Mobile apps have completely revolutionized the way we use cell phones today. They provide numerous solutions, starting from games, all the way to food ordering and voice command. 

However, before an app is launched into the market, it must be tested for various devices to ensure that it provides an acceptable user experience without any lags in performance. Research shows that 88% of users will abandon an app because of performance issues and glitches. Thus, we can see that mobile application testing is extremely important. 

In today’s blog, we’ll talk about everything about mobile application testing. We’ll dive into:

1. Benefits of mobile application testing.

2. Different mobile app testing methodologies.

3. The importance of automation in mobile app testing.

4. Best practices to ensure effective mobile app testing. 

5. Future trends shaping the world of mobile app testing.

So stay tuned and keep reading. First, let’s discuss what mobile application testing exactly is.

What is Mobile Application Testing?

Mobile application testing is the process of inspecting an app’s overall functioning for smartphones, tablets, and other handheld devices to ensure that an app provides user experience and operates seamlessly across all devices under different conditions.

Testing a mobile app helps you identify issues such as:

1. Bugs

2. Crashes

3. Usability problems

4. Security vulnerabilities

Conducting tests and identifying these issues allows them to be rectified before the app is launched for the general public. Now, let’s dive deep into the benefits of mobile app testing for your app.

Benefits of Mobile Application Testing for Your App

Testing your mobile app has numerous benefits, such as: 

1. Improved user experience.

2. Improved app quality.

3. Reduced development costs.

4. Boosted brand reputation.

Let’s talk about these further. 

1. Improved user experience

Rigorously testing your mobile app ensures that its user functionalities keep the user engaged, which leads to a better user experience The intuitive functionalities of a mobile app include: 

1. A simple and clean interface.

2. Understandable navigation patterns to guide users easily throughout the app.

3. Self-explanatory core functions that are understandable without the need for study guides.

4. Understandable and logical reactions to gestures and interactions.

2. Improved app quality

Testing your app unveils: 

1. Performance bottlenecks

2. Compatibility issues 

3. Security vulnerabilities

3. Reduced development costs

Testing your app results in reduced development costs by: 

1. Early bug detection and fixing.

2. Indicating areas that need to be reworked early in the development process.

3. Resulting in lower update and maintenance costs because the app is not prone to breakdowns.

4. Boosted brand reputation

Mobile application testing results in improved brand reputation by:

1. Ensuring complete quality adherence to the development protocols.

2. Resulting in faster time-to-market because of fewer lags, glitches, and reworks.

These are the four major benefits of conducting mobile application testing before putting your app onto the market. Now, we’ll look at the various mobile app testing methodologies. So stick with us till the end.

Types of Mobile App Testing Methodologies

With various types of mobile apps in the market, using a one-size-fits-all approach for testing isn’t adequate. So, here are the various types of mobile app testing available in the market: 

1. Functional Testing

2. Non-Functional Testing

Now, let’s explore them in detail

1. Functional testing

Functional testing is an essential part of mobile app testing. It ensures that all of the app’s functionalities work exactly as they were intended. Functional testing includes: 

1. Validating and testing core app features such as login and registration process, and e-commerce checkout features. 

2. Focusing on user flows and identifying any roadblocks and inconsistencies present. 

3. Simulating real-world scenarios to identify issues that might arise in diverse conditions such as changing network conditions. 

2. Non-functional testing

Where functional testing checks out the core functionalities of the app, non-functional testing takes a deeper approach and checks how well your app performs those core functions. Non-functional testing evaluates your app based on:

1. App loading and multitasking performance.

2. Usability assessment to evaluate how easy it is for a user to navigate the app.

3. Reliability testing to analyze whether the app continues to function or frequently crashes. 

4. Security testing to ensure that the app is protected from unauthorized access. 

5. Compatibility testing to evaluate how the app functions across different platforms.

Now that we know about the two broad types of mobile application testing, let’s discuss the introduction of automation and how it has changed the dynamics of app testing.