A guide to mobile application testing for software testers

Businesses around the world are fortifying their online presence to improve their market share, and a native mobile application aids in reaching that goal, with or without a website to complement it. The increase in the prominence of progressive web applications (PWAs) is a clear indication of the shift towards mobile devices as a medium for better customer reach.

What is mobile testing?

Mobile application testing, or simply "mobile testing," refers to the process of testing the various features and functionalities in mobile applications, to check if they work as intended. These applications can range from a state-of-the-art stock trading application to a full-fledged banking platform. There are three types of mobile applications—native, hybrid, and web.

Native applications are designed from scratch specifically for a mobile operating system (OS), and have better integration with it. This integration allows the application to access the hardware on a smartphone, providing advanced and unique functionalities which are not possible on other types of mobile applications. Native applications are installed on the smartphone and user data is retained for easy access and better performance.

Hybrid applications are preferred in scenarios where the web application already has all the functionalities it needs. It's easier to build a mobile application on top of an existing web application, as the main codebase is shared. The mobile application acts as a shell for the existing web application, while trying to ensure that it feels less like a ported application and behaves more like a native one.

Web applications are websites optimized to run on smartphones. They run on smartphone browsers and provide most of the functionalities available on a website. They lack the integration of native applications and don't need to be installed on the smartphone.

Why is mobile testing important?

Irrespective of the type of application discussed above, it's important for quality assurance (QA) teams to ensure that the mobile application functions as intended on all devices running on the iOS and Android operating systems. Testing mobile applications can be far more nuanced when compared to web application testing and API testing.

When a user is accessing an application or a website on their mobile device, there can be various interruptions, like calls and notifications. There is also the complex and advanced memory management system that can push the mobile application to a dormant state, requiring a refresh or re-establishing the connection with the server. Test cases are specifically written to ensure that such scenarios, and much more, are handled before the application reaches the end user.

Testing applications designed for mobile devices has its own unique set of problems, which need to be addressed:

• Uniformity across mobile OSs - Application development for iOS and Android platforms is shaped by the different software development kits (SDKs) and integrated development environments (IDEs) provided, which leads to different user experiences on both platforms. Ensuring that the performance and user experience of the applications do not vary greatly between OS can be tricky.
• Low network availability - Unlike desktop applications, which depend on wifi or broadband for internet connectivity, mobile applications run on smartphones and need to consider data consumption. When depending on a mobile network, data-intensive operations might not function effectively. Checking the application's performance under varying network bandwidths is crucial.
• Impact on battery - If the application is not optimized for energy consumption, it can end up draining the battery way faster than expected. Sometimes, this might even lead to the phone heating up, pushing the user to stop using the application or uninstall it altogether. Testing the application to find any issues consuming excess power can equate to a better user experience.

Different types of testing as part of mobile testing 

There are several different testing techniques which are part of mobile testing:

• User interface testing - The user interface (UI) is the part of a mobile application that lets the user interact with it. A clunky and laggy UI affects the user experience, and can push the user to uninstall the application.
• Compatibility testing - There are many mobile device models with various combinations of hardware and software specifications. It's imperative that the mobile application runs and performs without a hitch on all of them. That's why testing needs to be performed for all the different devices running different versions of the OSs.
• API testing - Mobile applications have evolved a lot over the years, and they depend on multiple services to function efficiently. APIs help in establishing connections with these services and enable data transfer between them and the application. Testing to check if the APIs are working as intended is an integral part of ensuring that the mobile application can communicate effectively with other services and applications.
• Performance testing - With multiple avenues to enable data transfer between the application and servers, it's imperative to check how the application behaves under various scenarios involving a spectrum of network bandwidth. Performance testing also takes into account how the usage of various resources for the application affects its performance.
• Security testing - Smartphones have become the de facto assistant to our professional and personal lives, carrying all our valuable information and enabling us to perform most of our essential day-to-day tasks. A mobile application which is not secure can easily provide the leverage needed for a hacker to cause financial and emotional damage for users. Security testing the mobile application against the various kinds of vulnerability attacks can help safeguard users and build trust.
• Usability testing - The application needs to be tested on real devices emulating real-world scenarios before it's made available for the end user. Testing on multiple devices can help ensure that the application adapts to the varying specifications of different mobile devices.

Tips for efficient mobile testing

While the importance of the various factors which contribute to efficient mobile testing are debated, there are some widely accepted ways to improve the results of testing projects greatly:

• Custom test cases - Writing custom tests for the different types of mobile applications—native, hybrid, and web—can help with efficient testing, since each type of mobile application is designed and functions differently.
• Core functionalities - Testing the core functionalities of the application and ridding it of all major bugs should be the top priority. Perfection can be achieved at a later stage by focusing on dependent functionalities and new additions.
• Choosing automation - Mobile applications often involve complex workflows for functionalities, and there are thousands and sometimes even millions of users using it at a given time. Automation is the key to repeatedly testing the application's complex workflows and to performing load testing and stress testing.
• Regression testing - Any mobile application is prone to constant changes, owing to frequent bug squashing and the addition of new functionalities affecting the codebase. Changes to the codebase need to be assessed to check whether they impact the overall stability of the application, which is why regression testing is one of the most important testing techniques.
• End-to-end testing - End-to-end testing is the final check before the application makes its way to the customer. It involves checking all the functionalities of the application one after another or randomly, while ensuring complete coverage. Although time-consuming, it's advisable to perform end-to-end testing every time major changes are introduced to the codebase, for a more polished user experience.

Zoho QEngine is optimized for mobile testing

Testing native, hybrid, and web mobile applications on Zoho QEngine is a seamless experience. Take a quick glance at this test automation tool's capabilities:

• Create test cases your way - Use the no-code recorder feature to track user actions accurately, and then convert them into test cases. The low-code builder, with its simple drag-and-drop interface, comes in handy throughout the testing process, and the editor is there if you want to get everything done from scratch.
• Switch easily - Navigating between writing test cases for both platforms—iOS and Android—requires just a single click. After writing the test cases, you can proceed right to testing devices for the respective OS.
• No broken elements - Zoho QEngine has you covered—its self-healing AI feature can effortlessly assist in replacing broken locators to create effective test cases, every single time.
• Never lose anything - With Zoho QEngine, test cases can be neatly cataloged within modules, as per the project's requirements. Repositories help in storing elements, variables, and locators for easy reference whenever needed.
• Schedule test case execution - Testing on Zoho QEngine never feels like a chore. From test suites to test plans, customizing every aspect of testing is possible. You can schedule the execution of test cases for all your projects at a given time, and parallel testing helps with executing test cases swiftly.
• Appium-compatible - Appium compatibility on Zoho QEngine helps with porting and expediting test projects which are managed on other testing platforms.
• Dashboards - The overview dashboard on Zoho QEngine lets you and your team analyze all your testing projects in one place. And the results dashboard provides deeper insights for every single test case execution, with logs and screenshots of executions to triage actual issues.
• Testing for devices - The local agent on Zoho QEngine lets you test applications on real devices, whereas the cloud agent gives you access to an iOS simulator and Android emulator for testing on a plethora of mobile devices.
• User access - As a project owner or manager, you need to ensure that testing projects are running smoothly. Zoho QEngine helps you enforce user access control for your team and enables better collaboration with them.