According to Nielsen, applications are now a core part of our daily micro-moments, with folks spending an average of 30 hours per month in them. With a remarkable boost in demand for the mobile app vertical, the speed of application delivery/ deployments has also enhanced significantly.
Statista report depicts that in 2020, international market revenue from mobile applications enhanced to over 318 billion U.S.D. The no. of mobile app downloads also improved this year, with games representing the highest share. Nearly 100 billion downloads were completed in the mobile games sector. With about 19.6 billion downloads, video and mobile photo applications were the 2nd most download apps that year.
This has put continuous pressure on the QA tests team to launch a fresh app and confirm all the upgraded features at a fast rate. Think about the mobile applications you use—if an application you simply downloaded crashed your mobile phone or caused a furor when navigating around the GUI, what would you perform? As per the survey data, approx. If they find a solo bug, 50% of customers will delete a mobile application.
The issue is that testing mobile apps is no easy task and usually necessitates a huge deal of manual & exploratory tests. On top of that, whenever QA testing cycles are being crunched over severe release dates, how can QA testers have the time to effectively and efficiently test mobile applications? The answer may be adding mobile test automation into your QA test procedure as a cycle booster that is using it to free up extra time for intricate manual tests that would otherwise be wasted on tiresome tests, such as testing the functionality of a button.
What is Mobile Test Automation?
Mobile test automation is the procedure of automating the tests of mobile apps to guarantee their functionality, quality, and reliability. It includes using software tools to emulate user activities and test varied traits of a mobile app. Mobile test automation has become a crucial part of mobile app development and is extensively used by testers and developers to save effort and time.
Mobile test automation is crucial for an app’s survival in the current market scenario. To ensure the better possible quality for the customers – the app is also tested from several other aspects counting its security, User Interface, and performance.
Types of Mobile test automation
Numerous types of mobile test automation can automate mobile app testing. Here are some of the main forms:
- UI Testing: This form of automation tests the app’s UI and confirms that the mobile application looks and functions as expected. It can comprise testing the navigation, layout, text fields, buttons, and other user interface components.
- Functional Testing: Functional testing in automation focuses on testing the application’s functionality and features, such as its capability to run definite tasks or interact with other applications.
- Performance Testing: This form of automation concentrates on testing the application’s performance under varied conditions, such as low battery conditions or different levels of traffic.
- Integration Testing: Integration testing in automation concentrates on testing the app’s ability to integrate with other systems or applications, such as payment gateways, social media platforms, or external databases.
- Regression Testing: This form of automation focuses on the app’s existing functionality testing after new updates or changes have been made.
- Compatibility Testing: Compatibility testing in test automation tests the application’s compatibility with multiple OSs, devices, and screen sizes.
- Security Testing: This type of automation tests the application’s security features, such as authentication, encryption, and authorization.
- Load Testing: Load testing is a type of automation that tests the app’s capacity to manage huge requests or traffic.
- Usability Testing: Usability testing focuses on testing the app’s user experience, like its navigation and ease of use.
In short, multiple forms of mobile test automation can automate mobile app testing. Using such forms of automation, software testers, and developers can ensure that the app is user-friendly, functional, and reliable while saving effort and time.
Why is Mobile App Testing Automation Important?
Mobile test automation is vital for a series of reasons. Here are some of the key advantages of mobile test automation:
- Speedy Testing: Automated tests can be executed much faster than manual testing. This can lessen the time needed for QA tests, enabling software developers to release their applications to market more quickly.
- Increased Test Coverage: Test automation can cover more cases than manual tests. This means that higher aspects of the mobile application can be tested quickly, resulting in great test coverage of the app’s functionality and features.
- Improved Consistency and Accuracy: Testautomation is less prone to manual error and provides repeatable and constant results. This aids in guaranteeing that the testing process is reliable and accurate.
- Cost-Effective: Automating mobile test automation can assist in reducing the entire cost of testing by decreasing the requirements for manual tests and detecting flaws early in the software development process, thus lessening the cost of fixing flaws.
- Better Quality: Automated tests assist in guaranteeing that the mobile application is of superior quality by identifying defects early in the development process and guaranteeing that all facets of the app are comprehensively tested. This can assist in enhancing user satisfaction and lessen the threat of negative ratings and reviews.
- Continuous Testing: Automated testing can be incorporated with CI/CD (continuous integration & continuous deployment) pipelines, letting QA tests run automatically every time a renewed version of the application is deployed. This ensures that the app is continuously being well-tested and that any issues are identified and fixed rapidly.
Mobile Test Automation Tools
Before running real tests, a decent mobile test automation must enable you to design sensible test approaches and outline clear targets. The first step in test automation is finding an appropriate script production tool. After you have decided on a tool, you might start configuring the testing environment.
Here is the checklist you can bring up while picking the accurate tool for mobile test automation:
- Platform Compatibility: The tool must be compatible with the platform (iOS/ Android) and version of the mobile app you are testing.
- Ease of Use: The tool must be simple to use & have a user-friendly interface.
- Programming Language: The tool must assist the programming language you are comfortable with or utilize in your company.
- Test Types Supported: The tool must support the forms of tests you require to perform, such as functional testing, UI testing, integration testing, performance testing, etc.
- Integration with CI/CD Tools: The tool must integrate with your company’s CI/CD (continuous integration and delivery) pipeline.
- Community Support: The tool must have a robust community support system & offer adequate documentation and assistance.
- Cost: The tool must fit your budget and offer value for money.
- Scalability: The tool must support distributed testing and handle large test suites.
- Reporting and Analytics: The tool should give descriptive reports & analytics to assist you in analyzing the test outcomes and detecting glitches.
- Security: The test automation tool must be safe and offer features such as authentication, encryption, and authorization to safeguard your test data.
By considering such factors, you can select the correct tool for your mobile test automation requirements and make sure that your tests are efficient, reliable, and effective.
Here are some best Mobile test automation tools.
- Appium
- TestComplete
- LambdaTest
- Kobiton
- Apptim
- Robotium
Mobile Test Automation Strategy
Here are some critical steps you can follow to design a mobile test automation strategy:
- Define Test Objectives: Define the test goals, objectives, and expectations. This will aid you in prioritizing the testing and concentrating on what is essential.
- Select Test Types: Choose the test forms that are highly suitable for the mobile app, such as performance testing, functional testing, integration testing, UI testing, etc.
- Select Test Automation Tools: Pick the right test automation tools for the mobile app and test forms you have selected.
- Determine Test Scenarios: Define the use cases and test scenarios that require to be tested. This will assist you in developing test scripts and arranging your tests.
- Design Test Scripts: Design test scripts that automate the use cases and test scenarios. This will help you save effort and time and guarantee consistency in your testing.
- Integrate Testing with CI/CD: Integrate testing with your company’s CI/CD (continuous integration and delivery) pipeline. This will assist you in automating the QA test process and guarantee that the mobile app is thoroughly tested.
- Run & Monitor Tests: Execute/ run the tests and examine the outcomes to detect errors and bugs. Use analytics and reporting tools to track the effectiveness and progress of your tests.
- Maintain & Update Tests: Maintain & update the test scripts as required to confirm that they remain effective and relevant.
- Incorporate User Feedback: Include user suggestions and feedback into your testing strategy to confirm that the mobile app meets the expectations and requirements of users.
By following such steps, you can develop & design an all-inclusive mobile test automation strategy that ensures the reliability, quality, and functionality of your mobile app.
Manual or Mobile Test Automation. Which Is Better?
Both manual and mobile test automation have their benefits and restrictions, and the selection between the two depends on multiple factors, such as time and budget constraints, the scope of testing, the complexity of the app, and the expertise and skills of the test team. Here are some factors to consider:
Manual Mobile Tests:
- Best suited for visual testing, exploratory testing, and usability testing
- Ideal for testing complicated scenarios & user flows
- Requires a skilled test automation team with domain understanding and manual testing expertise
- Time-consuming & prone to manual errors
- Suitable for small projects with restricted budgets
Mobile Test Automation:
- Best suited for performance testing, regression testing, and load testing
- Ideal for routine and repetitive testing jobs
- It saves effort and time and guarantees consistency in testing
- Requires technical expertise and skills in programming and automated test tools
- It can be costly to set up as well as maintain, particularly for intricate test scenarios and cases
- Suitable for massive projects with well-defined budgets and requirements
Combining both tests can also be an effective method, where the manual test is used for exploratory tests and user experience. In contrast, test automation is used for performance and regression testing.
Core Challenges of Mobile Test Automation
Mobile test automation can be pretty arduous and challenging due to the following reasons:
- Platform Diversity: Mobile apps must work across diverse platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows. Every platform has unique capabilities and features that must be considered while testing.
- Device Fragmentation: There are a huge number of mobile gadgets with distinct screen resolutions, sizes, hardware configurations, and operating systems. This makes it challenging to guarantee that the app functions flawlessly on all devices.
- Constant Updates: Mobile devices, operating systems, and apps continuously update with bug fixes and new features. This makes it hard to update and maintain test frameworks and scripts.
- Network Connectivity: Mobile apps must function flawlessly on networks such as 4G, 3G, and Wi-Fi. Testing for network connectivity can be arduous as the conditions aren’t always predictable.
- User Experience: Mobile apps must provide a smooth, seamless, intuitive user experience across various platforms and devices. Testing for user experience necessitates all-inclusive know-how of user behavior & preferences.
- Test Automation Tool Choice: There are plentiful test automation tools accessible in the marketplace, each with its strengths and restrictions. Selecting the right tool for a specific project can be a challenging task.
Overcoming such challenges requires a skilled testing team, a well-defined mobile test automation strategy, and suitable testing frameworks and tools. Constant learning & adaptation to new updates and technologies are also critical for successful mobile test automation.
Mobile Test Automation with LambdaTest
We have already covered different frameworks, methods, and strategies for Mobile test applications. But, if you wish for 100% hassle-free mobile test automation, you should consider LambdaTest. It offers multiple tools and features devoted to mobile test automation. Here are some traits LambdaTest provides for mobile test automation.
Cloud-based tests environment:
If you only have 6GB or 4GB of primary memory, mobile test automation on several simulators and emulators becomes tough or impossible. LambdaTest is a cloud-based digital experience testing platform that replaces an idea with cloud-centric mobile test automation via simulators and emulators. To use LambdaTest, you only require a computer with a browser and a stable internet connection. LambdaTest’s strong infrastructure manages every single thing at its end.
Real Device Cloud Platform:
As we discussed previously, a real-time device cloud is a mobile test automation environment that allows users to connect to real-time gadgets and test their applications on a range of iOS and Android devices straight from a desktop browser. LambdaTest supports various real-time devices where you can test your native applications for compatibility, functionality, and stability.
Appropriate for Geo-location tests:
LambdaTest can save the difficulty by incorporating geolocation test services into their platform for mobile app testing. Additionally, while executing the emulator, the tester team is presented with a dropdown menu to choose the nation where they wish to launch their software.
Other essential traits of LambdaTest:
- With this cloud-centric platform’s one-click upload trait, you can upload .ipa, .apk, .app, and .zip files in a solo click for trouble-free and immediate app testing.
- You can test your mobile application on a local or private host before you push them into live surroundings.
- LambdaTest’s comprehensive test insights and logs will help to employ quality builds more quicker.
- Mark errors/ bugs straight on the LambdaTest platform or incorporate them with CI/CD tools as necessary.
Ultimate Mobile Test Automation Checklist
Every mobile app you have downloaded on your phone, irrespective of genre, is well-designed to provide flawless and rapid navigation. With a restricted attention span, application users continuously seek something newest that can offer them value. Simultaneously, they always wish to have a great application experience. Due to the fact quality is the foundation of any top-quality mobile app.
As a developer and tester, you must confirm that your software fits the significant criteria before launching. Please review our mobile apps test checklist to help you and your QA team identify and resolve problems before the end product’s launch.
Conclusion
Mobile test automation is a critical aspect of mobile application development, which helps ensure the reliability and quality of mobile apps. It includes the accurate usage of software tools and frameworks to simulate user activities and test distinct features of a mobile app. By overcoming the crucial challenges of platform diversity, device fragmentation, network connectivity, constant updates, and user experience, mobile test automation can help guarantee that mobile apps function seamlessly across various devices & platforms, offering a great user experience for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is mobile test automation?
Mobile test automation uses software frameworks and tools to automate the testing of mobile apps, ensuring their functionality, quality, and reliability.
2. What are the benefits of mobile test automation?
Mobile test automation saves effort and time, improves testing consistency and accuracy, reduces costs, allows faster feedback, and confirms a better user experience.
3. What are the types of mobile test automation?
There are varied types of mobile test automation, including performance testing, functional testing, compatibility testing, and security testing.
4. What are the main challenges of mobile test automation?
Mobile test automation can be tedious and challenging due to network connectivity, platform diversity, device fragmentation, constant updates, and user experience.
5. Which is better, automated or manual mobile test automation?
The choice between automated and manual mobile testing relies on multiple factors, including time and budget constraints, the scope of testing, the app’s complexity, and the testing team’s expertise and skills.
6. What are the most preferred mobile test automation frameworks?
Some standard mobile test automation frameworks comprise Espresso, Appium, Robotium, Calabash, and UI Automator.
7. How do you select the right tool for mobile test automation?
You can choose the right tool for mobile test automation by considering critical factors such as ease of use, compatibility with distinct platforms and devices, support for various forms of testing, and documentation and community support.
8. What is the significance of the mobile test automation strategy?
Mobile test automation strategy assists in identifying testing objectives, defining a clear testing roadmap, selecting suitable testing frameworks and tools, and guaranteeing effective collaboration amongst the testing team.