The Ideal Mobile App Testing Strategy
There is enough about the importance of user experience to be positive for websites and applications on the computer. With an increasing number of mobile shoppers and users, the same holds true for user experience on mobiles as well.
Every time the user is on your application, their experience needs to be great, right from the beginning. If your testing strategy fails you here, then it’s the users that would notice the flaws and most times, then won’t even report the problems. But one thing is for sure; when users have a negative experience, they are less likely to come back.
There are numerous techniques to do a successful mobile app testing, but each come with advantages and disadvantages. So the wise thing to do here would be to use a combination of strategies and see what gives you the best result.
For Native Apps
- Verify if the application can be downloaded successfully
- Does it run properly on a device, with the support of back-end content frame?
- Is it compatible with the last generation of the same device?
- Is your application ready for the new release of the same device?
- Does it run properly on all types of device operating systems (OS)?
- Do updates reach end user in time?
- Can user successfully accept the updates?
For Web Apps
- Is your web application a standard one, or the one that is globally dynamic?
Challenges for testing Native & Web Apps
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of mobile testing is the device itself. There are so many varieties of mobile devices and OS all over the world and each one of them needs to be considered for testing. Every device or OS you don’t test, it can be assumed that your web or the native app won’t work on it.
Solution: test on real devices/test on emulated devices or both.
Testing on real devices may not be as cost-effective as you wish, for obvious reasons like device, subscription and labor costs. Compared to all those costs, emulated devices are relatively cheaper.
Emulated devices can be used to simulate other devices by simply uploading their profiles and testing on them; even updates can be tested rather easily. Yes, but it cannot be compared to the user experience of the real device. That’s the only disadvantage.
Testing can be done using both techniques, albeit at different times in the product life-cycle. Testing on emulated devices in the beginning is cheaper as you can test for multiple devices. Testing on real devices later can be done to confirm the real functioning of the app.
Recommendation
- Use the emulating device to your advantage; it’s not just the ability of testing on multiple device profiles quickly, but you can run test cases for network bypassing with scripting solutions that are really at a high level.
- Collaborate with a vendor who can give you easy access to test on real devices, anytime!
Undoubtedly, it is clear to see how a combination of testing on real devices and emulated devices could be the right mobile app strategy for you.