Mobile App Software Testing: A 10-Step Guide for a Successful Digital Transformation Journey
The digital transformation has changed businesses once and for all. To stay competitive in this new environment, tech-savvy C-levels put advanced technologies in the center of their winner-takes-all strategies.
Being a pivotal digital enabler, mobile apps deserve special attention. In only 2 years, the number of worldwide downloads will approach almost 300 billion!
Within such an oversaturated market and immense popularity of mobile solutions, how can companies succeed and take a step toward becoming top performers?
One of the ways is to focus more on software quality. In the article, I’ll cover the most significant mobile software testing types to bear in mind on the digital transformation journey.
Building robust mobile apps in 10 steps
Considering a wide range of mobile application specifics ― from OSs and screens to network connectivity and battery life ― as well as the industry, target audience, and distribution channel, the testing process will differ. Thus, let’s have a look at the top 10 most essential stages.
1. Functional testing
As practice shows, mobile users are intolerant to low-quality software ― less than 20% will use an app after failure for the second time. So, it’s high time to make sure that the app functions in full compliance with defined requirements and all the features are responsive.
Functional testing helps spot defects in the installation, launching, and authorization process, verify the appropriate work of all application menu sections and fields. It also guarantees the correct operation of critical business functions like ordering goods or payments, checks that device settings don’t affect the app functionality, and more.
2. Performance testing
Users don’t wait until a defined feature starts running, they will merely opt for the competitors instead.
Therefore, server-side performance testing of the app behavior under diverse load conditions is crucial. The response time also matters for a successful way of handling the load. While testing, the QA engineers focus on the app operation when changing network conditions, like switching to Wi-Fi or 2G/3G.
Client-side testing, in turn, helps measure the load and render time, focus on the correct location of text and layout elements, complete download of all functional components and graphics.
3. Cybersecurity testing
Recently, LinkedIn has faced one of the most significant information leakages in its history. 700 mln people, or 93% of all company’s users, faced personal data theft. Luckily, credentials and financial data were not compromised, but the organization’s blunder, however, revealed details that could allow someone to assume the identity of a person when applied.
Needlessly, such a large-scale data leakage is stressful and painful reputational damage to any company. How is it possible to mitigate such risks?
Both manual and automated vulnerability assessment based on OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide spots the most common issues ― from insecure cryptography to weak passwords ― and ensures high protection of users’ sensitive data.
4. Localization testing
To help the client succeed in the international markets, QA teams adapt an app so that it meets the linguistic, cultural, and regional requirements of a particular country. Why is it so important?
Imagine a case: you are developing a mobile game and plan to distribute it across diverse regions, including the Chinese, which, by the way, was the largest game market in the world in 2020.
Game censorship policy in China is rigorous, which is complicated by vague guidelines. For instance, time-traveling is taboo as, according to some industry insiders, people may think of a possible trip back in time to change the political system.
With that in mind, QA engineers should pay thorough attention to every aspect of localization testing ― from international symbols and units to grammar mistakes.
5. User interface testing
You won’t have a second chance to make the first impression. Placing yourself in your users’ shoes means everything when you need to assess the quality of interaction with your app.
Thus, testing navigation and GUI comes to the fore. Is navigation intuitive and easy to understand? Is content displayed correctly at high page scrolling speed? Do design characteristics allow users to access full app functionality?
Word-of-mouth advertising is a powerful aspect. Since each user’s opinion affects your brand image, UI testing is also a practical step to enhancing software quality.
6. Compatibility testing
The fragmentation of device manufacturer, screen size, resolution, and OS versions places a heavy burden on ensuring equally correct app operation on diverse units.
QA teams test the app’s functionality on the range of OSs, browsers, and devices. However, before doing that, it’s critical to define a profile of an end user. As well as selecting required items for testing based on the geographical region needs.
7. Network connectivity testing
To ensure your app appeals to the widest number of possible users, it should work equally well within any network type ― Edge, 2G-5G, Wi-Fi, etc.
Thus, the QA team should verify how the app operates with no connection, under various network types and connection speed, how it switches between modes, and more.
8. Recovery testing
App’s ability to successfully overcome crashes caused by software or hardware issues guarantees its easy and quick recovery.
Therefore, the QA engineers need to check that the app continues to function after sudden crashes or system failure and data recovery is complete in the case of a network break. The app should smoothly process transactions despite temporary power failures.
9. Interrupt testing
This is when QA teams check how a mobile app reacts to diverse interruptions (e.g., messages, calls or notifications, screen-locking or sleep modes, alarm clocks, and more) and resumes to its previous state. It’s also critical to test the app’s ability to restore from mere distraction under low battery power. If the phone shuts down unexpectedly, the app’s behavior should be verified after restarting.
10. Certification testing
To place a mobile app in a certain application store, software product design, even the way an installation file is organized, all must comply with standards, licensing agreements, and terms of use of the store. For Android-based apps ― UIG requirements, for iOS-enabled ― HIG.
Q&A on testing on real devices, emulators, simulators
1. Why opt for testing on real devices?
Undoubtedly, this approach yields the highest accuracy of results, as testing is performed under tangible conditions and based on routine users’ actions.
For instance, QA engineers can check the quality of rendering or screen resolution and brightness best on real items. However, maintaining such real devices requires extra expenses.
2. What are emulators and when to test on them?
Emulators are virtual devices designed in a manner that to replace original items, as their hardware and software characteristics are very alike.
Emulators fit testing activities focused on apps that utilize a lot of software and hardware features of real devices (camera or sound systems typical for messengers like Microsoft Teams). In case real items aren’t available, emulators can ensure a comprehensive testing environment.
3. Well, simulators. What’s the difference between emulators and simulators?
Unlike emulators, simulators mirror only the partial experience of devices, as they don’t take into account device hardware characteristics. Thus, they are more appropriate for ensuring the quality of apps that can be tested using simple environments (notepad).
Long story short
As the mobile app market is growing by leaps and bounds, it’s natural that users’ requirements for quality software solutions increase proportionally. Today, a holistic testing strategy helps provide a great user experience, boost the number of downloads, and improve ratings in app stores.
On top of that, combining real devices, emulators, and simulators helps maximize testing efficiency, deliver top-notch products, and undergo digital transformation with confidence.
