A mobile app can only be as strong as its development cycle. And every successful development cycle includes well-defined QA testing procedures that clearly define goals, set deadlines, outline processes and establish metrics to gather.
After all, why risk launching without thorough mobile app testing?
Creating guidelines for mobile testing presents a unique set of questions. What is mobile testing? What types of mobile testing should your checklist include? And what should you consider before creating your mobile device testing checklist?
That’s where we come in. Our mobile device testing checklist provides the insight you need in order to create a testing checklist that keeps your development cycle on track.
What Is Mobile Testing?
Mobile testing is the practice of testing software applications or web-based software on a mobile device in order to validate the software functionality, usability and consistency for the mobile user. By following a mobile device testing checklist, QA teams execute both manual and automated test cases on a real mobile device in order to catch bugs and uncover any possible defects.
Keep in mind when creating your mobile testing checklist that mobile testing focuses on the software compatibility with mobile platforms. Since mobile devices have limited resources - in comparison to testing on laptops or desktop computers - QA testers create test cases specific to the mobile experience. These include user interactions with the software application (taps vs mouse clicks), smaller screen resolutions and supporting wide device defragmentation.
Types of Mobile Testing
Mobile applications exist because of strong hardware and operating systems. Therefore, a mobile application's software needs to be tested for stability as well as its compatibility with mobile hardware. Every checklist to test mobile application devices should include these types of mobile testing procedures in order to follow mobile testing best practices:
-
Interruption Testing
This type of mobile testing evaluates how a mobile application reacts to interruptions and sees if it can resume its prior state. When creating your mobile application testing checklist, consider including test cases that can answer the following questions:
- How does your mobile app respond to loss of battery power?
- How does the mobile app handle an incoming text or phone call?
- What does the mobile app do when notifications of other apps appear on screen?
- Can the mobile app still function as expected after app updates?
-
Location-Based Services Testing
Testing for geo-data information is key when creating your mobile app testing checklist. Location-based Services (LBS) testing examines how well a mobile application can provide location-based information for that specific mobile device. QA testers often rely on location simulators or location file formats during the testing process.
-
Accessibility Testing
This type of mobile testing assesses the software application’s ability to provide content and/or services that fully supports the mobile user experience for people with disabilities. Your mobile device testing checklist should include test cases that accommodate:
- Complete or partial blindness
- Color blindness
- Arthritis or finger joint movability issues
- Dyslexia and other cognitive issues impacting mobile readability
- Complete or partial deafness as well as other hearing impairments
-
Security Testing
Security testing is the process of uncovering all vulnerabilities, risks and threats in a software application in order to prevent malicious attacks from intruders and unauthorized users. Identifying possible weaknesses or loopholes of the mobile application during testing can prevent the loss of sensitive data, consumer information and revenue. It’s essential for your mobile testing checklist PDF to include test cases that verify if your mobile app:
- Applies legitimate encryption techniques to secure private information
- Requests access only to the necessary services
- Authenticates a user appropriately before granting data access
- Interacts with web services utilizing secure protocols
- Stores data locally on the mobile device using appropriate encryption
-
Compatibility Testing
This type of non-functional testing ensures that your software application runs successfully across various mobile operating systems, devices, network environments and hardware specifications. Compatibility testing is often tested backwards (to see if the mobile app is compatible with older software versions) as well as forwards (to confirm that the mobile app is compatible with the latest software versions, including beta environments).
Make sure your checklist to test mobile application devices validates that your mobile app is compatible with:
- All operating systems, including their various versions (such as Android and iOS)
- Varying networks and their parameters (such as operating speed and bandwidth)
- Different browsers (such as Safari, Firefox and Microsoft Edge)
- Different devices (to test for a variety of screen sizes and data storage limits)
Mobile Testing Checklist: Tips for Beginners
A successful mobile testing process starts by creating solid testing procedures for your QA testers. And since testing on mobile devices requires different testing parameters, it’s helpful to create a mobile app testing checklist that guides your QA team through the mobile testing process.
So, what should your mobile testing checklist PDF include? We recommend applying these mobile app QA and testing trends within your mobile testing guidelines.
-
Test on Real Devices
It’s true that mobile testing can be carried out with an emulator. But an emulator is just a hypothetical environment that executes test cases in a safe lab setting. An emulator can only mimic the layout and user experience of a mobile device - which only scratches the surface on mobile testing.
Experience your mobile app in the same way as would your consumer. Testing on real devices means your QA team encounters firsthand the limitations and quirks present in the actual hardware and mobile platform. Your checklist to test mobile application devices should always accommodate a variety of mobile devices so that your testers can confirm the soundness of the mobile software.
-
Analyze Your Test Requirements to Prioritize & Optimize Your QA Efforts
Your mobile application testing checklist should include a process that evaluates the quality of your mobile testing requirements prior to executing any test case. Any vagueness within your test requirements can lead to testing delays, inaccurate test execution and insufficient testing results.
How can your QA team test your requirements? Your mobile test requirements should be complete, clear, correct, consistent and testable. Analyze your test requirements by:
- Checking for all possible scenarios within every requirement and updating any gaps or missing cases
- Checking that all statements are honest, logical and correct
- Finding all ambiguities within each requirement
- Uncovering contradictions between multiple requirements as well as between internal / external standards
-
Perform Rigorous Usability Tests
Usability testing - also known as user experience testing - validates the user-friendliness of your mobile app, from ease of use and response time to intuitive design and navigation. A successful usability testing process includes experienced usability QA testers to facilitate the testing experience and people who aren’t internal employees, such as your customers, to test the mobile application.
How do you know if your mobile testing checklist PDF supports rigorous usability tests? Your usability testing process should feature the following:
- Thorough usability test scripts and feedback questionnaires
- Usability questionnaires that integrate within the test experience so that testers can touch base and provide feedback throughout testing
- Results analysis and feedback summary with actionable insights and recommendations to improve consumer experience of the mobile app
-
Use a Reliable Test Case Management System (TCMS)
A test case management system is a platform that can capture your test requirements, assist in designing test cases, map your test cases to your test requirements and generate test execution reports upon demand. Any TCMS that doesn’t meet these standards cannot effectively support your mobile app testing checklist, no matter how thorough.
For your mobile device testing checklist, we recommend onboarding a TCMS that is a web-based system with a customizable framework for measuring the quality metrics of your application. Some test case management systems come with a built-in repository of test scenarios specifically designed for testing smartphone applications.
-
Ensure Reliable Defect Discovery
Your mobile testing needs to go beyond the standard exploratory testing technique. For your mobile application testing checklist to be successful, your QA team should follow advanced testing techniques such as group testing and concurrency testing. Anything less leaves room for bugs to remain undetected and for small issues to expand into larger problems down the line.
Next Steps for Your Mobile Device Testing Checklist
Want a more thorough mobile application testing checklist? Check out our mobile testing downloadable guide 10 Considerations When Performing Mobile Testing. This mobile device testing checklist below dives into every step you must follow when preparing to test the functionality, usability and compatibility of your mobile app.
Does your team need more resources to make this happen? Choose to partner with a professional QA services provider like QASource. Our team of testing experts are skilled in mobile QA testing and can help you create a strong mobile app testing checklist for your mobile software application. Get in touch with a QASource expert today.
