With software development companies stepping up production and release of software to meet the overwhelming demand, users are spoilt for choice. According to Statista, there are 2.59 million apps in the Google Play Store as of 2023, proving the huge demand for applications.
When it comes to mobile apps, users are very particular about the capabilities they want and will never install any app that falls short of their anticipated standards. With this intense level of competition, every app maker should ensure through comprehensive mobile testing that the apps they release are of the highest quality in terms of functionality and user experience.
Mobile app testing is a complex process involving multiple factors and conditions. It needs to be performed across different devices, operating systems, network configurations, platforms, and other parameters. Though the task of testing mobile applications has become easier today owing to automation tools that significantly reduce testing efforts and time, it is important to select an appropriate tool from the plethora of options available in the market.
Selecting the wrong mobile testing tool can result in worthless expenditure and loss of time and resources, which is avoidable. In this article, we list the top criteria to consider while selecting mobile testing tools that will help fulfill all your testing requirements.
Key Factors To Consider While Choosing a mobile testing tool
Keep the following factors in mind when you are selecting the right testing tool for your mobile testing needs:
1. Cross-platform testing features
With so many devices, platforms, and operating systems available nowadays, testing mobile apps is not a simple task anymore. So, even if an app is meant only for Android and not for iOS, you will still need to test it across different combinations and scenarios.
The same app may be used on Samsung, Xiaomi, and other devices with their versions of Android OS and different screen sizes and resolutions. Having to use a different tool for every platform is impractical. Hence, you need to look for a tool that allows testing on different platforms. Select a tool with cross-platform testing features so that you can catch any bugs or issues before an app release ensuring the best possible user experience.
2. Continuous testing
These days, software development is a continuous process with organizations adopting DevOps practices. Developers keep writing code and delivering it, then test and deploy it. Due to this, users get frequent updates and new features. Smaller updates once a month are common.
Keeping this in mind, it becomes crucial to have a testing tool that offers continuous testing capabilities, allowing you to test all code changes in every phase. Such a testing tool will help you release quality software more quickly and reliably.
3. Integration with other tools
While choosing a mobile testing tool, ensure it makes work straightforward, implying that it should integrate seamlessly into your workflow and be easy to use. Ideally, you should be able to integrate it with other standard tools you use for your routine work, like Jira, Jenkins, and others.
Such a tool will ensure you do not have to install third-party apps and waste your precious time switching from one tool to another.
4. Access to real mobile devices
There are a variety of mobile devices in the market these days, implying that even minor variations in the OS or build can impact your app’s usability. Hence, it is vital to test your app on as many real devices as possible to reduce the risk of potential problems.
There are many cloud-based mobile testing tools available that offer access to real devices instead of emulators and simulators. You cannot always rely on emulators and simulators to replicate all the user conditions and the unpredictability of real devices. So, choose a cloud-based tool that lets you test your apps across different real devices.
5. Security features
Ensure that the tool you select should have robust security features in place. Without appropriate security features, there is the risk of unauthorized people accessing the data during the testing process, impacting users and damaging the company’s credibility.
The tool’s security capabilities should safeguard the app’s source code, personnel’s email IDs, and the users’ sensitive data that are at risk during testing.
6. Excellent reporting capabilities
The goal of testing mobile apps is to identify potential issues, bugs, and other unwanted elements that could impact user experience. Whenever an issue is detected, there needs to be a detailed report generated about the finding before it can be fixed. Reporting will lead to a quicker resolution of the problem that has been encountered.
Hence, it is vital that your mobile testing tool can generate comprehensive reports with essential information for developers to understand what happened and why.
7. Support for many programming languages
Trends in the software industry keep changing frequently, and mobile apps are developed in many programming languages. Hence, you need to look for a testing solution that is not limited to only one programming language but offers support for different languages.
You need to choose a testing tool that facilitates writing test cases in different programming languages, especially the most popular ones like Ruby, Python, or JavaScript.
8. Training and support
Imagine a situation where your testing team automates 5 test cases successfully but gets stuck on the sixth one, not knowing how to resolve the issue. You search for solutions in all possible forums, but still, there is no solution in sight.
To avoid all such bottlenecks and save time, you need to opt for a mobile testing tool that offers support whenever your team needs it. The tool should also come with detailed documentation and videos for all features.
9. Budget
This is also a criterion that cannot be overlooked while selecting a testing tool for mobile apps. It is advisable to consider a tool with a low learning curve, which can indirectly save the cost you may have to spend to train your team to learn about the tool.
Further, by opting for a cloud-based platform, you can save on the costs of setting up physical hardware and other infrastructure.
10. Learning curve
Before selecting a tool, consider the skillsets of your testing team. If you select a codeless testing tool, you may not have to search for skilled testers with programming knowledge. Contrarily, if you select an automation tool that needs coding, you will have to hire people who are well-versed in a specific programming language.
Selecting a codeless testing tool saves you from the expense of hiring skilled programmers and allows your testers to automate test cases without writing code.
Conclusion
Considering these guidelines, you will be able to easily choose a mobile app testing tool that perfectly fits your project requirements. Many companies favor choosing TestGrid for their mobile app testing projects since the platform allows speedy testing of your applications and is cost-effective, reliable, and consistently accurate.
With TestGrid, you can test your apps on real devices and browsers anytime you want. The efficient, codeless automation testing platform provides easy access to hundreds of real devices and lets you conduct tests in parallel, saving time and costs.
TestGrid guarantees that your perfect, error-free mobile applications reach the market on time and ensures they will provide high-quality digital experiences to users.
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