👩💻Software Tests of Mobile Applications
Software Tests of Mobile Applications
Introduction
Hi everyone👋, in this article, we will look at which software test types we can use when testing mobile applications in general.
Today, mobile applications have become a part of our lives. Many users now want to do their daily work using mobile applications, for example, users do not want to make a payment transaction (eft/money order) by opening the computer or going to the bank, which increases the usage rate of mobile applications. The increasing rate of mobile application usage brings with it various problems and the importance given to quality.
If we look at some numbers;
- In the US, smartphones account for 70% of total digital media time[1]
- 21% of millennials open apps on their devices more than 50 times a day and spend at least five hours a day on their smartphones.
- Generation Z uses about five different screens: a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a TV, and a desktop. According to a study by IBM, 75 percent of Gen Z choose their smartphone as their preferred device[2]
- The mobile app market is expected to reach $407.31 billion by 2026.
- About 54.8% of global web traffic is made up of mobile devices.
The increase in the use of mobile applications increases the need for mobile software tests. Users don’t want to use faulty apps and they want to trust the app they use. At the same time, users do not want to use very complex applications. Therefore, the software must be tested in every aspect.
Since many devices and different versions of applications are used in the testing of mobile software, the possibilities to be tested are very high, so the test is not very simple. In addition, applications should work error-free on different devices and operating systems. For this reason, in this article, we will talk about the testing methods that should be done to develop quality applications to give testers and developers the best user experience in the long run.
Mobile Application Types
There are three types of mobile applications :
1.Native Apps: Native mobile apps are apps that are created specifically for a specific type of operating system. They are called “native” because they are specific to a particular device or platform.
Native applications use the development tools and language supported by the respective platform.
Advantages of Native Applications:
- They are fast compared to other types of applications.
- They can be easily distributed in the Google and Apple App Store.
- They provide a more interactive user experience.
- They can easily interact with any feature of the phone.
Types of Tests in Mobile Applications
Mobile technology and smart devices are quite trendy today, and it is a technology that is changing the way the world is today as we know it, and it will no doubt change its future.In addition, there is a lot of competition in the mobile app market, but most of these apps are of low quality and users tend to stop using them as soon as they encounter problems with the app.
Low ratings and removals in app stores are the consequences of this. Quality is essential for a successful application, and this quality cannot be achieved without continuous and comprehensive testing.
Mobile app testing has three main objectives:
- Easy to support code should be written according to standards
- Ensure that the required functions work as indicated
- Errors should be identified quickly and corrected immediately
With these goals, the application will run more smoothly and users will be more satisfied.
1. Unit Test
Unit testing is the first step that developers need to take to develop a properly functioning app. As the name suggests, they are used for small units of code, such as functions or classes. When a developer finishes working on a small piece of code, they have to test it. Unit tests are written by developers, and writing such tests is very useful in terms of the quality of the application. It’s easier for developers to change their own code because they can see if there’s something wrong with the code they’ve written.
All development environments have unit testing frameworks. With test frameworks, developers can write tests for each function. Of course, it is impossible to test everything, but it should be tested as much as possible.
For mobile application testing, codes can be written with the test-driven development method, in this approach, tests are written before starting the development process. With this method, small pieces of code are first created. Then these tests, which were written before coding, are run. If the test fails, the code is written so that the error is corrected. Development continues until all tests are successfully passed.
2. Automatic Tests
Automated tests are a bit more complex than unit tests and are often used to test a user’s expected and unexpected behavior and to check how the application reacts in this situation. For example, a user may enter incorrect data such as the wrong password or email address, or they may press a button multiple times in a row.
Automated tests are generated based on test cases, including some other conditions such as:
- Low battery
- Lack of memory
- Interruptions during application usage (for example, incoming calls during application usage)
Such situations can be checked manually, but often automated tests are used because these situations need to be checked repeatedly, for example, in different versions or every time the application is released.
Automated testing is a very useful tool in this regard, because it allows the test engineer to write only one test, and the test that is written afterward will continue throughout the development process (Of course, there will be fixes) it can be used.
The disadvantage of automated testing is that these types of tests are quite expensive and complex. At the same time, it is not easy to write separate tests for all types of business rules in business rule-increasing applications. If there is any change in practice, for example; If new features are added or changes are made to an application’s business rule, the test engineer will have to rewrite the automatic test. These types of tests are usually used only for basic features. For example, for a shopping app, features such as log-in, log-out, product search, order creation, and the purchase will not change very much so automatic tests can be written for them. For smaller changes, manual testing can be used.
Having employees who can write automated tests is a big plus for any company that develops software because it’s more robust this way. Reliable and error-free applications can be developed.
3. System Tests
System tests test software with greater scope. System testing consists of system requirements, usage scenarios, requirements and analysis reports. During these tests, resources such as the user manual, system manual, and requirement document are used. They are much more comprehensive than unit tests and the entire application is tested by comparing the result obtained with the expected result. It is very important that the system remains the same during the test without any changes in the test environment. System tests are basically manual tests. Manual testing is an important part of the testing process.
During system testing, a tester manually tests the entire app using different devices or emulators to see exactly how the app works.
4. User Acceptance Tests
Acceptance tests are the final stage of testing done when the development phase is over. The test engineer performs the tests at this stage, but the customer also participates in the testing process. This test is performed on a product that is ready for use when all stages are completed.
Acceptance tests also use some test conditions and scenarios according to the requirements of the application. If the customer is satisfied with the quality and accepts the product, then the product is ready to be installed on users’ devices. Otherwise, the acceptance test will continue until the customer is ready to accept the product.
Mobile App Test Methods
Test methods for mobile applications, unlike types of tests, are distinguished not only by test levels but also by the details of the operation process of the application. There are about 14 types of tests for mobile applications. Not every app has to use all of these methods, but here are the most common ones:
- Usability Test: This test method allows us to make sure that an application is suitable for use. It is very important to make the front face and design as good as possible on all devices. The size, layout and functions of each interface detail should be able to work the same on devices of all sizes and versions.
2. Compatibility Test: Actually, this testing method is also similar to usability testing, but it focuses more on the smooth functioning of the app on different mobile devices with different screen sizes and operating systems. During compatibility testing, it is important to ensure that the application meets all the customer’s requirements.
3. Interface Test: This test method involves checking the operation of menu options, history, settings and bookmarks. Interface testing is defined as a type of software testing that checks that the communication between two different software systems is correct.
This type of test consists of two main components:
- Web server and application server interface.
- Database server and application server interface.
Interface testing is mainly done at the messaging layer of the system architecture. It mostly involves testing the REST API or SOAP web service with JSON or XML format.
4. Performance Test: With this test method, the application is tested under certain conditions: for example, low battery poor network signal, lack of memory, and other factors that may impair the functionality of the application. Performance problems can be caused by two parties: the server or the client. Both are checked by performance testing.
5. Memory Leakage Test: This test method is used to check the performance of an application. When an application does not manage memory well, the result is poor and slow performance. All devices have different memory limits, so the app needs to be tested against them.
6. Installation Test: This test method checks whether the application can be installed or uninstalled properly and makes sure that it does not cause any difficulties for the user. Installation testing tests the application to ensure that end users can install all software components and that the installation process is not too time-consuming or inconsistent. Installation testing checks that the installation has completed successfully and that the software can be uninstalled, updated, or re-installed.
7. Security Test: This test method is used to make sure that the application protects data. Checks if the application is vulnerable to hacking and can be used for authentication, authorization, session management, etc. It verifies the safety standards.
Security testing is a type of software testing that identifies vulnerabilities, threats, and risks in a software application and prevents attacks from malicious individuals. The purpose of security tests is to identify all possible gaps and weaknesses in the software system that may lead to loss of information, revenue, and reputation at the hands of unauthorized persons.
8. Interrupt Test: With the Interrupt test, it tests the response of the application when it is interrupted during operation due to incoming calls, notifications, battery removal or network problems. Ideally, in the event of an outage, the app should go into standby and restart as soon as the outage is over.
9. Load Testing: Load testing is used to test whether an application can handle many users at the same time. This test is related to multi-user systems; It is usually created using a client/server model such as web servers. The application is charged at the maximum load level it can bear and how it reacts is observed.
10. Certificate Test: This test checks whether the application is designed according to the guidelines. Certification testing is required to put an app on the app store.
The Difficulties of Mobile Testing
Mobile dominates all other areas, with a new mobile phone being released almost every two weeks. In this age where apps are getting updates every day, mobile test engineers are under a lot of pressure. Mobile life has become so much a part of our lives that we’ve turned down a non-mobile site or application. We want everything to be at our fingertips. These demands create pressure for each project to provide mobile compliance support.
Over time, more and more operating systems are being developed in addition to the well-known operating systems such as iOS, WebOS, Blackberry and Android, and many of these applications are expected to run cross-platform, so extensive testing is required on the different operating systems supported.
In mobile tests, it also comes up with other different challenges, such as network issues; weak network connection, strong network connection, network transitions such as Wi-Fi to 3G/4G and vice versa when using multiple applications at the same time, performance status, memory leakage issues, battery drain issues, etc. is important.
Test engineers have to deal with all the possibilities, the application and its condition with the device, manual, automation, performance and many of the tests we mentioned above, for every current version of the application. We can say that mobile testing is not very easy in this case.
SUMMARY
For all these types of tests, test engineers use different testing tools. Each application may have different test needs for some application manual for some application and automation tests may come to the fore. At this point, the requirements and needs of the application can be addressed such issues as customer expectations.
There are different situations in the Android testing process that need to be considered before the application is used by the end-user, but we can say that it is also an interesting task.
Happy testing for everyone 😊
See you in the next post.
