Android App Testing: Beginner’s Guide

17 October 2023

Android’s market share on mobile devices increased from less than 1% in 2009 to 71% in march 2021. In other words, Android powers more than two out of every three devices. Making native Android apps and websites that can be seen on Android smartphones necessitates to run Android tests on those platforms. Around 45 percent of tablets are Android; from 2012, the percentage of Apple tablets has decreased from 85 percent to 53 percent.

Although testing procedures are established for phone products, there are still many different frameworks, languages, tools, and development and testing techniques available.

In this article, we’ll provide you a sense of the overall context of Android testing, the dangers and difficulties it faces, as well as how solutions like Lambda Test may assist.

Things To Do Before Beginning The Testing Process

In contrast to a typical testing cycle, there are a few things that require exploratory research and planning for successful delivery of the app during its initial release.

The following are some key actions to complete during a question-and-answer session before the test really begins:

Research On OS And Devices:

You need to appreciate the influence of the numerous OS versions and phone models in addition to the app demand. You must develop test cases or scenarios that take the OS and device models into consideration.

Setting The Test Bed:

Because Android is an open system, testing Android apps is far more difficult than testing desktop, web, or iOS apps. The choice should be made following consultation with the BA, developers, and product owner to identify the target market.

Making A Test Plan:

Everything should be included in the plan if more time is needed to investigate functionality or business rules, or if testing will be challenging. An authorized strategy with an approved test bed, testing kinds, etc. should be in place because this is the initial release.

Using Automation Tools:

In comparison to desktop or web apps, mobile apps require completely different automation technologies. As a result, learning the tool may need more time and effort on your part. The product owner or client should authorize the time and effort necessary for the same.

Testing Techniques:

There aren’t many tests that are particularly tailored to mobile apps, in contrast to the traditional tests we do. Specifically, field testing, GPS testing, imaging testing, etc. These must be specified in the test cases, along with how they will be evaluated.

Types Of Tests In Mobile Applications

The following are types of tests that are conducted to certify an Android application.

Functional Testing:

Typically, user interface-initiated test flows are used to conduct testing. The numerous business rules are tested in addition to the use case’s flow. By confirming the requirements, testing is accomplished. i.e., whether the application is operating in accordance with the specification.

Let’s take the example of the Zomato app.

The list of restaurants appears when you start the app based on your current location. You must now test the list of restaurants as a Q&A.

Some Tips On Testing The Functionality:

Check to see that the restaurant cards are shown appropriately for the location.
Confirm that the listed eateries are accessible from the specified area.
Check to see if the number of reviews for each card matches the reviews left.
Check to see if the number of reviews for each card matches the reviews left.
Check to see if the restaurants are included according to Zomato’s filtering criteria.

User Interface tests:

This application testing is user-focused. Items such as text visibility throughout the app’s screens, interactive messaging, data alignment, the app’s look and feel for multiple screen sizes, and more are assessed during this test phase.

We Are Taking The Example Of Zomato Again:

Check to see if the cards are shown correctly aligned with the mobile screen size.
Check to see if the restaurant’s picture is shown as you would expect.
Check to see if the card information, restaurant rating, cuisine type, address, etc., are properly aligned.
Check to see if there are any bugs in the list-scrolling process, such as cards being misaligned when a big list of cards is scrolled, among other things.

Compatibility Tests:

The two matrices OS vs. app and device type vs. app are mostly used in this experiment. Typically, the manufacturer or customer will offer a list of compatible operating systems.

Why Consider Doing The Compatibility Tests?

When an OS like Android is considered, 7 basic versions are discovered without accounting for the number of patch releases/Eps.
There are more than 24000 different types of Android, and each one is distinctive in some manner.
Compatibility testing is crucial in certifying an Android app given these discrepancies.
In addition to verifying the OS and the device type, we also need to verify a few additional elements that come under compatibility testing, such as screen sizes, network connections, and screen resolutions.

Interface Test:

It is also known as integration testing, in other words. This testing is carried out following the complete development, testing, and verification of all bug fixes for each module of the application.

Interaction with other programs such as Maps and social media, using the microphone to enter text, using the camera to scan a barcode or snap a photo, and other tests are all included in interface testing.

We Are Taking The Example Of Zomato Again:

Check to see if the user may reserve a table at a restaurant.
Check to see if the user can examine the menu and place an online order for food.
Check to see if the customer may utilize coupons when placing an order for food.
Check to see if the user can access the restaurant’s location on Google Maps.
Check to see if the user can use the phone dialer to contact the restaurant.
And many more

Network Tests:

The key features of Network Testing include:

To complete the procedure, the app has to communicate with the intermediary services.
The service’s request and answer are tested under various circumstances throughout this testing.
The main purpose of this test is to check how quickly certain operations, such as loading data after logging in or refreshing data after syncing, are completed.
This is an internal test that checks both the mobile data network and a solid WiFi connection.

Performance Tests:

The performance of the application under some peculiar conditions is checked.

Those Conditions Include-

Low memory to work within the device.
Low batter.
Poor network.

This test is used on the device on which the application is installed as well as on the application server.

Installation Test:

An Android smartphone has two different kinds of apps: those that are pre-installed and those that the user installs.

Installation testing must be done for the two examples above. This is done to guarantee that the programs install correctly without encountering any issues.

Security Tests:

An app must meet two fundamental requirements: privacy and security. However, this becomes a prerequisite in the financial and medical industries.

During this step, the data flow’s encryption and decryption mechanisms must be tested. This phase also tests access to data that has been saved.

Field Tests:

Field testing is conducted particularly for the mobile data network outside of the office, using the app as one would normally do. Only when the entire program has been designed, tested, and reverted is this testing carried out (for bugs and test cases).

Basically, it is done to check how the software behaves while the phone is connected to 2G or 3G. A field test determines whether the app crashes when the network connection is sluggish or if the information takes too long to load.

Interrupt Tests:

The term “offline scenario verification” is another name for this kind of testing. Offline situations are those in which communication is interrupted in the middle.

Following are a few scenarios where network outages can be tested:

During the data transmission process, data cables are removed
During the transaction posting phase, a network outage occurs
If following the outrage, the network recovers.
Or when it is in the transitional phase, the battery may be removed or switched on and off.

Practices That You Should Consider In Your Workflow

When developing a plan for mobile app testing, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Some of them are:

Choosing the devices-

This is the most important stage before beginning the testing of Android applications.

Select the devices that will be used for testing, keeping in mind that you want to reach as many potential consumers as possible.

During the selection process, elements like the OS version, screen resolutions, and form factors are crucial.
If necessary, even the assistance of emulators can be considered.

However, actual device testing should not be replaced by emulators.

Device emulators are affordable and useful throughout the early stages of development.

Real-world scenarios must be tested using tangible equipment. both physical and virtual

Beta testing-

Beta testing offers a good image of the network density, network variances, and the influence on the application. Beta testing is particularly successful in testing with real-world people, real devices, actual networks, and apps deployed in large geography.
Real-world beta testing is unique and cannot be duplicated in a controlled setting.

Connectivity-

For a variety of purposes, Android applications are often linked to the internet.
The connection of many devices is important for setting up the plan.
Simulation software is typically used to regulate connection, which assists in managing network speed, latency, and restricted connectivity during testing.
For real-time results and data, it is suggested that testing with genuine network connections is usually advisable.

Manual or Automated testing-

Even though automated testing requires a lot of time during the initial run, it is useful when the testing needs to be repeated. Additionally, it shortens the total amount of time spent testing across the various development phases.
When the recurrence of regression testing during the application development phase is high, compatibility testing for the same application across many OS versions is required, backward compatibility checkpoints are required, etc. Android automation should be combined with manual testing.

LambdaTest, a cloud-based platform, makes it easy to test Android apps. App testers can accelerate their release cycles with LambdaTest’s reliable, scalable, secure Appium testing execution cloud. You can test your application using online Android emulators, simulators, and real device clouds. Furthermore, you can access any device directly from your desktop browser. Espresso and Appium allow you to automate Android testing for free.

Busting The Myths Related To Android Testing

Many companies create testing techniques for Android based on widespread myths. This section looks at some common misconceptions and facts about Android testing.

Testing on emulators is enough: The application runs well on emulators; however, it malfunctions while running on some genuine devices. Emulators may not be able to examine the full compatibility and extent of your software so it is highly recommended to use an Android-based device for testing.
Testing on similar devices is going to be sufficient: Because various devices have varied hardware, screen sizes, RAM, etc., your application will seem different on each one. You must test your application across a range of platforms, operating systems, carrier networks, and geographic areas.
Exploring in depth just before release would be fine: In general, test cases are created and then run in all testing. However, test design and execution will be done concurrently in exploratory testing. In exploratory testing, there is no preparation or strategy; the tester simply conducts the tests that he wants to. Some functionalities will undergo repeated testing, while others won’t be examined at all.
Some bugs? Users can be considerate: The answer to that is a big NO. Just because the app has many minor bugs the users can uninstall the app and you will be left with nothing but an application with bad customer satisfaction and lots of negative reviews. This may affect the whole team in a negative way and the lost reputation that comes with it. It is recommended to patch any bugs you come across for a smooth and comfortable user interface and user interaction.

Read Also:

Barsha Bhattacharya

Barsha Bhattacharya is a senior content writing executive. As a marketing enthusiast and professional for the past 4 years, writing is new to Barsha. And she is loving every bit of it. Her niches are marketing, lifestyle, wellness, travel and entertainment. Apart from writing, Barsha loves to travel, binge-watch, research conspiracy theories, Instagram and overthink.

View all posts

A Guide to Choosing an Enterprise Document Management Solution

A Guide to Choosing an Enterprise Document Management Solution: Digital file management at the enterprise level can be a challenge. A document management system provides a digital way to organize and secure documents across an enterprise, but there’s more to it than that. Most document management systems are cloud-based and also include features for tagging and approving tasks, as well as collaboration. As many offices work to be completely paperless, document management systems become more relevant. Having a document management system in place can also be important if you’re going to be engaging in transactions with external parties—for example, when you’re in the midst of a cap raise, you may need one of these solutions to share documents with relevant stakeholders without compromising security. The following is an overview of document management systems and how to select one for your enterprise-level organization. The Basics of Document Management Systems: A document management system is, in simplest terms, an electronic file cabinet, although features do tend to go well beyond that. You can upload copies of printed documents into a system, and you can add tags and metatags for easy organization. It’s important that a document management system offers a high level of security for sharing information. A secure document management system is also known as a virtual data room. With a document management system, you can upload all of your documents and then invite users. You can then set specialized controls as far as who can access what documents and what they can do with them. Then, anyone who has access can securely access shared documents from any device. Some people wonder how a document management system or virtual data room is different from something like Dropbox or another generic cloud platform. Most generic platforms including Dropbox are for general use. On an individual or even small-business level, they may be fine, but for larger and enterprise-level organizations, they’re probably not going to have the needed features and security. Specific reasons to use a secure data room or document management system include: You’re sharing confidential information such as financial or legal files. Along with sending these documents when you’re raising funding, you might also need to share them if you’re working on something like a merger or acquisition or you’re in the midst of litigation. There are documents you have to keep for a certain period of time, such as tax documents, but you don’t want them winding up somewhere they shouldn’t. You have large files that require ample storage space. You want to maintain control over file sharing also know who’s accessing files and what they’re doing with them. A cloud-based document management system differs from on-premises solutions in quite a few ways. If you went with something on-premises instead of off-premises, you would have to take on all the responsibilities related to maintenance and technical support. You would have to do your own updates and keep up with changing cybersecurity issues. An on-premises document management solution requires a large IT department and also a large initial investment. You also have to have a backup system. With a cloud-based solution, you don’t need your IT team to do any of the work, and you pay for what you need rather than having to make a significant upfront investment. What Features Should You Look For? The specific features you need from a document management system or a virtual data room depend on your organization, but useful features include: Security: It continues to be mentioned, but that’s because when looking for enterprise document storage solutions, security is usually a top priority if not the number one priority. You want to choose a platform with updated and evolving data protection methods that keep up with the changing cybersecurity landscape. Collaboration: Sharing documents and information is essential for both internal and external collaboration, so a good platform should facilitate this. Control: You need the utmost control over the documents managed in your system, particularly if a relationship comes to an end. For example, if a deal falls through, you need to be able to manage access and rights quickly and easily. You should also look for a platform that makes it easy to view who has access to what and when things are being accessed. Some platforms will let you locate earlier file versions in case a mistake was made when it was edited, and you may be able to create reports from the activity tracking features of the platform. Third-party integration: Choose a flexible document management solution that integrates with a wide variety of programs and applications to simplify its use and its implementation. User-friendly: while a document management system can play a critical role in a business, you don’t want it to be overly complex. You don’t have the time to dedicate too many resources to training employees on how to use a system, so it should be fairly intuitive. As you compare platforms, think about things such as how the dashboard and workspaces are set up. Support: If someone on your team has a question or needs help, you need constant support. Questions to Ask a Vendor: When you’re comparing vendors, they may offer similar features so you can start thinking about their business itself. Ask them how long they’ve been offering virtual data rooms or document management solutions and how many new organizations they’ve started working in the past few years. You might also ask about the financial strength of the company because you need an option that has staying power and can show longevity. Finally, not all document management systems are designed for enterprise use. A solution for small business isn’t likely to work for an enterprise organization. This is an important distinction to make during the selection process. With an enterprise plan, you’ll have access to customized employee training, and you’ll have a dedicated point person to help your team along the way. You might also look for a platform that offers data migration and set up as part of their service, and make sure you go over the guaranteed uptime and the Service Level Agreements before making a decision. Read Also: CRM And ERP Combination For Business Solutions Start-Up Business Management: How To Reduce Risk And Guarantee Success

What Makes Automation Testing Essential For Retail?

Automation testing uses software tools and scripts to automatically perform tests on a software application. Automation of mobile app performance testing involves running tests previously designed and developed by testers and developers to ensure that an application is functioning correctly and efficiently. The tests that developers run during automation testing can vary depending on the application being tested and the specific requirements of the testing process. Some standard tests that developers may run during automation testing include: Functional Testing: This testing checks whether the software app meets its functional requirements. Functional testing ensures that the application behaves as intended and that all its features and functionalities work correctly. Regression Testing: Regression testing helps check whether changes to the application or system have introduced new issues or caused any existing problems to resurface. It helps to ensure that previously working features of the application are still working correctly after recent changes or updates. Integration Testing: This testing aims to identify any compatibility issues between these components or modules and ensures that they work seamlessly together. Performance Testing: Performance testing verifies app performance under high traffic or heavy usage. This testing type helps identify performance bottlenecks and ensures the application meets the required performance criteria. Developers use various automation testing tools to run these tests, such as Selenium, TestComplete, and Appium. These tools allow developers to create automated test scripts that simulate user actions, interact with the application's graphical user interface (GUI), and validate the results of the tests. Automation Testing In Retail Businesses must constantly find ways to differentiate themselves and offer better customer experiences. One area where retailers can gain a significant advantage is by implementing automation testing. In the retail sector, automation testing can help improve critical systems' speed, accuracy, and reliability, leading to improved customer experiences, better business outcomes, and increased profits. Here are some benefits Improved Efficiency: Automation software testing in retail helps to speed up the testing process, allowing retailers to identify and fix issues more quickly. This, in turn, improves overall operation efficiency, leading to improved CX. Improved Accuracy: Automation testing eliminates the risk of human error, ensuring that all critical functionalities are thoroughly tested. This improves retail system reliability. Cost Reduction: Automation testing tools are generally more cost-effective than manual testing, reducing the need for a large team of testers, reducing costs, and increasing profitability. Scalability: Automation testing allows retailers to quickly scale up their testing efforts to meet changing demands, ensuring critical systems are available when customers need them. Competitive Advantage: E-commerce app testing automation helps retailers to stay competitive by offering seamless and reliable experiences across all channels. Compliance: Automation testing helps retailers to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated costs. Improved Customer Satisfaction: Automation testing ensures critical systems perform optimally, leading to enhanced customer experiences and increased brand loyalty. Better Business Outcomes: Automation testing improves business outcomes by reducing errors, increasing efficiency, and improving customer experiences. Faster Time-to-Market: Automation testing enables retailers to release new features and updates more quickly, reducing the time-to-market and keeping up with changing customer demands. Future-Proofing: Automation testing helps retailers to future-proof their systems by identifying and fixing issues before they become significant problems, ensuring that their systems remain reliable and up-to-date. Automation Testing Challenges Test Script Maintenance: Test script maintenance is a significant challenge in automation testing. Test scripts must be updated as software applications evolve to reflect application functionality changes. The time and resources required to maintain test scripts can be significant, particularly for complex applications. Test script maintenance is critical to ensure that automated tests remain effective and reliable over time. Tool Selection: Selecting the right automation testing tools is another significant challenge. Choosing the right tool requires careful consideration of factors such as the application being tested, the testing environment, the team's skills, and the budget available. Test Data Management: Test data management is another significant challenge in automation testing. Test data must be accurate, representative of real-world scenarios, and relevant to the test case being executed. Test data management is critical to ensure that tests accurately reflect real-world scenarios and identify potential issues before they impact end users. Integration with Development Process: Integrating automation testing with the software development process is a significant challenge. Automation testing must be integrated with other software development processes, such as continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, to ensure testing efforts align with development activities. This requires significant planning and coordination to ensure that testing efforts do not slow down development and that testing results are delivered in a timely and actionable manner. Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated and strategic approach to automation testing. Effective automation testing requires a team with the right skills, tools, and processes to ensure that automation testing efforts are reliable and deliver the desired results. Conclusion In conclusion, automation testing is becoming increasingly important in the retail sector. It helps businesses improve their critical systems' efficiency, accuracy, and scalability, improving customer experiences and increasing profitability. By investing in automation testing, retailers can stay competitive in an increasingly crowded marketplace and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. In today's fast-paced retail landscape, automation testing is no longer a nice-to-have but a necessity for success. Read Also: Which Is A Benefit Of Using Server–To–Server App Conversion Tracking Over An SDK? Mark Stiffler Gives You 7 Ways To Automate Your Business For Success 9 Ways To Improve Efficiency At Your Manufacturing Business

Comparium The Best Cross Browser Web Testing Option

Do you wish to build a business of your own? Well, if you do then you need to make sure that you know exactly what you are doing with the website of yours. Yes, website testing over different platforms has been one of the most important things for the people these days. So, there is simply not a single speck of doubt about the fact that you need to know how to do it in the first place. Well, this is where Comparium comes to help you out in the best way for sure. With the help of Comparium, cross-browser web testing becomes a lot easier and simpler to do. Not to mention that you get to save a lot of time and money as well. What Exactly Is Comparium? Most people these days would want to have a service that provides them with the best benefits of cross-browser web testing and Comparium is simply one of those tools that people like to use all the time. When you have this amazing web testing tool of your own, there is no doubt that you will be able to test your website across different platforms for amazing performance and resilience as well. Surely that is something which is going to help you make a lot of improvements to your website in the best way right? So, why wouldn’t anyone want to use it in the first place? After all, it is an efficient tool that has been helping a lot of developers and designers from all over the world in the creation of websites that are responsive across all the web and mobile platforms in the best way for sure. Variable Browser Support This is probably one of the best things that we have in store for you when you are using the amazing Comparium tool in order to test your website. You will be completely impressed to know that this tool is something that helps people gain some amazing insights on the performance of their websites across the different browsers on different platforms as well. Multiple Device Support Here is another great thing which we definitely love about the amazing tool and that is you get to use Comparium no matter what device you are using or what Operating system it is. Windows, Mac, iOS and so much more are supported here in the best way. Offline Reports What is even better about the Comparium tool is that you don’t have to worry about the internet speed when you are using this tool as it works offline in an automated manner. Not just that but the reports are mailed on your email account. Surely that saves a lot of time and effort for sure. Conclusion It can be said without a speck of doubt that Comparium is one of the best tools that one can use for cross-browser web testing. In case you want to try out something else, there is an alternative known as Selenium that you can use in order to get some amazing results in the end with your cross-browser web testing. Read Also : Top Utility Tools You Need For Your Website High Technology Devices For Better Life The Beginners Guide To Dealing With Website Downtime

Android App Testing: Beginner’s Guide

Things To Do Before Beginning The Testing Process

Research On OS And Devices:

Setting The Test Bed:

Making A Test Plan:

Using Automation Tools:

Testing Techniques:

Types Of Tests In Mobile Applications

Functional Testing:

Some Tips On Testing The Functionality:

User Interface tests:

We Are Taking The Example Of Zomato Again:

Compatibility Tests:

Why Consider Doing The Compatibility Tests?

Interface Test:

We Are Taking The Example Of Zomato Again:

Network Tests:

Performance Tests:

Those Conditions Include-

Installation Test:

Security Tests:

Field Tests:

Interrupt Tests:

Practices That You Should Consider In Your Workflow

Busting The Myths Related To Android Testing

Share this Article

Mobile Testing With Appium On Lambdatest

Tags

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related