#softwaremobiletesting

The utilitarian value of mobile phones has been mainly due to the plethora of applications that are accessed by users to perform a raft of activities. These may include watching movies, paying utility bills, booking tickets, playing games, reading informative content, and buying merchandise, among others. Does this mean users lap up every application on offer? The answer is an emphatic NO as users look for attributes such as fast loading time, enhanced security, seamless navigability, and many others. Even as businesses are aware of the need to employ mobile testing services and ensure the release of quality applications, the pressure to remain competitive often overrides such considerations.

Statistics show that approximately 68.07 percent of mobile applications never reach 1,000 downloads (Statista). In other words, approximately 67 percent of mobile app developers do not make a profit. So, what is the way out and ensure the apps hit the bull’s eye of customers’ approval? It’s simple – mobile application testing. Let us discuss the types of mobile app testing that every tester should be aware of.

Types of testing mobile applications

The quality of mobile applications is judged on various parameters. And to ensure the applications meet those exacting standards, there are specific types of mobile application testing as given below:

Functional testing: In this type of mobile application testing approach, every function of the application is verified to ensure thatit is working as expected. This is of paramount importance as customers take it as a given that an app should function flawlessly. And should they encounter an issue or error, they will simply uninstall the app without batting an eyelid. The various usage scenarios for functional testing include:

App gets installed and loads in quick time

Users are able to sign up and log into the app seamlessly

Features such as buttons, text boxes, menus, links, or icons function accurately

Push notifications appear at the right interval and are rendered correctly

Users are able to transact or carry out purchases seamlessly

Interruption testing: This type of mobile application testing strategy checks the response of the application when faced with an unexpected interruption. Based on the type or nature of interruption, the application should pause or freeze before returning to its original state. With interruption testing, the ability of the app to handle interruptions without anomaly or failure is checked given that the app needs to operate alongside other device functions. Some of the common interruptions any mobile application may be subjected to are:

An incoming phone call when the application is running

Incoming SMS when the application is running

Battery running low when the application is running

The device is plugged in and charging when the application is running

OS is upgraded when the application is running

Loss and/or restoration of the network when the application is running

Localization testing: This type of mobile application testing methodology tests the app features that are dependent on the geographical location. Most apps contain localized features that are activated when the app is run in a particular location. These features may include enabling transactions in local currency, adherence to local regulations, or enabling different languages, among others. Users mostly prefer apps that have UIs that are compatible with their language, culture, and device.  

Memory leak testing: In a memory leak situation, the app does not return the memory it acquired to function. This leads to the draining of the app’s available memory and interruptions thereof. Such leaks are the result of programming errorsthat need to be identified and remedied. Memory leak testing is conducted by running the application on multiple devices having different memory capabilities.

Usability testing: Here, the mobile testing services check for the app’s user-friendliness in terms of its ease-of-use, intuitiveness, and responsiveness across device configurations. Also known as user experience testing, this is done by actual users or skilled testers running scenarios mimicking typical user behavior.

Performance testing: This type of testing checks how the application performs under different scenarios or conditions. The performance is tested for battery consumption, memory consumption, log-in time, delays, data transfer, speed, and backup recovery, among others.

Security testing: In view of the rising incidences of cybercrime, the security testing of mobile applications has become a critical necessity. Here, testers check whether the application has secured payment gateways, is able to prevent information leaks, and ensure the confidentiality of data.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned types of mobile application testing should be integrated into the development cum testing lifecycle to ensure the application turns out to be robust, functional, secure, user-friendly, and competitive.

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James Daniel is a software Tech enthusiastic & works at Cigniti Technologies. I'm having a great understanding of today's software testing quality that yields strong results and always happy to create valuable content & share thoughts.