After mobile app development, mobile testing relishes the crown of being the fast-paced industry touched by brilliant innovations of modern times. As app market is booming with smart phone users, the demand for well-crafted, engaging and feature-rich apps is surging high. This requires mobile app testers to build perfect app testing strategies so that mobile users receive intelligent, flawless functionalities and frictionless user experience.

The application testing phase often puts certain challenges on app developers. Whether it is manual or automation, these challenges must be overcome with smart tactics and meticulous strategy.

Here you will learn key challenges and their solutions that software testers need to learn:

1. OS Fragmentation

With newly launched mobile devices, operating systems also observe frequent updates, which may create complications while using the apps. New updates means your mobile apps need to grow compatible with changes introduced in the platform. It is a big challenge to make mobile apps compatible while it is deployed across smart phones with different Operating systems such as iOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry.

Solution:

Certain development practices preferred by mobile app development companies can help alleviate this challenge of OS fragmentation. You can adopt the following recommendations to address the issue:

• Mobile app developers are expected to build apps that support the OS version that is in trend, easily available, and that smart phone lovers popularly use
• It is a good practice for software testers to identify the issue using emulators and then test it across mobile devices of similar OS
• Think of opting for modern testing methods like cloud-based solutions and internal mobile lab for effective and rapid mobile testing. It also helps address security and network issues
• Know your target audience and most preferable devices in specific geography. This will further narrow down your focus to resolve small issues in time

2. Offline Functioning

Online connectivity of a mobile app depends on the network supplier. The performance of many apps revolves around how strong the mobile network is. While making transition from high to low coverage area, they are likely to face fluctuation in the network connectivity. This affects mobile app’s performance and functioning.

Solution:

First of all, such issues should be addressed at the time of development phase. Developers should build a robust app that is resilient to such cases.

From the testing perspective, they should consider similar use cases and scenarios where app is tested for:

• Offline performance and operations
• Connection drop out events
• Different Wi-Fi speeds
• Offline support capabilities
• Low signal strength

3. User Experience

Giving the most exemplary user experience to your app users is the heart of both app development process and mobile app testing phase. Too many features are not always the key to pleasing users. The best app is the one that appeals and befriends its users, offering them seamless, delightful and intuitive user experience.

Solution:

• Be creative and have a unique approach while designing UI for your app
• Check the suitability of all the features
• Measure the user engagement level through Beta testing
• Test the app for ease of navigation inside the app
• Make sure user feedback are properly implemented
• Avoid unnecessary contents and extras

4. Performance & Security

Mobile app performance and security are crucial points of considerations without which app can never be launched. In interactive apps, there is a lot of data being shared across multiple devices which increases the possibility of security issues. Public cloud is more likely to impose such threats and can also affect app’s usability.

Solution:

Developers and testers should see the issues of performance and security with utmost sincerity. To make sure the app is impeccable, they must conduct all the necessary tests.

• Check the smallest of factors that may decelerate the app loading speed
• Try to choose simplicity over complexity to improve app’s navigation
• Find out about data encryption services and test its functionality.
• If it is a private server, ensure all the interactions are secure and user’s privacy is not breached.

 5. Advanced Tools

With so many advanced app testing tools coming into the market, it often creates confusion as to which ones to use for efficient and accurate results. Testers are free to use many advanced tools available today to test the app. Also manual testing sometimes fail to test complicated mobile apps.

Solution:

Opt for mobile automation testing since it is evolving a lot faster than expected.

Automation testing also boosts testers’ efficiency, consumes less time and minimizes human errors.

There are some considerable choices for mobile app testing tools that software testers can use. Some of them are:

• Appium
• Ranorex
• Eggplant
• Selenium
• Espresso
• Robotium
• Jenkins

Conclusion:

Since today users have more options than before to choose the app that satisfies all their expectations, it is cumbersome for apps to remain competitive in the market. They can show intolerance towards apps with issues of performance, compatibility, networks connectivity or poor user experience. On the other hand, businesses wish to launch apps of interactive nature to grab maximum customers. This is why app development firms should design a vast mobile app testing model that includes all the obstacles and solutions to overcome them.