The production of mobile phones is booming and it has led to an increased usage of mobile gadgets. The number of smartphone users worldwide is expected to hit 7.5 billion by the year 2026. That’s twice the growth in contrast to 3.6 billion mobile phone users in 2016 hinting the importance of running mobile app test.

The figure clearly denotes the enormous growth in smartphone or mobile device users in the near future. The expansion of mobile devices will also promote the development of advanced mobile applications aimed at making business solutions extra accessible. However, businesses will need to make certain that their mobile applications are future-ready and optimized for advanced smartphones. This can be straight accomplished only by optimizing and testing apps on the latest mobile gadgets.

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These advanced applications need to be tested across multiple OSs and mobile devices to verify their compatibility. In fact, some eCommerce app companies have tried to follow an effective strategy for mobile app testing. This will ultimately allow them to stay competitive and function seamlessly. 

Mobile app testing mainly helps validate the performance, functionality, and appearance, of applications across varied devices. Optimizing apps for mobile-Operating System combinations famous amongst the niche audience assists the app provides a flawless user experience, irrespective of OS or device. It helps deliver a customer-centric and robust experience for fresh users. In a nutshell, the better the experience for the users, the better the prospect of increased outreach.

What is Mobile App Testing?

As the word suggests, Mobile App Testing refers to the procedure to validate a mobile app (iOS or Android) for its usability and functionality prior to its released. Testing mobile applications assist validate whether the application meets the expected business and technical requirements.

For effective mobile application testing, QA engineers need to test applications across numerous operating system versions, screen resolutions, and varied network bandwidths. This makes sure that the application functions perfectly and faultlessly across several device configurations when launched publicly.

At a higher level, testing mobile applications count the following:

• Testing application’s appearance in both Landscape and Portrait mode
• Testing applications performance across multiple OS versions (for instance Android versions 7.0, 8.0, etc)
• Validating application’s performance and compatibility when operated on definite settings
• Testing whether the application is well-suited and compatible with mobile sensors like GPS, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, etc.
• Testing the application’s Graphical User Interface (Menus, navigation buttons, dropdown, etc) for functionality

Start a Mobile App Test

Statista’s current report stated, Android has 72.73 percent of market share, while iOS has merely a 26.42 percent of the market share. The majority (around 70%) of application failures are related to application compatibility with device OS versions plus manufacturer customizations of OSs.

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The above data revealed iOS have a lesser market share than Android. Operating System fragmentation occurs owing to multiple OS versions. Both iOS and Android have varied versions. Developers should ensure that their mobile application runs on every version of the operating system (iOS or Android) to give a seamless user experience.

Why is Mobile App Testing Critical?

Android applications are launched in a series of 80 thousand to 140 thousand in the Google play store every single month. The crucial objective of developing mobile applications is to boost business outreach to more users globally. But, users are unlikely to use the application if it is difficult or faulty to use. Naturally, no companies would like their users to uninstall their applications and switch to an opponent.

If mobile applications aren’t scrupulously tested, there are immense chances of users encountering technical bugs on their devices that may result in a worsened user experience. Keep in mind that first impressions are tremendously significant for the success of any mobile application. Any unpredicted functionality bug or app crash can bring about instant uninstallation of that application. This also fails potential customers and income.

Some important statistics that prove why mobile application testing matters:

• 48% of users abandon or uninstall an application if it is slow.
• 80% of users uninstall or delete an application that does not meet their expectations.
• 50% of users tend to uninstall or delete an app that occupies excessive space in the device.

What are the Key Challenges in Mobile App Testing?

Mobile apps are tough to test than desktop apps. Some of the crucial reasons are:

• Wide Range of Gadgets-The array of tablets and smartphones traits a wide section of screen resolutions and sizes along with varied hardware configurations.
• Multiple Version-The mobile Operating Systems iOS and Android have large higher versions like Android 4.4, 4.2, 6.0, 5.0, 7.1, 7.0, or iOS 10.0, iOS 9.3.5, iOS 10.3.1, etc.
• Testing Tools– Testing of mobile apps requires specialized tools emulating the near real device behavior. Test coverage with the range of tools can only hit 70%. Using real devices for testing can give actual outcomes; however, using actual devices is time-consuming, expensive, and impossible to count all variations. Other significant aspects are the app must use the device resource optimally like power, CPU, etc. Poorly build applications can drain the mobile battery and users are expected to uninstall such applications even if the app is functioning perfect.

Common Mistakes to Avoid while Executing Mobile Tests

• Don’t begin mobile app testing without being clear on the purpose of the application. What is it meant to perform? Who are the target mobile app users? What are consumers’ expectations? What are the management-level expectations from the application? These sorts of questions should be answered before QA actions can be carried out.
• Testing only on simulators and emulators. They have serious limitations with reference to replicating real-time device functions, which means performance and compatibility testing can’t give convincing outcomes when run on them. Applications require to be tested on real devices from different manufacturers with multiple OS & OS versions. This is possible only on a real-time device cloud.
• Do not concentrate just on the User Interface. Now, the User Interface is certainly the significant aspect as it is literally the face of the application. It requires scrupulous testing. But, do not forget to vet the backend services and APIs equally well. A great User Interface does not mean much if the weak backend results in the app crashing continuously.
• Don’t attempt testing everything without delay. As explained above, that isn’t humanly possible in modern-day launch timelines. Test what is vital first.
• Do not proceed without any preparation. Decide which traits should be tested in every sprint, what type of testing are to be executed, have scripts prepared, and understand exactly what the projected outcomes are. Modern applications have far too many traits, and can’t be scrupulously tested without a structure in place.

So, what’s the correct approach? To cover all the prominent real-time devices in the market, you have to create the right matrix or strategies for Mobile app testing.

Most Effective Mobile Testing Strategies

As per the current stats, 99.5% of consumer applications fail to owe to some vital reasons and 0.5% of user apps succeed. So, if you raise the question that ‘Is it significant to do mobile app testing?’, the answer is YES.

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Critical Factors to Consider in Mobile App Testing

• Mobile Simulators: Simulators play an important role in testing mobile apps. A mobile simulator is a software app that is made to function just like a real-time device. Such simulators are simple to implement and lucrative options for test purposes. Furthermore, the testing is never interrupted in such slow network issues and the process just becomes better and faster. The testers can get complete access and allowing them to understand the app’s behavior in the local storage situation. It also provides ease of installation and facilitates speedy time-to-market.
• Test against all major hardware features.

Mobile devices are jam-packed with powerful sensors and hardware to cooperate with users and their environments. For instance:

• Proximity sensors
• Ambient light sensors
• Magnetic sensors
• Gyroscope sensors
• Acceleration sensors
• Humidity, Pressure, and Temperature sensors
• Touchless sensors
• Location sensors

A tester must understand multiple sensor types and how they are utilized. If a sensor is used within a mobile application, it is critical to test against sensor-precise scenarios, like various environments or circumstances. Besides testing the sensors, it is also vital to test the mobile app against multiple hardware traits of the device—display, microphone, camera, storage, and so on. All those traits can have a huge influence on the mobile application.

• Know Your End Users– One of the major challenges in the mobile application arena is higher user expectations. Therefore, to build a successful mobile application, you need loads of information about your end users like understanding your niche customers and their expectations. You need data such as mobile usage gender, habits, age, geographical location, monthly income, etc. to get a better view of your users.  Then only you could make informed business decisions, prioritize development, define your support policy, and refine the user experience. Testing expert platforms like Lambdatest build analytical mechanisms into the app with the assistance of the development team. 
• Testing on Real Device Cloud- Mobile app developers and testers must choose real devices considering the latest market research data on device usage. Devices that users most commonly prefer must be prioritized for testing. 
• Automation Testing- One of the best strategies that help you get most of your mobile app testing is using Automation testing. Automation tests when applied to Performance testing, Load testing, Unit testing, and Device testing scripts can assist in executing these tests a number of times in a row. It guarantees lesser time consumption and the most effective testing. Various automated testing tools for mobile apps like Flutter, Robotium, XCode, Charles Proxy, Appium, UI Automator, MonkeyRunner Ranorex, Appium Studio, UI Automator, etc. can aid you to perform this task successfully. You can also explore the benefits of automation testing in the blog on automation testing.
• Cloud Testing Tools – Testing a mobile application is a challenging task as it comprises testing on several devices, OSs, and several versions accessible in the market. We have to test every function so that the application runs faultlessly on the platforms such as iOS and Android. Configuring multiple testing labs is costly. Here cloud-based testing platform like Lambdatest is the perfect solution. These are designed for testing and interaction with your iOS, Android, and web applications at same time while addressing bug counting and reproducing problems on a device in real-time.
• Don’t Forget Performance Tests– Mobile devices operate in a series of multiple conditions and this is easily ignored when testing. Use real-time devices to discover how your app handles various signal strengths, multi-tasks with other applications running, switching between crucial phones functions and performs on different carriers. You have to notice various scenarios to observe all the possible performance problems. 

Most Prominent Automation Testing Tools

Below are the most common automation tools available in the market:

We are speedily embracing the era of automation in each phase of our life. A manual test is crucial. But, test automation eases countless things we come across while verifying a portion of code or an app as a whole. One can write test scripts in a test automation tool to launch a faultless app on the production server. Some of the extensively used and prominent automated testing tools are mentioned below:  

• HPE Unified Functional Testing (HP – UFT formerly QTP)
• Ranorex
• Selenium
• TestingWhiz
• TestComplete
• Katalon Studio 
• Watir
• Sahi
• Telerik TestStudio
• Tosca Testsuite

Mobile App Testing is made easy with Lambdatest

As the market trend for native apps continues to rise, LambdaTest is ready to assist you with our pioneering technology. LambdaTest mobile testing solution on Android emulators and iOS simulators allows cross-platform compatibility and saves money and time for QA teams.

Lambdatest offers the best mobile app testing solutions that ensure your mobile applications are competitive and market-ready. They help you test your mobile applications on real devices, as well as use simulators for multiple devices. This means you can test your mobile application on various OSs and versions, browsers, and varied screen sizes. Descriptive testing outcomes and other artifacts are shared for analysis and review. This makes it simple for tracking any bugs or problems with your application and fixes them before release.

FAQs

1. What are the various kinds of mobile app testing?

Kinds of mobile app testing are compatibility testing, functional testing, usability testing, interface testing, services testing, security testing, performance testing, and installation testing. 

2. What are the major rewards of mobile app automation testing?

The crucial advantages of automated mobile app testing are in-depth analytics and insights, enhanced bug detection, enhanced accuracy, and speedy time-to-market.

Conclusion

The perfect user experience is a secret factor or ingredient behind every application’s success story. The app quality should be consistent for every single user, no matter what mobile gadget they are using. Any data breach or hacking is uncompromisable. Therefore, most successful mobile applications should have a robust testing process and strategy to make certain that the application is delivered with the superior quality possible. 

To conclude, we can state that mobile testing is as crucial to safeguarding your bank credentials.  Hence you need to test your application across all major devices using a pristine QA testing platform. A professional mobile app testing platform like Lambdatest focuses on the guarantee of quality and functionality of the product and always looks forward to enhancing the quality of the application by mitigating all sorts of bugs.

Also Read: Top 10 Benefits Of Selenium Automation Testing