Mobile devices are indispensable, from checking emails to online shopping and everything in between. With the growing importance of mobile apps, it’s vital to ensure they are adequately tested to provide an excellent user experience. A mobile app testing strategy is necessary to ensure the app performs flawlessly on different devices and platforms.
This blog aims to discuss the essential elements of an effective mobile app testing strategy that can help streamline the testing process and improve the overall quality of mobile applications.
What is mobile application testing?
Mobile application testing tests mobile applications for functionality, usability, performance, security, and compatibility across multiple platforms and devices. It is an essential part of the mobile app development process that helps to ensure that the application is free from bugs, errors, and other issues that could impact its performance or user experience.
Mobile application testing can be done manually or through automated testing tools. Manual testing involves human testers performing tests to identify any bugs, issues, or usability problems with the app. On the other hand, automated testing consists of using software tools to perform testing on the app. This makes the testing process quicker and identifies issues that may be difficult or time-consuming to locate through manual testing.
By conducting mobile application testing, developers can identify and fix any issues in the app before it is released to users, ensuring a positive user experience and minimizing the risk of negative reviews or app store rejections.
Mobile app testing strategy
Early testing
Testing at an early stage is one of the core principles of the agile development process. Early testing is crucial to prevent a minor defect from turning into a significant error, which can lead to increased fixing costs and overrun budgets. In contrast to the conventional waterfall approach, agile testing is carried out in parallel with the development process and shifted to the left. This testing approach helps ensure that expenses are kept within the budget and that the application is delivered within the timeline. By following the agile testing methodology, teams can achieve consistent feedback loops, a continuous delivery pipeline, and greater confidence in the quality of the product with every iteration.
Establish an alignment
It is essential to establish alignment between the development and testing teams. Mobile app testing, which requires a flexible and adaptable approach, is no exception. It is essential to have a well-oiled communication and collaboration system in place to achieve this flexibility. Effective communication can help avoid silos or miscommunications when information is fragmented or not updated in real-time.
Failing to streamline communication and collaboration can have severe consequences for the project, potentially leading to delays, missed deadlines, and an app that does not meet the end-user’s requirements. It is crucial to prioritize communication and collaboration among all project stakeholders to avoid these issues. This includes the development and testing teams and any other relevant departments or stakeholders.
Infrastructure readiness
Infrastructure readiness is a crucial aspect of mobile app testing, following closely behind acquiring necessary human resources. It involves preparing the testing environment, including emulators/simulators or physical devices. It is crucial to ensure that the selected solution meets specific requirements, such as ease of learning, appropriate testing features, and native integrations. An efficient and stable testing process can be ensured by carefully examining these criteria when choosing a testing tool.
Exploratory testing
Exploratory testing is a method of testing a specific application that involves exploring various features without using a test plan or feature request. This type of testing is typically carried out by experienced testers who can identify defects that may have yet to be considered during planned testing, leveraging their experience. By conducting exploratory testing, a more comprehensive and targeted testing strategy can be achieved, resulting in increased test coverage.
Automated testing
Automated testing for mobile applications can be a valuable tool in the app’s lifecycle as new functionalities are added that may cause new bugs. Automating the testing process can reduce the need for repetitive manual testing efforts and increase the depth and scope of testing. This level of automation is critical for identifying regression bugs and ensuring that high-quality applications are shipped. It is essential to use robust and scalable test automation frameworks and tools to implement an effective mobile app testing strategy.
Challenges in mobile app testing
Mobile testing is a complex process that presents various challenges. Here are some of the key challenges in mobile testing:
Device fragmentation
Device fragmentation refers to the vast array of devices and operating systems available in the mobile market. With so many devices and operating system combinations, ensuring that your app works well on all devices can be difficult. Testing on a limited number of devices may only provide an accurate representation of the user experience on some devices.
Different device models
Mobile devices come in various sizes and resolutions, presenting challenges for mobile app developers. Ensuring the app works well on all screen sizes and resolutions can be time-consuming and complex.
Mobile networks
Mobile networks can present various challenges for mobile testing. Mobile networks are often slower than Wi-Fi; the speed can vary depending on the location and network provider. Testing your app under different network conditions can help you identify performance issues and optimize your app’s performance for different network speeds.
User Interaction
Mobile apps should be intuitive and easy to use. However, the various ways users interact with their mobile devices can present challenges for mobile testing. Testing the app’s usability, accessibility, and user interface to ensure that it meets your users’ expectations can be a complex process.
Security
Mobile devices are susceptible to security threats like data breaches and malware. To ensure your app is secure, you must perform security testing. This involves testing the app’s encryption, authentication, and authorization mechanisms to protect your user’s data.
Conclusion
Mobile testing is a crucial aspect of app development that must be considered. An effective mobile testing strategy can streamline the testing process, improve app quality, and provide a superior user experience. Following the essential elements of the mobile testing strategy discussed in this post, you can overcome the challenges and ensure your app runs smoothly on all devices and platforms.
In conclusion, a comprehensive mobile testing strategy that targets your audience defines your testing goals, and utilizes best practices is critical to developing high-quality mobile applications. With a well-executed mobile testing strategy, you can ensure your app is ready for release and give your users a seamless and satisfying mobile experience.
