While the mobile app development process remains the most challenging and time-consuming part of your digital transformation journey, it’s the testing and quality assurance phase that ultimately determines your app’s success. According to the latest data by Quettra, a mobile app averagely loses 95% of users within the first 3 months. Isn’t it distressing? But that’s the fact that signifies the importance of testing and quality assurance in mobile app development. 

After launching a mobile app, the business’s primary challenges revolve around how to attract new users and retain the existing ones. Although marketing strategies are crucial in this aspect, but the significance of testing and quality assurance can’t be overlooked, as they ensure the app's usability, functionality, and reliability, which keep users coming back. 

To stand out in this competitive landscape, where even a minor glitch in your app may lead users to abandon it for competitors’ apps, quality assurance is no longer an option but a need of the hour. In this blog post, we will emphasize the importance of testing and quality assurance in mobile app development while also covering topics like types of testing and quality assurance best practices. So, let’s start now!

What Is Mobile App Testing?

Mobile App Testing is the process of rigorously checking an app's functionality and usability before it is made available to the public. This testing ensures that the app fulfills both the technical and business requirements as expected.

To ensure the success of mobile app testing, development teams must test the app across a variety of screen resolutions, operating system versions, and different network bandwidths. This comprehensive testing guarantees that the app will work seamlessly across a wide range of device configurations when it is publicly released.

Broadly speaking, mobile app testing involves the following steps:

• Evaluating the app's performance on various operating system versions (Android 7.0, 8.0, etc.)
• Checking the app's appearance in both Portrait and Landscape orientations.
• Confirming the app's compatibility and performance under specific settings.
• Verifying whether the app works well with mobile sensors like the Gyroscope, Accelerometer, GPS, etc.
• Testing the app's Graphical User Interface (GUI) elements (like Menus, dropdowns, navigation buttons, etc.) for functionality.

The ultimate goal for businesses opting for mobile app development is to extend its reach to a broader global audience. However, if an app is filled with errors or is challenging to navigate, users are less likely to engage with it. 

Without comprehensive testing, mobile apps can expose users to significant bugs on their devices, leading to a poor user experience, especially for new users. It's important to remember that first impressions are vital for any mobile app's success. 

An unexpected app crash or a bug affecting functionality can lead to immediate app uninstallation. This results in the loss of potential customers and impacts revenue.

Here are some crucial statistics that underscore the importance of mobile app testing:

• 80% of users will delete or uninstall an app that fails to meet their expectations.
• 50% of users are likely to uninstall an app that takes up too much space on their device.
• 48% of users will uninstall or abandon an app if it performs slowly. 

These figures highlight the critical role of thorough app testing in ensuring user satisfaction and retention.

Different Types of Mobile App Testing

Understanding the various types of mobile app testing is crucial in developing a robust Quality Assurance (QA) strategy. Here’s how mobile app tester test a mobile app in different stages:

1. Functional Testing

The goal of functional testing is to ensure that all app features are operating as expected. It involves examining the app's user experience and the functionalities that add to it. Users anticipate a seamless experience, and any glitches can lead to the app being uninstalled. Mobile app functional testing covers a variety of use cases, including but not limited to

• Successful installation and launch of the app.
• User-friendly sign-up and login processes.
• Accurate functioning of text fields, buttons, menus, and icons.
• Correct display and timing of push notifications.
• Seamless transactions or purchases.

2. Interruption Testing

This stage of mobile app testing evaluates how an app behaves when faced with unexpected disruptions. The app should ideally pause and then resume its previous state or respond appropriately depending on the interruption. The types of interruptions will vary based on the app being tested, but common ones to consider include:

• Incoming calls or messages while the app is active.
• Low battery alerts during app usage.
• Plugging in or unplugging the device while the app is active.
• Device shutdown while the app is running.
• OS upgrades while the app is active.
• Network loss and recovery while the app is running. 

3. Localization Testing

Localization testing is designed to evaluate features influenced by the user's geographical location. As most apps aim to cater to a global audience, they often incorporate localized features to enhance user experience. These features can range from supporting multiple languages and facilitating transactions in local currencies to complying with regional laws and regulations.

The purpose of localization testing is to verify that these features are active and operate correctly in their respective locations. According to the research by App Annie, fully localized apps tend to perform better on a global scale.

However, localization testing is considered one of the more demanding types of mobile app testing. This is primarily because many Quality Assurance (QA) teams do not have sufficient access to the necessary test coverage and resources required for its execution.

4. Speed Testing

Did You know? 53% of mobile users will abandon an app if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Therefore, it is crucial to assess an app's loading time. 

However, acquiring every mobile device and testing the app's speed on each one would be highly inefficient in terms of both time and effort. This principle also applies to website testing, where evaluating how quickly a site loads on mobile devices is essential.

5. Memory Leak Testing

Memory leaks occur when a mobile app doesn't release the memory it has temporarily acquired for its operations. This can drain the app's available memory, causing it to stop working. 

Even a minor memory leak can lead to permanent uninstallation of the app. Since memory leaks usually stem from coding errors, it's crucial to test every app for this problem.

The process of memory leak testing involves running the app on various devices. This allows testers to evaluate the app's performance on devices with different memory capacities and fine-tune the app to work efficiently on each setup.

6. Usability Testing

Usability testing, also known as UX testing, assesses an app's user-friendliness. It evaluates the app's ease of use and intuitiveness with the goal of delivering a bug-free and seamless user experience. Given that an app's success depends on its overall user experience, it's advisable to conduct usability tests with real customers on actual devices. 

This approach offers the best insight into the target audience's preferences. Alternatively, experienced testers can simulate user scenarios that reflect the actions of real end-users. 

Here are some key factors to consider during usability tests:

• A smooth and visually pleasing layout and design
• A high level of intuitiveness
• Fast response time - Most users prefer apps that launch within 2-3 seconds of tapping the icon.

7. Performance Testing

Performance testing is probably the most crucial stage of the mobile app development process. It's all about pushing the app to its limits to ensure it can handle less-than-ideal situations. 

Here's what it should cover:

• Device Performance: This includes checking how long the app takes to install and login, how much battery it uses, and how much memory it consumes.
• Network Performance: This involves testing for any delays or errors in receiving data or activating network-dependent features.
• API/Server Performance: This checks the speed and structure of data transfer from the back-end to the front-end of the app.
• Recovery Capabilities: The app should have built-in backup and recovery functions to protect user data from loss.

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8. Security Testing

With 70% of internet users worried about their personal information being shared without consent, and 81% willing to uninstall an app over security concerns, it's clear that security is a top priority for users. 

Almost every app requires some personal information from the user, so it's vital to conduct tests to strengthen the app's safety and ensure data confidentiality. 

Quality Assurance teams need to rigorously verify that the app can protect its users from data breaches or hacking attempts. This is particularly important for banking apps, which have higher stakes.

What Is App Quality Assurance?

Quality assurance is a structured approach that guarantees the mobile app's compliance with pre-defined quality benchmarks and criteria. It includes a variety of testing and review procedures aimed at identifying and correcting faults, discrepancies, and any elements that might hinder the app's efficiency, user-friendliness, security, and overall user experience.

A mobile app that hasn't been thoroughly tested and evaluated through quality assurance can overuse your device's computational power and storage space due to inefficient resource utilization. These problems can subsequently result in your app running slower, taking longer to load, and depleting the device's battery life more quickly.

The Importance of Testing and Quality Assurance in Mobile App Development

Mobile app testing and Quality assurance (QA) are the crucial elements that contribute to the success of an app. Its significance can be understood through five key aspects that not only demonstrate its functional importance but also its strategic value in the cut-throat competitive app market:

Boosting User Experience

With people becoming more choosy day-by-day, user satisfaction can determine an app's success or failure. QA in mobile testing ensures that every user interaction is smooth, user-friendly, and enjoyable. 

By replicating real-world user environments and situations, QA can pinpoint potential errors, annoyances, or inefficiencies that can be rectified before they affect the end user. A thoroughly tested app provides a delightful user experience that encourages loyalty and positive referrals.

Guaranteeing Strong Performance

Millennials have little patience for slow or malfunctioning apps. QA rigorously tests an app under various network conditions, on different device types, and under varying user loads to ensure it always performs at its best. 

Any delay, crash, or unexpected shutdown can tarnish the app's reputation, but QA assists app developers in identifying and resolving these issues, ensuring a consistent and high-performing user experience.

Ensuring Security and Privacy

In an era of rising cyber threats and more rigorous regulations, app security is of the utmost importance. Mobile Quality Assurance (QA) plays a crucial role in identifying potential vulnerabilities that could compromise user data. 

From secure logins and encrypted transactions to compliance with privacy laws, QA helps in building a secure environment that users can trust.

Promoting Cross-Platform Compatibility

The digital landscape is diverse, with users accessing apps on a multitude of devices, operating systems, and screen sizes. Mobile QA ensures that the app delivers a consistent user experience across all these platforms.

Whether the user is on the latest smartphone or a budget tablet, the app's design remains responsive, and its functionalities remain intact. The secret to winning user’s trust is to deliver the same quality of experience.

Reducing Post-Launch Risks

Many businesses think launching an app is enough to make a great impression on its users, but it’s not right. Issues that arise after the launch can lead to negative reviews, a decrease in the user base, and a damaged brand image. 

Mobile QA helps mitigate these risks by anticipating potential problems and addressing them proactively. It acts as a reliable guide, steering the app safely through the unpredictable journey of real-world usage.

Is Testing and Quality Assurance the Same? 

While most businesses think mobile app testing and quality assurance are the same, they are actually two different processes in the mobile app development lifecycle. Despite their differences, they can’t be completed without each other. 

Let’s point out the key differences between testing and quality assurance:

As said earlier, mobile app testing is a critical process involving scrutinizing an application to detect any flaws or issues hindering its optimal performance. This task is typically carried out by a specialized team or individual testers who employ a variety of strategies and techniques to identify and rectify bugs, ensuring the app functions as expected.

Meanwhile, app quality assurance is a more comprehensive process that includes all efforts aimed at guaranteeing that the end product adheres to the necessary quality benchmarks. This process involves pinpointing, assessing, and managing potential risks that could compromise the software's quality. Quality assurance extends beyond testing and encompasses other aspects such as analyzing requirements, design, adherence to coding standards, documentation, and even project management. 

Top 5 Quality Assurance Best Practices Businesses Should Follow in 2024

As the use of mobile applications continues to surge, it's becoming increasingly important for businesses and developers to ensure their apps' quality. Here are some strategies and a checklist for mobile app quality assurance to ensure your app is top-notch and meets user expectations:

#1. Formulate a Comprehensive Strategy

Success in any project depends heavily on meticulous planning, and software testing is no exception. This is why devising a detailed strategy is a fundamental best practice in QA testing.

The strategy should include:

• Potential risks and assumptions,
• The scope of testing,
• Methodologies and types of tests,
• High-level test cases,
• Environments to be tested,
• Traceability matrix,
• Projected estimates,
• Test-design techniques, and more.

Create a testing strategy that outlines what will be tested, who will conduct the tests, the resources required, deadlines, acceptance criteria, and the current status. It's crucial to ensure that all members of the QA team are cognizant of their roles, included in all relevant team meetings, and equipped with the necessary resources. 

#2. Create SMART QA Goals and Objectives

Holding each team member accountable is crucial for the success of any collaborative process. This can be achieved by setting clear and specific goals and objectives.

In the Test Maturity Model Integration (TMMI) framework, Level 4 is referred to as "Measured." At this level, well-defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and quality metrics guide the software testing process. 

Here are some KPIs that you can consider for your software testing process:

• Outstanding Defects: If the count of unresolved defects surpasses a certain threshold, it's a signal to optimize the development process.
• Automated Tests: A higher proportion of automated tests enhances the efficiency of the software testing process.
• Code Coverage: Aim for a high percentage of your code to be covered by tests to ensure thoroughness.
• Requirements Coverage: Every requirement should have an associated test case. The goal is to achieve 100% coverage of requirements.
• Critical Bugs: This metric represents the percentage of critical bugs. A higher percentage indicates that the development process requires more scrutiny. 

#3. Use a Multi-directional Testing Strategy

Using a variety of Quality Assurance (QA) methods is a fundamental yet frequently overlooked practice. By conducting a range of tests, you can detect various bug types promptly.

Specifically, inspire your developers to create automated unit tests. This allows them to verify code quality and rectify mistakes before handing it over to the QA team for further testing. 

Following this, instruct the QA team to carry out smoke testing. This ensures that the code is in a suitable state for further testing and can be returned to the developers for retesting if necessary. 

During the software testing phase, have the QA team manually navigate through it to identify any user-facing bugs. After making modifications, request that the QA team conduct regression testing. 

#4. Conduct External Quality Reviews

If you're a project manager, product owner, team leader, or business proprietor, consider bringing in an expert from outside your team to conduct a thorough review of your software code.

This expert should undertake a comprehensive technical evaluation of your code and subsequently prepare a detailed report. This report should spotlight both the strengths and weaknesses of various aspects of your code, including

• The technology stack used,
• The structure of the code,
• The styling conventions adhered to,
• Instances of code duplication,
• The quality and completeness of documentation,
• The dependencies involved,
• The size of the codebase,
• The speed or performance of the code.

#5. Maintain Thorough Documentation

As we've previously highlighted, the significance of comprehensive Quality Assurance (QA) documentation cannot be overstated. 

Bug reports provide a clear roadmap for bug resolution, including detailed reproduction steps, actual and expected outcomes, and the environments in which the bugs occur. This approach simplifies the bug resolution process.

It's crucial that all bugs are documented and reported, ensuring none are overlooked by the developers. This documentation is not only useful in the immediate term but also beneficial in the project's later stages. 

For instance, if a bug that was previously identified and resolved reappears, the existing documentation allows developers to address it more quickly, as they already have a solution at hand. 

Conclusion

Testing and Quality Assurance in mobile app development are the crucial phases of the process. This is where the app is evaluated against the set acceptance criteria. Through comprehensive testing, the client or customer can determine if the app meets their expectations or if modifications are necessary. If the app successfully passes all tests, it is released to the market or delivered to the client.

Mtoag Technologies is renowned for its skill and expertise in crafting mobile apps, with a strong emphasis on rigorous mobile app testing. Our clients have consistently endorsed us for our exceptional mobile application testing and quality analysis services. We strive to ensure that every app we develop meets the highest quality and performance standards.