Exploring Ways to Test Mobile Apps in Real User Conditions

Each mobile app nowadays has to deliver complex functionalities across various devices, platforms and networks. The online emulators and simulators make it easier for QA professionals to assess the quality of a mobile app on a variety of mobile devices and operating systems. Likewise, the cloud-based testing solutions enable testers to access and control several mobile devices remotely while testing mobile apps. But the online tools lack the capabilities to assess the mobile app’s look, feel and user experience accurately.

Also, the testers cannot rely on these tools to collect accurate information about the functionality and performance of a mobile device on specific devices or in certain environments. That is why; it becomes essential for enterprises to get their mobile apps tested using real devices and in real-user conditions. Each business also has a number of options to integrate real world user conditions into the testing environment. However, it is also important for businesses to assess the pros and cons of these options.

3 Distinct Options to Test Mobile Apps in Real Worlds User Conditions

1) Use both Emulators and Real Devices

The emulators make it easier for testers to evaluate mobile app across multiple devices and platforms within a shorter amount of time. But the testers must remember that testing mobile app with emulators is completely different from testing mobile apps with devices and platforms used by real users. The emulators run on desktop computers, while using a vanilla version of the mobile operating system. Hence, the emulators fail to take advantage of the native features and functionality of the real device and OS and assess the impact of network-related events.

On the other hand, the testers can always generate more accurate and reliable test results by using both real devices and real mobile operating systems. Further, these devices enable testing professionals to test the mobile apps using live network, and taking advantage of native features of mobile devices including screensize, memory and CPU. But the businesses have to incur additional expensed to buy and maintain a variety of real devices.

That is why; each business must balance real devices and emulators to test mobile apps in real-time user conditions. The testers must use real devices while assessing the app’s functionality and usability, and use emulators to test other aspects of the mobile app. Likewise, they can use emulators efficiently during the initial coding and debugging phases, while using real devices subsequently to assess the application’s usability and performance.

2) Deploying Testers in the Field

Nowadays, users access mobile apps with a variety of internet connectivity including 3G, 4G, cellular and Wi-Fi. But quality and speed of network impacts the functionality and performance of a mobile app directly. That is why; it becomes essential for testing professionals to test the mobile app with a variety of network connections. At the same time, they also need to identify the hotspots and deadspots, switch from one type of connection to another, along with testing the application with no internet connectivity and slow internet connections.

An enterprise can always facilitate field testing to enable QA professionals to test the mobile app in real user conditions. However, a business can get more reliable testing results by combining field testing model with mobile persona. They can use mobile persona as a technique to represent a group of targeted users, and describe the usage of mobile app through narratives. Based on the targeted users of the app, they can easily generate new test ideas. Also, they can create a variety of test scenarios by keeping in mind the individual members of the user group. The user scenarios can be customized to emulate the behaviour of a large number of real users.

3) Involving Real Users in Mobile App Testing

A steady increase is being noted in the number of organizations opting for crowdsourced testing. The approach enables businesses to involve real users in mobile app testing process. Further, the real users can assess all aspect of the mobile app thoroughly across different devices, platforms, networks, and environments. A business also has option to make the mobile app available to selected users for testing or deploy real users to audit the usability and user experience of the app in detail.

There are several online platforms that help businesses to make their mobile apps available to various users, and get the apps tested remotely. A business can always offer payment to the users involved in mobile app testing process based on the number and quality of bugs identified by them. Also, it can prepare and circulate a comprehensive questionnaire to make the testers submit all required information after testing the app in real user conditions.

On the whole, crowdsourced testing enable enterprises to obtain more realistic and reliable test results without deploying real devices and building a testing environment. But a business has to consider several factors before making its mobile app available to users remotely. Many businesses even prefer inviting real users to test mobile apps in their in-house laboratory to avoid issues related to secrecy and security. They even make seasoned testers observe the mobile app testing conducted by real users.

However, there are always chances that the business has to adopt a complement new approach to integrate real world user conditions into the testing environment. Also, it needs to keep in mind a number of constraints get the mobile app tested in real user conditions without investing additional time, efforts and money.