Alexis Kestler
Hey there! As an avid app user myself, I totally get how important mobile apps have become in all our lives today. Don‘t you just love how a couple of taps get your daily tasks done, whether it‘s ordering food or riding to work?
But have you ever thought about what goes on behind the scenes to build a smooth, bug-free app before it ends up on your phone screen?
As a technology geek and mobile testing expert, let me walk you through the crucial process of mobile app testing.
I‘m excited to share how proper testing can help developers build robust apps that exceed user expectations! Let‘s get started.
The Rising Popularity of Mobile Apps
Mobile apps are surging in popularity nowadays. According to Statista, 204 billion apps were downloaded globally in 2019. And this number is expected to jump to a whopping 258 billion by 2022!
With over 5 million apps available on Google Play Store alone, businesses are racing to build the next big mobile app hit.
But sadly, not every app cuts it.
Data by CleverTap reveals a staggering 67% of users stop using an app after just two weeks! The top reasons are constant glitches, crashes and other performance issues that ruin the experience.
This is where comprehensive mobile app testing proves critical before launch.
Rigorous testing is the key to identifying and eliminating defects that could frustrate users.
As an app tester and developer for over 8 years now, I cannot emphasize enough how vital testing is for success!
Why Proper Testing is Crucial for Mobile Apps
From my experience testing hundreds of apps, here are the top reasons to focus on meticulous testing:
Find Hidden Bugs Early: Mobile testing helps uncover functional and technical flaws that impact app performance. Detecting and fixing these early prevents problems after launch.
Enhance User Experience: Testing results in apps that offer seamless navigation, quick load times, intuitive interfaces and valuable features. This leads to happy customers.
Ensure Cross-Platform Operability: Testing an app on both iOS and Android ensures your app works flawlessly across platforms. No one likes platform-specific bugs!
Earn Great Reviews: An app with minimal glitches earns higher user ratings and reviews. This boosts discovery and drives more downloads.
Pinpoint Security Gaps: Thorough testing reveals vulnerabilities that could permit data breaches and hacking attempts. Safeguarding user data is critical.
Meet Evolving User Expectations: Today‘s users expect bug-free apps with beautiful designs. Not meeting expectations leads to negative brand perceptions.
Apps that work well retain users better. One study found a 5-star app is likely to have 4x more engagement than a 2-star app.
That‘s why meticulous testing is a must to delight users and achieve success!
Different Types of Mobile App Testing
To deliver a smooth user experience, apps must be tested thoroughly across several parameters.
Here are the key testing types performed on mobile apps:
Functional Testing: This confirms that all components like forms, buttons, gestures and navigation work correctly. Apps should function per business requirements.
Usability Testing: Evaluating UI and UX involves testing app navigation, responsiveness, attractiveness and ease of use.
Performance Testing: This gauges app speed, stability and resource usage in different conditions like low memory, bad networks etc.
Security Testing: Rigorously tests user authentication, data encryption and network traffic to identify vulnerabilities.
Compatibility Testing: Assesses app functionality on different mobile devices, OS versions, web browsers and networks.
Localization Testing: Checks apps display properly formatted regional content for languages, date/time, currency etc.
Beta Testing: Real users test the app in real-world scenarios before launch to find issues.
Testing mobile apps requires evaluating many parameters to deliver a smooth experience. But which tools make testing easier? Let‘s find out.
Key Factors for Choosing Mobile Testing Tools
With loads of testing tools available today, how do you find the ones best suited to your needs?
Here are the key factors I analyze when selecting test tools:
Types of Testing Required: The tool should support all the vital testing types like functional, performance, security etc.
Devices and OS Covered: It should be able to test apps on different devices (iPhones, Android phones) and OS versions (iOS 14, Android 11 etc).
Use of Real Devices: Testing on real user devices, not just emulators/simulators, provides more realistic results.
Automation Capabilities: Look for a tool that lets you automate testing through scripting to save time.
CI/CD Integration: Seamless integration with CI/CD workflows enables automated delivery pipelines.
Test Metrics and Reports: Robust reporting on test cases, failures, crashes, response times etc. is a must.
Ease of Use: Choosing an intuitive tool ensures your team can onboard quickly and test efficiently.
Selecting the right tool that fits your testing environment and objectives is key to mobile app success. Now let‘s look at some really awesome testing tools I recommend.
Top 11 Mobile Testing Tools
Based on several years of hands-on testing knowledge, here are my top picks for mobile testing tools:
1. Kobiton
Kobiton is my personal favorite for mobile testing needs. Here‘s why:
- Access to 2000+ real Android and iOS devices on cloud
- Supports manual and test automation
- Integrates with CI tools like Jenkins
- Real-time remote app streaming
- Comprehensive test reports
- Cool collaboration platform
I love how Kobiton lets me test mobile apps quickly on a massive device cloud and integrates smoothly with my CI/CD pipelines. Their device status dashboard and session replay help debug issues in real-time.
With robust automation and reporting capabilities, Kobiton is my go-to mobile testing platform.
2. pCloudy
pCloudy is another leading cloud-based testing platform:
- Huge device coverage with 2500+ real devices
- Manual and automated testing
- Integrates with CI/CD tools
- Interactive dashboards and reports
- Concurrent testing capability
- Geolocation and network simulation
I‘ve used pCloudy in my previous organizations and been impressed with its capability to test our apps on a vast array of real devices at scale. Their reporting and analytics provides useful insights into improving app quality.
3. HeadSpin
Here are some stellar aspects of HeadSpin:
- Massive global device coverage with 1500+ real devices
- Advanced network simulation testing
- Powerful AI-based test analytics
- Smooth integration with CI/CD
- Automated and manual testing options
- Detailed failure analysis
I love how HeadSpin utilizes AI and automation to accelerate test cycles. Their advanced analytics offers actionable insights into boosting app performance and customer experience.
4. BrowserStack
Some cool things about BrowserStack:
- Manual and automated testing on 700+ real devices
- Tight integration with CI systems
- Local testing capabilities
- Network and geolocation simulation
- Visual issue reporting and logs
- Debugging tools for mobile apps
BrowserStack upholds a reputation for comprehensive web and mobile app testing. Their extensive device coverage and debugging tools help accelerate release cycles.
5. LambdaTest
What I love about LambdaTest:
- 2000+ real mobile devices available
- Automated and live testing
- Easy integration with CI/CD tools
- Test video recordings
- Issue screenshot capturing
- Geolocation testing
- Generous free plan
LambdaTest provides a smooth online testing platform accessible to testers at all skill levels. Their integration capabilities are top-notch.
6. Sauce Labs
Notable Sauce Labs features:
- 800+ real mobile devices on cloud
- Framework integration (Appium, Espresso etc.)
- Parallel testing capability
- CI/CD integration
- Visual debugging with videos
- Real-time test analytics
- 14-day free trial
I like how Sauce Labs offers mobile teams robust debugging capabilities and advanced analytics to accelerate release cycles.
7. TestProject
Why TestProject stands out:
- Open-source test automation
- Codeless test creation
- 1000+ community-created test addons
- Smart analytics and reports
- Custom plugins and integrations
- Local testing capabilities
- Free community plans
TestProject is an impressive open-source test automation platform for web and mobile apps. Their passionate community and customization scope is unparalleled.
8. Experitest
I like Experitest for following reasons:
- Intuitive visual modeling for test automation
- Cross-platform and cross-device testing
- Real device lab with hundreds of devices
- Powerful analytics and dashboards
- Integrated bug tracking
- On-premise or cloud deployment
- Usage-based pricing
Experitest offers advanced capabilities like AI-based maintenance, lab management and crowd testing to foster collaboration.
9. TestComplete
TestComplete provides stellar test automation:
- Easy test recording and playback
- Broad framework integration from Selenium to Appium
- Tight CI system integration
- Testing on real devices
- Script repository for reusability
- Issue logging integrations with Jira and GitHub
- 30-day free trial
Trusted by 100,000+ users globally, TestComplete offers comprehensive test automation capabilities for web, mobile and desktop apps.
10. Ranorex
I like Ranorex for following reasons:
- Codeless test scripting
- Reusable test modules
- CI/CD integration
- iOS and Android testing
- Custom reporting
- Framework integrations like Appium
- All-in-one licensing
Ranorex accelerates test automation with their intuitive recorder-based approach and reusable modules.
11. Eggplant
Notable aspects of Eggplant:
- Tests across technologies – mobile, web, desktop etc.
- Intuitive UI-based test automation
- Machine learning based test maintenance
- Detailed visualization-based reports
- Parallel test execution
- Real device testing
- Free trial available
Eggplant offers an AI-driven approach to intelligent test automation across platforms. Their Digital Automation Intelligence technology is unique.
The Importance of Continuous Testing
In today‘s mobile world, testing cannot stop at pre-release alone. With new OS versions and devices launching rapidly, continuous testing and monitoring is vital.
Here are some tips to enable continuous testing:
- Integrate testing tools into your CI/CD pipelines
- Perform regression testing with every release
- Test on devices used by your target users
- Analyze real user behavior and contexts
- Enable beta testing and gather feedback
- Monitor app store reviews and social media
- Keep testing processes nimble
Continuous testing ultimately results in optimal end user experiences.
Conclusion
I hope this detailed guide gives you a good understanding of mobile testing tools. Proper testing is key to building successful apps in today‘s competitive marketplace.
Evaluate your testing needs, device coverage, budgets and team skills. This will help shortlist tools that fit your environment. A combination of manual and test automation produces the best results.
With a sound testing strategy and the right tools, you can release winning mobile apps that exceed customer expectations!
Let me know if you have any other questions. I‘m always happy to discuss mobile testing best practices. Wishing you success ahead!
