Mobile Application Testing

The process through which every single application (app) software developed for smartphones or other handheld mobile devices is tested for consistency, security, usability, and functionality is known as mobile application testing. Basically, the main aim of this testing procedure is to not only increase the overall efficiency of the apps, but also ensure that the app has a high-reliability factor.

However, there are only three key areas of testing for mobile app development, and they are performance testing, functional testing, and security testing.

Performance Testing

This kind of testing measures the level at which an application can be able to withstand the traffic and pressure exerted by users on a daily basis. If too many users are using an application all at once, and the app slows down, then the app is rated negatively.

Functional Testing

In this kind of testing, quality assurance teams evaluate how well the app’s system runs. The teams carry out tests by feeding input and comparing actual and expected outputs.  

Security Testing

This testing protects mobile devices from cyber attacks such as malware. It ensures that every app’s data and network security acts according to specific guidelines. However, it’s important to note that security testing isn’t quite perfect in cyber attack prevention.

Mobile app testing depends on two main things – ratings and reviews. Users install apps on their devices depending on these two factors. If an app has low ratings and poor reviews, users are less likely to install it. For this reason, mobile app testing is quite an important task. Mobile app testing can be performed either manually or automatically.

Manual testing basically involves a human process mainly centered towards user experience. Here, the application’s functionality, usability, and consistency are analyzed and evaluated through the user’s medium exploratively. In as much as it’s a slow process, manual testing ensures that applications are user-friendly.

Automated testing, on the other hand, comes with quite a number of advantages. The testing process is usually performed on the most tedious manual cases – the easiest to automate cases, frequently used automate cases, cases with predictable results, and those that are most difficult to perform manually. Automation testing increases testing efficiency, is fast, and therefore saves time, and improves regression test case execution.

Some of the key factors to consider in mobile app testing include:

• The selection of mobile devices suitable for testing according to users’ preference.
• Functional network conditions
• Application performance
• Cloud testing
• Real devices
• Testing method to be applied – either manual or automated testing

Best Mobile Testing Tools

1. Appium for both Android and iOS
2. Calabash for both Android and iOS
3. Monkey Talk for both Android and iOS
4. UIAutomation for iOS
5. Robotium for Android

There are quite a number of tools in today’s market that help automate mobile applications. Therefore, choosing the right one can be quite a challenge. Some of the factors one should consider include costs, life cycle management, access to specific software or hardware, integration with maps, and video and audio processing.