Few Ways to Test Mobile Apps under Real User Conditions

To make a mobile app popular and profitable in the longer run, businesses must get its user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) tested thoroughly. The businesses further need to test the app using real devices and under real user conditions. Most businesses use emulators and simulators to assess the application’s functionality and performance across a variety of devices without investing in real devices. But the emulators often fail to provide detailed information about the application’s performance on a specific device or in a particular user environment. That is why; it has become essential for enterprises to explore ways to test the mobile app under real world conditions using various devices, platforms, users, networks and test configurations.

Exploring Options to Test Your Mobile App under Real User Conditions

Field Testing

The field testing model requires businesses to deploy testers in field. The deployment will enable the testers to assess the mobile app across a wide range of networks and service providers. For instance, the testers can assess the application’s functionality and performance under a number of network connections including 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi and cellular. Likewise, they can test the application with no or poor network connectivity, switch from one network to another, and identify the hot spots and dead spots.

However, the testers have to use user scenarios and mobile persona additionally to effectuate field testing. These two techniques will help testers to make the tests more realistic and obtain more reliable test results. As a fictitious identity, mobile personal represents a group of users who will use the mobile app. When the testers are familiar with the targeted users of the app, it becomes easier for them to simulate their actions and behaviours realistically. Further, they can create a variety of test ideas by keeping in mind the targeted user group.

On the other hand, user scenario, as a narrative, describes the usage of the mobile app, and how it fits into the lifestyle of users. The testers have to identify scenarios according to individual members of the targeted user group. They can further customize the user scenarios based on mobile persona. On the whole, the testers need to combine mobile persona and user scenarios to understand how different users will use the mobile app, and test the app effectively in various contexts.

User Testing

As its name implies, the real world testing model involves real users in the mobile testing process. A business can release the mobile app to diverse users to get it evaluated on a wider variety of devices, platforms, networks and environments. Further, the feedback and suggestion received from real users will help the enterprise to deliver a high quality mobile application. Each business also has option to choose from a number of user testing methods. Some of these methods involve selected end users, whereas others emphasize on in-depth auditing of the application’s usability and user experience.

A business can always save money by getting the application tested by people selected randomly. The randomly selected users will use the application, and share their views and feedback. Despite being informal, the testing technique helps businesses to get relevant test results. Also, an enterprise has option to share the mobile app with diverse users through an online platform, and get the usability testing performed remotely. It can further pay the tester for the bugs identified by him, or provide a detailed survey questionnaire. The developers can evaluate the feedback and suggestions shared by the remote users, and take the required actions to make the mobile app flawless.

A business also has option to get the mobile app testing by a seasoned user testing professional. The professional will audit the application’s usability and user experience thoroughly, and provide his feedback along with identifying the defects. The enterprise can further deploy different user testing professionals to get the app tested based on diverse thought processes.  Alternatively, the business can also invite end users to visit its in-house usability lab and test the mobile application, while being observed by the user testing professional.

Many enterprises nowadays opt for crowd-sourced testing to identify all flaws in an application, with reduced testing time and cost. But a business has to consider several factors while making the application available to real users for testing. It is always important for the business to pick the right real world testing option, and implement a custom strategy by keeping in mind the pros and cons of the option.  

3 Great Tools to Test Enterprise Mobile Apps

As an app developer your primary goal should be to see that you app gets accepted by the customers and the fact that they are in love with it. How can you do that? Simple! Just make sure that your app is free of bugs, can be used easily, can undertake load, is safe to use and is easy to understand. All these can be ensured by simply testing the mobile app that you have created with the help of tools to test enterprise mobile apps so that the glitches can be identified and rectified before it gets launched for the use by the customers.

You can check the enterprise mobile apps with the help of old school manual methods or you can use the various tools that are available on the net to check you app in order to identify the various problem regions or bugs.

1.    TestFairy: TestFairy is probably one of the best mobile app testing apps which is available absolutely free of cost to the developers and has a lucrative offer for the enterprise mobile app developing teams. It provides the developers with a detailed video recording of the various tests that are performed from the clients’ point of view including CPU, Memory, GPS, Network monitoring, logs, crash reports etc. In case of Android apps you just need to upload the APK file and the tool will use the necessary hooks to test your app. But you may require to insert a few codes in case you are testing an iOS app.
2.       Google Analytics: It’s by Google; obviously it is one of the best. Google has taken a huge leap in extending its support to the testing of the enterprise mobile apps as mobile apps are gaining huge popularity in the recent days. If you are familiar to using Google Analytics on your computer for testing the web based apps then using the mobile version will be a piece of cake for you. Just like the computer tool the audience page will give you a detailed report of all the current, returning and the new users of the app as well as the experience they have using the app. The tool is perfect for both the iOS and the Android apps. It also provides the developers with the number crashes. This is one of the best testing tools for the apps launched by the big e-commerce platforms.
3.     Google Play Native App Beta Testing: The previous enterprise mobile app testing tool was specifically for checking the analytical aspects of the app. However, Google Play Native App Beta Testing is meant for checking the all round aspects of your app. If you are an Android app developer then you will obviously have access to the developers’ platform on Google which you can access using your personal account or you can create a new account in case you are working on behalf of an enterprise (as recommended by Google). This tool not only helps you to test the app that you have created but it will also help you with various tips to perform better testing or develop better apps along with creating bulk user reports and deep linking the app with the websites so that you can get reports on engagement of the app along with optimizing the search results of the same.

These are some of the best tools to test enterprise mobile apps which you can use to check your app before you launch it for the use by your customers to ensure absolute customer satisfaction.

7 Factors that are Influencing Rise in Mobile Testing

The advancement of technology has provided us with better devices which help us to communicate on the go. It has also provided us with factors that have hugely influenced the rise in mobile testing that helps the organizations to provide their customers with the best app possible. This helps them to gain the loyalty of their customers and stay ahead in the competition too.

1. Wide Range of Mobile Devices: The first and foremost point that needs to be discussed and which plays a major role in the rise of mobile testing is the fact that innumerable devices are available in the market currently which have various features that make them unique and the mobile apps need to be tested according to the individual settings of these.
2. Wide Range of Mobile Platforms: When done with the devices, you will also have to deal with the various mobile platforms like Windows, Android, iOS etc, on which the various mobiles operate. Each of these platforms works differently and has varying features to donate to the device which also plays a role in the performance of the application you are developing. Hence there is a rise in mobile testing to ensure that they work perfectly.
3. Frequent Updates: Most of the mega mobile companies provide the users with frequent updates of their operating system, which in turn alters the work ability of the application and the device at large. Thus any organization which is launching the mobile app will now have to test their app to make sure that it is at par with the updates of the operating systems and are working well on them.
4. Increased Competition: With the advancement of the technology, people are becoming more tech savvy which has lead to the huge upsurge in the number of apps that have the same working ability as yours. So there is a rise in mobile testing as each individual tries to be the winner by presenting the customers with the best app which will work flawlessly in all the devices available.
5. Richer User Experience: As the developer of the mobile app, your primary goal is to satisfy your users and provide them with exactly what they want. Hence you have to pay attention to several technical aspects to check if the app is delivering perfection or not. Mobile testing helps you to make sure that your app synchronizes all the building blocks that it is made up of and delivers what is made to perform.
6. Changing Performance of the Mobile App: The world has become a lot faster than it used to be and people have lesser and lesser amount of patience. Everyone is on the lookout for faster apps and devices which will complete their work in a jiffy and with utmost preciseness. This is applicable for mobile apps too and hence the mobile testing to ensure quality service.
7. Security Threats: Technology has made a huge advancement in the past decade and so has the security threats. Almost all the apps these days require the users to provide them with their personal details to operate. As your customer is trusting you with their vital personal information, it is your job to make sure that they remain safe. Mobile testing will make sure that you are properly safe guarding your customers information against hackers.

These are some of the major reasons for the rise of mobile testing in today’s world. This has also influenced the development of better methods of mobile testing which will help in building better products.

Best Practices to Follow while Performing Mobile Testing

Mobile testing of apps might not be an easy process to be performed. However, following certain rules helps in easing of the process and allows you to get better results from the whole testing process.

1.      Testing Strategies: Planning and creating a testing strategy helps in maintaining a rule for all the testers in your organization. This will ensure uniformity of the testing procedure which in turn will make sure that there is optimum test coverage of the device being tested.
2.     Test on Real Devices: In the early stages of development, mobile testing of the application may be performed with the help of the simulators and emulators. But with the advancement of the development of the software testing needs to be done on real devices to check the reaction of the software in real time and in the hands of the real users who will actually be using the app after it has been launched.
3.     Test Early & Repeatedly: If you are trying to create an app which is completely bug free, then you will have to start testing the app at an early stage of development when the complexities are low. You will also have to keep testing the app repeatedly in order to prevent accumulations of complexities in the app.
4.    Operating System and Device Preferences: The current world has a huge number of mobile devices which run on various operating systems. It is impossible to test the app on various types of operating systems. However, you may try to set the preference of devices and operating system to which your app will be primarily catering to.
5.     Automated Mobile Testing Procedure: When you make the testing procedure an automated one, you ensure that the same test is running with the same accuracy and precision every time which in turn will maintain the fine quality of result obtained as a result of all the mobile testing. This will make sure that you get to work with a reliable report every time.
6.     Adequate Performance, Stress and Security Testing: If you want to be sure about the robustness of your software then you must put them under considerable amount of performance and stress testing so as to make sure that the system is working fine under various amounts of load. Security testing on the other hand will ensure that the customer’s data is safe and should be performed repeatedly.
7.     Check Battery Consumption, Fault Tolerance and Interoperability: You are creating an app for a mobile device where the battery consumption is a vital issue. If the app you have created consumes a lot of battery, it is likely to get deleted as no one wants their battery to get drained fast. Your app also needs to adjust itself to networks with slower internet speed and provide the same kind of function.
8.    Ensure the Global Nature of App: While mobile testing an app, one of the main things which needs to get tested is the globality of your app. Your app should cater the needs of the people all around the world in order to become truly popular to the mass of the customers. Confining your app to a certain locality is basically wastage of time and money.

These are just some of the practices which you can follow to ensure that your mobile testing procedure is a full proof one and will provide you with the best possible results that will help you to rectify the glitches and produce an app which will be accolade by the customers.

Traits for an excellent mobile tester

Mobile application testing is tedious and costly, yet important to ensure that your buyers have a positive ordeal when they utilize your versatile applications. It is basic that you verify that the experience is an incredible one for each buyer each time they utilize your application, beginning with the first run through.

In the event that you neglect to benefit a vocation application testing, this will bring about your client doing it for you—and not at all like you're trying group, your clients don't have the instruments or an ideal opportunity to report back issues. Likewise, remember that your clients would prefer not to be dealt with like guinea pigs. When they discover a defect, you'll never hear a word from them and they absolutely won't return.

Prioritizing work

Programming Analyzer accidentally turns out to be great time chief as the first thing he needs to comprehend is a priority. More often than not, you are given a module to test and timeline which is constantly tight and you have to give yield. These standard difficulties make you see how to organize the things.

Generation of ideas

Almost in every other blog post, you’ll find that programming testing speaks the true thoughts. When you can create quantities of thoughts to test the item, you emerge of group as more often than not individuals feel vanity subsequent to composing customary useful and execution experiments.

Question your ideas

·         To understand requirement

·         To understand changes done

·         To understand how requirement has been implemented

·         To understand how the bug fixed

·         To understand bug fix effects

Analyzing the data

Being an analyzer, you are not only expected to do testing but is also required to comprehend the information gathered from testing and need to investigate them for specific conduct of use or item.  There is no bug that is non-reproducible. In the event that it happened once that implies it's going to pop out for the second time. Yet, to connect with the underlying driver, you have to investigate the test environment, the test information, and the intrusions.

Offer flexibility

The developer is not just restricted to testing a software or reporting a bug. After the bug is found, he needs to access the bugs and reproduce it. Because only when you know how to reproduce it, will you know about the track of bug and the reasons following it.

Also tight timelines for software testing makes many testers ignorant for quality. The right approach should be proper planning and an extra effort to cover whatever is required. It’s pretty essential that flexibility is exercised.

There are various other traits which are essential for an excellent mobile app. These are basis on which you should categorize your project.

-          The work is correlated

-          Regular reporting

-          Bug fixing

-          Performance

-          Network

-          Security

-          Connection

-          Usability

-          Installation and Processing

The aforementioned traits are pretty important for you to consider wile judging a mobile app and its functioning. The tester needs to consider various aspects pre and post testing and thus to make any app a successful one, the ten traits along with the primary traits are needed to be considered vigorous.