Mobile test is the process of testing the functionality, usability, and performance of applications on modern mobile devices.

Mobile application testing, which can be automated or manual, can help you ensure that the application to be delivered to users meets all business requirements and user expectations.

Why is mobile testing important?

While desktop/laptop Internet usage is declining, mobile Internet usage continues to rise, a trend that has continued unabated for years. With more and more users spending more and more time on mobile devices, it's critical to deliver a great experience on your mobile apps.

If you haven't tested the mobile experience your users are receiving, then you can't know how well your app is serving the majority of your users, and growing. Not understanding this can lead to dreaded one-star app reviews and negative feedback on social media.

Mobile app testing ensures that your mobile experience is robust, no matter what type of app you are using or what platform it was developed for.

Key considerations for mobile testing.

When you think about your mobile testing strategy, there are many important things to keep in mind in order to plan and execute the best approach.

Types of mobile applications.

Currently, there are three broad categories of mobile apps you might want to test:

Native apps are designed specifically for a specific mobile platform (today this usually means Android or iOS) and are typically downloaded and installed through app stores such as Apple's App Store or Google's Play Store. This includes both pure native apps built on Java/Kotlin for Android or Objective-C/Swift for iOS, as well as cross-platform native apps built using frameworks such as ReactNative, Ffltter, and NativeScript.

Responsive Web applications are designed to be accessible on mobile browsers. A Web application can be a responsive version of a website or a progressive Web application (PWA), which adds additional mobile-friendly features.

Hybrid applications are designed as a compromise between native and network applications. Hybrid apps can be installed through the app store just like native apps, and may have some native features, but rely at least in part on the functioning of web apps that are essentially wrapped in native shells.

Differences between mobile testing and Web testing.

When testing mobile applications, even Web applications, there are other complexities to consider. Mobile users will interact with your app on a wide variety of operating systems and devices (especially Android with many operating system versions and widely circulated devices), with any number of standard resolutions and device-specific features.

Even apart from the unique device itself, mobile users will find themselves in a different situation than desktop/laptop network users, which needs to be taken into account in testing. This includes signal strength, battery life, and even contrast and brightness when the environment changes frequently.

Ensuring broad test coverage for even the most common scenarios can be a complex challenge.