Mobile App Testing

Mobile App Testing: A Comprehensive

Guide

Gunjan Kaushik 16 mins read

August 21, 2024

Table of contents

Technology is growing every day and so is the use

of mobile phones in our lives. For as little as
ordering groceries for our homes to handling our
finances through banking and other financial
apps, mobile applications are an integral part of
our daily activities. With such rapid growth and
absorption of mobile apps in our day-to-day
activities, ensuring their quality and functionality
has become paramount. Mobile testing is a crucial
process to validate the performance, usability, and
compatibility of mobile applications across
different devices, operating systems, and network
conditions. In this article, we will navigate through
a comprehensive overview of mobile app testing,
covering its importance, types, challenges, and
best practices.

What is the Importance

of Mobile App Testing?
Mobile applications can be tricky as compared to
their desktop counterparts. Similarly testing
mobile applications can come with its own set of
challenges, which is why testing the applications
thoroughly becomes all the more important.
Some of the reasons that explain the importance
of mobile app testing are-
1. The mobile device market is huge, with
numerous devices, screen sizes, resolutions,
and hardware specifications. Testing apps
across this diverse range of devices is crucial
to ensure the reliability of the mobile apps.
2. Mobile device operating systems(Android, iOS,
etc.) have frequent updates, each with its own
set of features. Testing ensures the
compatibility of the applications across these
different versions.
3. Your mobile device relies on network
connectivity, which depends on the location,
carrier, and signal strength. Testing the
applications by simulating different network
conditions, including low bandwidth, high
latency, and intermittent connectivity can help
 greatly.
4. Mobile devices provide on-the-go usage
focusing on intuitive and user-friendly
interfaces. Testing helps to prioritize usability
and ensures a seamless user experience
across various devices and scenarios.

All the above factors emphasize the need for

testing mobile applications thoroughly across
different devices and operating system
combinations.

Mobile App Testing –

What to Test?
Mobile applications are loaded with features, and
testing them thoroughly helps to ensure a
seamless and high-quality user experience. Apart
from the functionality of the application, some of
the key features that should be tested are-
User Interface and User Experience(UI/UX):
Mobile app testing primarily focuses on the
evaluation of the app’s interface, its elements,
layouts, navigation, and overall user
experience. Testers should assess the
application’s UI across different screen sizes,
resolutions, and orientations to ensure
consistency and usability. The UI components
should render properly, and be responsive.
Functionality: Mobile app testing involves
thorough validation of the app’s core
functionalities, features, and user journeys.
The app’s business logic, data input/output
operations, calculations, and other functional
aspects should be validated to be working as
expected across different devices, operating
systems, and scenarios.
Input Methods and Gestures: Mobile apps
heavily rely on touch gestures like swipe,
pinch, tap, etc. Additionally, various input
methods like on-screen keyboard, and voice
input are used to input the data. Testing these
capabilities ensures a smooth user experience.
Multitasking and Interruptions: Mobile apps
often run in the background, or there may be
interruptions like incoming calls, notifications,
etc. Testing evaluates how the application
handles such scenarios without any data loss,
corruption, or deviated behavior.
Network and Connectivity: Mobile apps work
through network connectivity, be it Wi-Fi, or
cellular data. Testing can help uncover issues
under different network conditions.
Performance and Resource Utilization: Since
mobile devices are built on limited resources
like processing power, battery life, and
memory, testers can identify performance
issues in the app corresponding to
responsiveness, loading times, and resource
utilization under different conditions.
Security and Data Protection: Data is of
utmost importance to the users. Mobile apps
handle sensitive user data, making the need
to assess the security of the application a
critical aspect. Testing can help identify and
mitigate potential vulnerabilities, like, data
leaks, insecure communication channels,
unauthorized access attempts, etc. It can also
help in complying with relevant data
protection regulations like GDPR, CCPA, etc.
Localization and Internationalization: A lot of
apps target a global audience, localization,
and internationalization testing help in
ensuring that the app’s content, formatting,
and functionality are adapted for different
regions, languages, locales, and cultural
conventions.
Compatibility and Interoperability: As a user,
you may use the mobile application on any
 device, and any operating system. To ensure
that the application works consistently on
different platforms and hardware,
compatibility testing is the way to go.
Interoperability testing on the other hand
verifies that the app integrates and
communicates properly with other installed
apps, or some external system.
Installation and Updates: To start using an
app in the first place, it needs to be installed
properly. Testing the app’s installation process,
update mechanisms, and compatibility with
different installation sources is crucial for a
good user experience and prevents any
conflicts.

Types of Mobile Apps

Based on the development approach, mobile
apps can be categorized into the following types-

Native Apps: Native apps are developed for a

particular operating system, for example, iOS
or Android. These apps use the platform’s
native programming language and
development tools. For Android native apps
are developed using Java or Kotlin while for
iOS they are built using Swift or Objective-C.
Native apps offer the best performance,
seamless integration with device hardware
and APIs, and user experience that aligns with
the platform design guidelines.
Hybrid Apps: Hybrid apps are sort of part
native apps with web browsers embedded.
These are built using web technologies like
HTML, CSS, or Javascript and wrapped in a
native container that provides access to device
 features and APIs. Cross-platform frameworks
like React Native, Flutter, or Ionic are used to
develop hybrid apps. These apps allow for
code reuse across multiple platforms, hence
reducing the development cost and time to
market. However, as compared to native apps
they may compromise on performance and
native look and feel.
Web Apps: Web Apps are also known as
progressive web apps(PWAs). These are
mobile-optimized websites that run in a web
browser and can also be added to the device’s
home screen for an app-like experience.
Standard web technologies like HTML, CSS,
and JavaScript are used to develop them and
unlike the native and hybrid apps, do not
require installation from the app store. Web
apps offer cross-platform compatibility and
easier distribution but may have limited
access to the device hardware and APIs as
compared to native or hybrid apps.

Sytematic Approach to
Mobile App Testing
Defining the Scope and
Objectives
Creating a strong base for your mobile application
testing is very important. By clearly defining the
scope and objectives of your tests, you can give
direction for the entire testing process and ensure
that no critical aspect is overlooked.

1. Identifying target devices and platforms

A comprehensive list of the mobile ecosystem to

be targeted should be created. Although iOS and
Android dominate the market, it is important to
consider other platforms based on your target
audience. Factors like the popularity of models,
screen size preferences, etc should be considered
and devices should be prioritized based on the
market share and target audience.

How to Select the Right Device for

Mobile App Testing?
Choosing the right device for mobile app testing is
as important as testing in the right environment.
It is crucial to ensure that the test coverage is
comprehensive and covers different platforms,
operating systems, and hardware configurations.
Some important points that help in making
informed decisions while selecting a device for
testing are-

Target Audience and Market- It is important to

consider the devices used by your target audience
that would be interacting with the app, along with
the regions it would be released. Analyze market
data and user demographics to identify the most
commonly used devices and platforms.

Operating System Versions- The latest stable

versions of the operating systems as well as
previous versions that are still widely used by your
target audience need to be tested. It is essential to
ensure compatibility across different OS versions.

Device Fragmentation- Always include a diverse

range of devices with different screen sizes,
resolutions, hardware specifications, and sensor
configurations to account for fragmentation in the
mobile device ecosystem.

Form Factors- Depending on your app’s

functionality, consider testing on different form
factors like smartphones, tablets, or wearables(like
smartwatches). The app should adapt to the
different screen sizes and input methods without
any issues.
Network Carriers and Connectivity- Devices with
different network carriers and simulation of
different network conditions should be considered
while testing to ensure reliable performance and
identify any potential connectivity-related issues.

Real Devices and Emulators/Simulators- You

should incorporate both real physical devices and
emulators/simulators in your test strategy to
widen your test coverage.

TestGrid can help you overcome the challenge of

working with multiple devices. It offers thousands
of real cloud devices for a reliable testing
experience.

2. Outlining test objectives

All the crucial aspects of the app’s performance

and user experience should be covered in your
test objective. Your application may have certain
key areas among the below types-

Mobile App Testing – Types

Mobile app testing can be broadly categorized
into functional and non-functional testing. These
types are further classified into different types of
testing as discussed below.

Functional Testing
As the name suggests, Functional testing aims to
test the functionality of the application. It can be
diversified into the following types-

1. Installation and Setup Testing – This verifies

the app’s installation and setup process and
its compatibility with different devices and
operating systems.
2. User Interface(UI) Testing – It validates the
app’s UI elements, layout, navigation, and
usability across different screen sizes and
orientations. Additionally, you may want to see
how the different gestures work for the app.
3. Functionality Testing – It ensures that the
app’s features and functionalities work as
expected, including user workflows, and
business logic.
4. Integration Testing – It is used to test the
app’s integration with external or third-party
systems.
5. Geolocation Testing – It validates the app’s
content, formatting, and functionality based
on the location where the app is being
accessed.

Other aspects like data integrity, interruptions,

and input testing can be carried out under
functional testing.

Non-Functional Testing
Unlike functional testing, non-functional testing
aims to asses the non-functional parameters of
the application.

1. Performance Testing – Assesses the app’s

responsiveness, loading times, and resource
utilization under various conditions and user
loads.
2. Security Testing – Potential vulnerabilities are
identified and mitigated as a part of security
testing to prevent unauthorized access and
data breaches.
 3. Usability Testing – It helps in evaluating the
app’s user interface and overall user
experience through real user interaction.
4. Compatibility Testing – The app’s
compatibility with varied devices, operating
system, and their versions is assessed through
compatibility testing.
5. Stress and Load Testing – It helps to test the
app’s ability to handle high volumes of
concurrent users, data, or transactions without
any failure or performance degradation.
6. Accessibility Testing – It ensures that the app
is accessible to users with special
requirements, or disabilities, adhering to
relevant accessibility standards.
7. Battery and Power Consumption Testing –
This is used to assess the app’s impact on the
battery and power consumption of the device.
This is particularly important for resource-
intensive or location-based apps.

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3. Establishing testing boundaries
See it in action!
You should clearly what will and won’t be covered
in your testing process. This helps in managing
theTestOS
expectations and resources
AI/ML CoTester effectively.
Platform Some
Solutions Pricing Resources Sign in
of the important points to consider are-

1. Features in the scope of testing

2. Level of depth for each type of testing
3. Features explicitly excluded
4. Time and resource constraints

Developing a Test Plan

Once the scope is defined, a comprehensive test
plan is created which serves as a roadmap
throughout the testing process.

1. Test Strategy

Decide the overall approach to testing, which

involves a combination of Manual and Automated
tests.

Mobile Testing Strategies

– Manual and
Automation
For comprehensive coverage and an efficient test
process, both manual and automated testing help
in creating a robust mobile testing strategy.

Manual Testing
Exploratory Testing – Manual exploratory testing
allows testers to discover and investigate issues
that may be missed by predefined test cases. This Let's Talk about TestGrid!
helps to identify unexpected behaviors and edge
cases.

Usability Testing – Real users can give deep

insights into the user interface, navigation, and
overall user experience. Usability testing provides
information on how the user perceives the app,
highlighting the areas of improvement.

Ad-hoc Testing – Unscripted testing based on the

tester’s experience can be useful in identifying
edge cases and unexpected behaviors that might
be missed by scripted test cases.

Session-Based Testing – Time-boxed testing

sessions with a focus on specific areas help to
manage testing efforts effectively and ensure
coverage of critical scenarios.

Automation Testing
Unit Testing – Automating individual units of the
app’s codebase can help catch defects early in the
development cycle. Additionally, it also helps in
ensuring that individual units of code are working
as expected.

UI Automation – Automating the app’s user

interface, simulating user interactions, and
validating the UI elements and workflows can
help uncover issues across a wide range of devices
with a single framework.

API Testing – Automating the backend APIs of the

app helps in ensuring correct functionality, data
integrity, and performance. Apps relying on
external data sources or third-party services can
benefit a lot through API automation.

Performance and Load Testing – Automating the

performance benchmarks to assess the
responsiveness and behavior of the app under
various load conditions helps in identifying
performance bottlenecks. The insights gathered
from it can be used to optimize the app for
optimal resource utilization.

Security Testing – Security vulnerabilities like data

leaks, insecure communication channels, or
unauthorized access issues can be easily identified
by automating the security tests.

Regression Testing – Automation of the

regression suite is highly beneficial to ensure that
new changes have not introduced bugs in existing
features. It helps in maintaining the quality and
stability of the app.

For the mobile testing strategy to be successful, it

is important to combine both manual and
automation testing approaches. You should
consider leveraging the strengths of each to
achieve comprehensive and efficient coverage
with timely feedback.

2. Resource Allocation

Efficient resource management is the key to

successful testing. Below points should be
considered while allocating resources to a project-

1. Team composition should have resources

 having expertise in different areas like security
testing or performance analysis.
2. The testing environment should be set up
with the necessary hardware and software
which might include physical devices as well
as emulators or cloud testing platforms.
3. Tools selection should be done by looking at
the scalability within the project. Additionally,
the tools should be selected to facilitate
integration.

3. Timeline and Milestones

While creating a schedule note that it should align

with the overall development timeline. Key
milestones like test case development, execution,
and reporting should be considered while
estimations. Keeping buffer time for unexpected
issues is always a good approach to minimize
tight timelines.

4. Risk Assessment

Risk assessment and mitigation are an important

part of planning. It is always important to identify
the risks like lack of certain devices, or complex
features with third-party dependency. Once
identified, a mitigation plan should be in place to
address those risks. For example, using a cloud
testing service to access different devices can
narrow down the risk. Also, keeping contingency
plans for high-impact risks helps in mitigating
them in real-time.

Creating Test Cases

Well-designed test cases serve as the backbone of
the testing process. These help in having a
structured approach in terms of scenarios to verify
every aspect of the application under test.
1. Review requirements
A thorough understanding of the app’s
 requirements is important before writing the
test cases. The functional requirement
specifications or the user stories should be
studied. In case of any ambiguous
requirements, clarification should be sought
from the product owner or the development
team. Edge cases and expected user flows
should be understood to ensure that the
expected results are correct.
2. Design test cases
Step-by-step test cases, covering all the details
of the app should be created. These must be
written clearly so that any tester can follow the
steps. Input test data should be specified
along with the expected outcome of each
step. Make sure to include both positive and
negative test scenarios to cover all the cases.
To make the testing more effective and
realistic, consider using different personas and
their potential interaction with the app.

3. Prioritize test cases

It is not necessary that all the test cases that
you write are equally critical. Test case
prioritization should be done by assessing the
impact on the core functionality and the
frequency of the feature usage. Additionally,
historical experiences in terms of the potential
severity of bugs in each area can help identify
cases that need to be prioritized. The more
complex the feature, the more thoroughly it
be tested. You can assign priority levels like-
Critical, High, Medium, and Low to help focus
testing efforts in case of time constraints.

4. Review and validate

The test cases should be reviewed to ensure
their quality and completeness. Peer reviews
can help identify missed scenarios or unclear
steps. Validating the test cases with
developers can help ensure technical
 feasibility. Stakeholders on the other hand can
confirm the user expectations. It is also
important to consider that with every
increment in the app, test cases should be
refined and updated.

Set Up the Test Environment

It is crucial to have a well-prepared test
environment. It not only ensures consistency
across test runs but also helps in reproducing and
fixing bugs. Some key points to consider while
setting up the test environment are-
1. Hardware Setup
Wide range of devices with different OS and
configuration combinations is important for
better coverage. You can also set up a mobile
device cloud for centralized management and
access.
2. Software preparation
The latest versions of required development
tools, SDKs and emulators should be set up for
targeted platforms. Testing tools and
frameworks like Appium or XCode for
automation should be installed.
3. Network Simulation
Tools to simulate different network conditions
like 3G, 4G, Wifi, etc should be configured in
such a way that different signal strengths can
be tested.
4. Data Set Up, Monitoring and Logging
Test databases with required test data should
be set up for execution. Implementation of
logging mechanism to capture detailed
information during test execution can help in
debugging. Additionally tracking the resource
usage, response time, etc through
performance monitoring tools can give great
insights.
Executing Test Cases
After all the prerequisites are in place, systematic
execution comes into play. Starting from Smoke
testing you can gradually increment the levels
through functional testing, usability testing,
performance testing, accessibility testing, security
testing, geolocation testing etc. Let us see how we
can leverage Real Device Cloud offered by TestGrid
to run tests for our mobile applications.

Real Device Cloud for Mobile

Test Execution
TestGrid is a comprehensive testing platform that
empowers you to handle both manual and
automated testing efficiently. Not only is it
equipped with a Real Device Cloud offering a wide
variety of devices on the run, but it also comes
with a codeless automation testing solution. It
allows testers to create and manage tests by
simply recording their actions and converting
them to a script. Additionally, you may use custom
scripts or integrate your local Appium or Selenium
code as per the needs of your project.
1. Once you log in to your TestGrid account, you
will see the Real Device Cloud tab on the left
side.
2. On clicking it, you will see a list of devices
available for you to execute your tests on.

3. You may select any device of your chice that

aligns with your requirement and click on the
connect button. For this demo, I am using Galaxy
A14 5G.

4. Now we will install the apk that we need to test.

I am using a sample calculator apk. To install click
on the Installation icon on the right.
5. Select the apk from your system and click on
Install.
6. Your apk is successfully installed.

Now you may open the app and start your testing.
As shown in screenshot below you can perform
any action on the app just like you do on your
physical handsets and increase your test coverage
by using the cloud devices which are nothing less
but real.
Mobile App Testing –
Challenges
Mobile testing comes with its own sets of
challenges that should be addressed to achieve
quality and reliability.
1. There are a lot of mobile devices and
operating system versions available in the
market today. These devices and operating
systems are growing every day with new
updates. It can be difficult to maintain a pool
 of devices for testing. Hence, keeping up with
the testing infrastructure can be resource-
intensive
2. Mobile apps often have frequent releases and
updates. This can put pressure on the testing
team to deliver thoroughly tested apps within
strict timeframes.
3. Certain real-world network conditions can be
difficult to replicate, which can impact the
app’s performance.
4. As compared to automating the traditional
web app, mobile app automation can be
complex due to gesture-based interactions, or
sensors. Maintaining test scripts in such cases
can be time-consuming and require
specialized skills.
5. Evaluating the user experience of an app can
be subjective. Involving real users is crucial but
can be resource-intensive and time-
consuming.

Mobile App Testing –

Best Practices
Industry best practices can help overcome the
challenges of mobile testing.
Define a clear and comprehensive testing
strategy that goes by the app’s requirements,
target audience, and supported platforms.
Testing efforts should be prioritized based on
risk, impact, and critical functionality.
Continuous integration and Continuous
Testing(CI/CT), can help catch the issues due
to code changes early in the development
lifecycle.
Cloud-based testing services that offer a
diverse range of real devices, reduce the
overhead of maintaining an extensive in-
house device lab.
 Use tools that help simulate real-world
network conditions, device sensors, and
interruptions to ensure a realistic testing
environment.
Adopt test automation frameworks like
Appium, Espresso, and XCUITest to create and
maintain test suites efficiently.
Collaborate with the development and user
experience teams to ensure a shared
understanding of requirements.
Ensure regular monitoring and analysis of test
results to identify patterns and deviations. This
will help in making informed decisions about
prioritizing test efforts and addressing issues.
Mobile technology is constantly evolving. It is
essential to stay informed about the latest
trends and best practices to improve the
mobile testing approach.
Crowdsourced test platforms can provide
access to a diverse pool of real users, which
can help in gathering real-world user
feedback.

Mobile App Testing –

Tools and Technologies
Mobile app testing involves a wide variety of tools
and technologies. Some of the popularly used
ones are-
1. Appium- Appium is an open-source test
automation framework that supports both
Android and iOS platforms. Testers can write
and execute tests across multiple devices and
platforms using programming languages like
Java, Python, Ruby, and more. It provides
cross-platform compatibility, ease of use, and
extensive community support.
2. Espresso- Espresso is the official test
automation framework of Google for Android
 apps. It comes with a set of APIs and utilities
designed specifically for UI testing on Android
devices. It comes with features like test
recorders, synchronization capabilities, and
integration with Android Studio.
3. Katalon Studio- It is a comprehensive test
automation solution that supports web,
mobile, and API testing. It comes with a user-
friendly interface, allowing integration with
testing frameworks like Appium and
Selenium.
4. XCUITest- XCUITest is Apple’s testing
framework for iOS apps. It is tightly integrated
with XCode(Apple’s IDE for iOS development)
and supports testing on real devices as well as
simulators.

5. TestGrid.io- TestGrid is a comprehensive

testing platform that empowers you to handle
both manual and automated testing
efficiently. Not only is it equipped with a Real
Device Cloud offering a wide variety of devices
on the run, but it also comes with a codeless
automation testing solution. It allows testers
to create and manage tests by simply
recording their actions and converting them
to a script. Additionally, you may use custom
scripts or integrate your local Appium or
Selenium code as per the needs of your
project.

Apart from these popular mobile testing tools, you

can leverage Apache Jmeter or Gatling for
performance testing and security testing tools like
OWASP ZAP.

Also read this comprehensive list of Top 10 Mobile

App Testing Tools

Key Takeaways
Mobile app testing is crucial for the success of
your applications in the ever-competitive and
growing landscape. Factors like device
fragmentation, operating system versions,
network conditions, battery life, user
experience considerations, etc highlight the
importance of mobile app testing.
Mobile testing can be functional or non-
functional where each cover, UI functionality,
gestures, data input, interruptions, data
integrity, and performance, security,
compatibility, localization, and network
respectively.
Mobile apps can be classified into native apps-
built for specific platforms, hybrid apps- web
technologies wrapped in native containers,
and web apps- mobile-optimized websites.
When it comes to selecting the right device
for testing, consider factors like target
audience, form factors, network carriers, real
devices v/s emulators/simulators, budget
constraints, etc.
An efficient mobile testing strategy is a
combination of manual as well as automated
testing.
Challenges of device fragmentation, rapid
release cycles, limited testing resources,
automation complexities, and user experience
testing can create hindrances in the mobile
testing approach. To overcome them best
practices which include developing a
comprehensive testing strategy, simulating
real-world conditions, embracing test
automation, using cloud-based testing
services, and staying up-to-date with the
industry trends can help.
 Gunjan Kaushik

Gunjan Kaushik, a Lead Quality Engineer with over

11 years of experience, has expertise in various
automation tools and manual testing across
different domains. She is committed to
continuously enhancing her technical skills.

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