6 Essential Types of Mobile App Testing

Mobiles have now gone beyond the primary utilitarian value of mere interaction, and are now seen by many as a functional devices due to the availability of a plethora of applications.  The fact that every year mobile app downloads double over the previous year testifies that mobile app development is here to stay. If you want to stand out with your mobile app, you will have to ensure that the quality, usability, and security of the software are top-notch.

As is the case for every software, a mobile app has to put through testing rigor to ensure its efficiency.  Some of the types of testing that have to be performed on mobile apps are listed below.
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Six Essential Types of Mobile App Testing

1. Functionality Testing:-

A combination of automated and manual methods should be in place right from the level of functionality testing. The earlier this type of testing method is started, the faster will be the time-to-market of the app. Functionality testing is done to eliminate issues such as:

• Difficulty in navigation and deciphering what a particular option does
• Problems in connection speed and carrier compatibility
• Ambiguous error messages
• Discrepancies when screen sizes are different
• Excess use of data and battery
• Speed and app loading problems
• Crashing and bugs

One also needs to ensure that any time a change in the app’s functionality is effected, regression tests follow immediately.
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2. Usability Testing:

Executed to ensure that there are no issues in the layout, design, and interaction of an app, usability testing is a highly subjective method of testing that involves taking the opinion of the actual users. One must be very clear about the audience they are targeting and should create the specifications documents as per the preferences of those particular end-users. The survey must also be created accordingly and the feedback must be analyzed by experts to ensure that the app offers high-end usability.
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3. Load Testing:

Before beginning with this phase of app testing, one will have to be clear about what they want to test: whether it’s the app’s performance under traffic or the data leak, or at what point the app break.  This is so because there are different ways to test different types of load. However, the approach to all load tests is the same which is combining synthetic load with performance engineers and a live tester.  Issues resolved through such type of testing are negative effects on an app’s performance and speed by an outside variable and when accessed in different regions.
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4. Security Testing:

There are apps that ask for users’ personal information to allow them to access some advanced features. If yours is such an app, you need to make sure that the confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity of the app are always the best. This can be guaranteed by security testing.
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5. Localization Testing:

The last stage of app QA and Testing is localization testing. This stage of testing ensures that the app is contextual and accessible to be used in a wide variety of markets and regions.
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6. Testing Tools:

Mobile emulators and simulators are the most trusted automated tools which enable developers to verify the functionality and usability of an app.  There are other software development kits (SDKs) as well, the use of which depends on whether the app is native or cross-device compatible.  However, one should not depend solely upon these tools to perform quality testing of an app. Devices powered by the OS on which the app is supposed to run should also be used in testing its performance. It is imperative for a mobile app to deliver on all counts to get five-star ratings and features at the top when people search for a particular category of app.