There are differences in mobile apps compared to other apps in terms of how they are deployed, distributed, and consumed by end users. But in terms of testing, it’s not that different after all. The ideas, methods, and tactics that testers use when testing other applications can be applied.
On mobile too.
Some of the common features as far as areas to test are log files, rendering issues, performance, consistency, storage, memory issues, caching issues, and security vulnerabilities.
There are also overlaps in terms of testing strategies that can be used, including:
Blink Test: Look for visual patterns by constantly switching between similar versions of pages or apps to notice minimal differences in rendering or visual elements
Installation testing: installing, uninstalling, and reinstalling apps, including upgrading apps from much older versions
· Interrupt Test: Test how an end user will use the app by constantly texting, calling, or switching between apps on the test phone. The same could be done with web pages.
· Testing with different configurations: Testing applications on different mobile devices and OS versions. Similar to browser testing, which involves testing on different browser versions or testing on desktop applications with different versions of the client application.
Consistency Check: Checking the consistency of the application between Android and iOS. Similar to looking for consistency in test pages between browsers, between browser and mobile, and between desktop applications
· Checking User Reviews: Read user reviews to find out how end users feel about your app and how they use it. This also applies to desktop applications and websites.
Checking for rendering issues – checking if web pages are displayed differently based on different mobile browsers and screen sizes
There are many examples of problems that Pragnam Software and Testing Solutions has encountered following the above strategies in mobile and other applications. Whenever you test an app, always check for consistency with its previous versions, with its competitors, between OS versions, between browsers, and much more.
At Pragnam Software and Testing Solutions, we were once testing a booking app that makes hotel, flight, and car reservations through a mobile app. There was an Android version and an IOS version of this app. We found that when a customer was looking for hotel rooms for more than four people, they navigated to the mobile website from the Android version of the mobile app; but in the IOS version of the same app, they were able to search for hotel rooms within the app itself without being redirected to the mobile website. The behavior was inconsistent between their Android and iOS app versions, and this was a bad customer experience. Once flagged, we were able to immediately change the flow in the Android app to make sure apps had consistent behavior.
On another occasion, we were testing a revamped version of a screenshot desktop app. The new features were really great, but when I checked the consistency between the new version and previous versions and other competing apps, there was a big difference in the core functionalities. Imagine this situation: the user opens a word processing application and tries to save a file. Any user would immediately look at the top left corner of the screen to click on the File>Save option. This is a de facto standard for word processors. But let’s say the option is in the bottom right corner of the screen. What would that experience be like? The same thing happened with the new version of the client screenshot tool; the option to capture a screenshot was in the bottom right corner of the screen instead of the top of the screen, which users were used to seeing. Similarly, there were other important buttons and options in the GUI that were out of place and scattered throughout the app. Overall, the app was quite inconsistent with its previous versions and competitors, which would likely result in a poor user experience.
Knowing these commonalities is important to understand that mobile is just one type of application, and the testing techniques and approaches chosen to test other applications are not wasteful. These are rich skills that are used in various domains. In my personal experience, I believe that these skills are learned through practice rather than attending a course or getting certified.