There is almost an app for everything, from streaming movies to coloured flashlights to voice recorders and mixers. If you search for it, you will definitely find it. In the last couple of years, more businesses have learned to invest in mobile app versions of their web apps. And from a marketing point of view, businesses having mobile apps that cloned their web apps was a genius masterstroke. But, it only worked if they ensured that their apps not only functioned well across all devices but that it also appealed to the users. And so, mobile testing became one of the final stages before launching an app.
What Is Mobile App Testing?
Mobile app testing is a process that involves testing mobile apps for usability, User experience, consistency, and functionality over multiple devices and operating systems. The mobile pen testing process usually includes four distinct stages:
• Discovery and Intelligence Gathering;
• Mobile App Analysis and Assessment (This stage consists of techniques like static analysis, dynamic analysis, local file scans, reverse engineering, architecture review services, inter application communication);
• Testing and Exploitation;
• Reporting.
Mobile testing is simply a test run of the mobile app, looking out for glitches in user experience, user interface, functionality, and usability. It ensures the app is both functional and appealing to the target audience.
To do this, mobile app development teams test the new app on different mobile devices, operation systems, and network bandwidths.
Types Of Mobile Apps
There are three types of mobile apps – the mobile web app, the native app, and the hybrid app.
Mobile Web App
These progressive web apps are responsive websites viewed through the mobile browser. They don't require special adjustments to work on different mobile operating systems because they are launched on a browser.
Native App
A native app is a typical mobile app designed to open on a mobile device. Unlike the mobile web app, the UX/UI on a native app differs according to the operating system, just like most apps look and function differently on Android and iOS devices. Native apps are tailored to function on a specific operating system.
Hybrid App
A hybrid app is a mobile app with elements of a mobile web app and the native app.
What Features Are Tested In A Mobile App Test?
We have highlighted functionality, usability, and consistency across mobile devices as an overview of mobile app testing. But the question remains — what gets tested during a mobile app test?
To begin with, developers don't get around to testing every feature on their mobile app. The standard features tested include:
Technical Functionality
This checks if the app is functioning. For example, technical functionality testing of a voice recording app is to check if the recording buttons are working and the main technical features are functioning.
UI/UX
This feature insides testing apps at different screen resolutions to check if the interface is compatible with users and if the user experience is excellent.
Security
This tests the security system of the apps.
Operating Systems
The operating system isn't a feature, but the apps are tested across different operating systems, like Android, iOS, Windows, etc., to ensure functionality and usability.
Why Is Mobile Testing Important?
Why do developers need to carry out in-depth testing of their mobile apps? Why go through all that hassle of testing the mobile apps on different operating systems and their versions?
Earlier, I mentioned how it was a marketing genius move when businesses decided to create mobile app versions of their web apps. What informed that decision was numbers. Almost 84% of UK adults have a smartphone. It wasn't too far off to link an increased consumer base to mobile apps.
But what does this have to do with testing mobile apps? I will tell you – customer service.
If more and more of your consumer base is installing and using your app, you need to offer the best customer service there. This includes ensuring that the app is functioning correctly and optimized for the consumer's device.
Now 62% of consumers will abandon your services and look to your competition when an app isn't functioning well on their device. Poor customer service on mobile apps is a no-no, and mobile testing is the only way to avoid this.
Tips For Mobile App Testing
Mobile testing can be challenging if not planned properly, so here are a few tips for testing mobile apps.
• Involve quality assurance teams from the early development stages;
• Use Beta testing to preview how your app functions on an actual device;
• Make a testing plan before you start. Use simulators for the initial testing stages.
Conclusion
Testing mobile apps is essential before they are deployed on app stores. The testing process ensures that the app is functioning as it should and experiences no glitches for its users.