operating systems. This free cloud-based tool can easily collaborate with the teams that are using Appium and Selenium to ensure speed and quality.

Testdroid:
This is a cloud-based mobile application testing tool that helps the teams to speed up the product delivery to the market, it helps the developers to save the app development costs, and reduces the unexpected scenarios of unpredictable costs. With the usage of this tool, it becomes the easiest and the fastest way to test the application over android and iOS devices across different screen resolutions, OS versions, and hardware platforms.

Calabash:
This is a mobile application testing framework working across multiple languages. Calabash has a list of libraries that help a test-code to technically interact with the hybrid and native apps.

Pitfalls to avoid with Mobile App testing
Mobile app testing plays an important role in app success but at the same time, there are few pitfalls that teams should take care of to ensure high-quality apps are released in the market.
Following are some of the pitfalls to avoid with mobile app testing:

1. Avoidance of UI/UX guidelines:
As a tester, it is necessary to comply with UI/UX guidelines for testing an Android or iOS app. These guidelines will help a tester to develop the front-end of a mobile app that is user-friendly, highly interactive and easy to navigate. Hence, mobile app testers must have properly drafted UI/UX guidelines that are in-line with the testing standards to ensure high-quality apps are released.

2. Incoherent use of testing methods:
Testing every aspect of a mobile app is not considered a good practice. It will in turn waste time and contribute to increased costs. It is better for a tester to first have an in-depth understanding of the app’s features and how it is going to create value for the users. Then a context-driven testing methodology can be prepared by the testers, which will guide them (testers) to test only on the specific aspects of the mobile app.

3. Too much emphasis on automation:
Automating too many aspects of a mobile app isn’t feasible. In fact, automating the features of a mobile app is more complicated when compared to automated software applications. Automating only those specific functionalities of a mobile app that really counts needs to be considered and taken care of. The mobile test pyramid is a strategic approach for performing automation on mobile applications.

4. Lack of strategic planning:
Implementing testing on mobile apps is a time-consuming and methodical process that needs to be carried out meticulously. Without a strategic plan, it leads to more ambiguity and complexity while testing mobile apps. Hence, testers should initially do the necessary groundwork to come up with a strategic plan of action that will make the mobile app testing process less cumbersome.

Conclusion:
It is critical and worth considering that today’s world has undoubtedly become mobile-first with an exponential increase in the usage of connected devices. Therefore, it is critical that all mobile apps should load quickly, have an excellent user interface, be scalable, deliver effective usability, flawless performance and thus ensure a great customer experience. In order to achieve all these factors, the end-to-end testing of mobile apps by independent mobile application testing companies should be leveraged. Such engagement with a Next-gen Specialist QA services provider ensures success to your mobile apps.

Related Queries on Mobile testing

Q1. What is meant by mobile testing?
Ans. Mobile Testing is a process used to test the functionality, usability, performance, consistency and other factors of the software developed for handheld devices.

Q2. How do you test mobile applications?
Ans. By using mobile app testing tools but the chosen mobile testing tool should be able to support devices across various platforms and operating supports.

Q3. What should I test in mobile application?
Ans. Through mobile application testing you can check functionality, performance, consistency, usability and user experience of the app.

Q4. What are the types of mobile testing?
Ans. Types of mobile testing includes functional testing, usability testing, compatibility testing, Performance testing and security testing.

The post What Factors to Consider for Mobile App Testing? first appeared on TestingXperts.