8 Points checklist for testing your mobile apps

Over the last few years, mobile phones are doubling up as business platforms. With 4.6 Billion people using mobile devices worldwide, it is only logical the platform to get the best returns possible. This is where mobile apps come into the picture. The key job of the developers is to create apps that deliver a rich user experience across platforms, devices, and networks. The testers, on the other hand, test these apps for functionality as well as performance. However, as always, there is a limited time in which the testers have to ensure the perfect functioning of the app. For this reason, the testers have a checklist to help them assess the application thoroughly, effectively and efficiently. Let’s look at the 8 points that always make it into the checklist -

1. Target Mobile Platforms and Devices

Different devices operate on different mobile platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows. Businesses want developers to make apps that can work flawlessly on different platforms as well as devices. What is needed on the checklist is the platform as well as the device that the app is targeting. This will enable the testers to assess the performance of the app on the platform as well as the device for which it has been designed.

2. Device-Specific Features

Features like camera, microphone, memory etc. are device specific and their specifications vary from device to device. The tester needs to check the app for its compatibility with these specific hardware features. Even when the operating system and its version are the same, the performance of the app will vary from device to device due to variation in the hardware features. This aspect, therefore, needs to be high up on the checklist of the testers.

3. Usage of the Hardware Features

There are many different features on a mobile device. An app may or may not need to use them. Those involved in the testing of the app need to assess the hardware requirement that the app has and the extent to which these features will be useful. For instance, a camera-based app will need the camera, while a navigation app will need GPS. Therefore, the tester needs to know beforehand about the hardware feature that the app will need so that he/she can perform testing accordingly.

4. Customization of App

Business benefits in a big way when its mobile app utilizes the best of what an individual device has to offer. For instance, when the same app has to function on a small and big screen, the design needs to be optimized for both the devices. A big screen should not result in pixelation of the graphics and a small screen should not mean the image is cutting. Most of the apps have a customization feature which enables them to work in an optimized manner irrespective of the device. The tester just needs to be aware of this feature so as to test the app for an efficient functioning.

5. Attention to Security

Security is one aspect that worries business owners and developers alike. Issues of data privacy cannot be ignored and the testers need to pay extra attention to this issue. Users store information on the app and also use it for financial transactions, so their information should be encrypted and safe. The testers’ checklist needs to include the security aspects they must focus on. Along with this, they need to ensure that the kind of security checks that the app has for authenticating the user is handled in a foolproof manner.

6. Handling Interruptions

There will be situations in which the app gets interrupted. The tester needs to check how the app behaves in case of such interruptions. There can be different reasons for interruptions like low battery, no signal, etc. and the app needs to respond accordingly in each case.

7. Connectivity and Network Issues

An app can be accessed through different network connections like Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G etc. In all these cases the speed and fluctuations can have an effect on the way the app behaves and also on the user experience. Therefore, a tester needs to assess the app on these aspects.

8. User Experience is the Key

Finally, the most important aspect of any app is user experience. The user today has many options, so in order to keep him hooked to the app, you need to ensure that he is satisfied at all levels. The checklist for mobile app testing needs to convey the factors that are high on the user experience and should remain unaffected by any variation.