Today, millions of people depend on mobile app to conduct internet browsing for social networking as well as for other purposes. The increased use of mobile apps and its rapid development, stress the need for proper testing before releasing it to the market. As end users are more concerned about user experience and performance, there is a need to discuss major challenges of mobile app testing.
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Some of the key challenges of mobile app testing services are:
- User experience and issues related to app performance
Customers always prefer an app with greater user experience. Also the app should give a fresh, proper and pre-defined user interface. A delay of more than two seconds can affect the user performance and thus cause a significant impact on their preferences. Mobile applications which are free from errors and faults will give a better user experience and this will directly affect on the business sources of the application. Quality of the mobile application is graded by users according to the user experience. Most customers choose the application based on the previous reviews and grades. Sometimes poor user experience or old errors may lead to business failure of the application.
- Touch screen
Touch screen enables display and retrieval of data faster and easier. Today it is one of the major sources of user interaction. Testing of touch screen tends to be more complicated and stable. Apart from this, signals or signs which show data also cause a challenge in the process of testing.
- Context awareness
One of the greatest challenges in mobile app testing is context awareness that demands new and innovative approaches. Mobile applications in different contexts along with different data can often create a new challenge in the entire process of testing. Constantly changing usage patterns and environment of smart phones can create a great impact on context.
- Lesser time to market the app
Declaring of strict timelines can affect testing of mobile app. Strict timelines can prevent fulfilling of proper design, development, need and overall testing of mobile apps according to the needs of the user. Certain stages of mobile app development are closely related and it needs to be properly tested. For effective testing and later release, there is a need for framing ample timelines otherwise it becomes a complete failure.
- Security issues
There is more security for apps running via private cloud when compared to apps running in a public cloud. There would be no data violation for a secure private cloud and it provides access to testing teams.
- Variations of mobile user interface
There are different user interfaces for different operating system such as Windows, Android, etc., which guides by a different set of rules and regulations. While publishing mobile applications in the market, it is necessary to carry out a careful checking on the layout of the elements and usage of apps as a part of the verification process. Publishing process gets delayed if the apps fail to follow the rules and regulations which later increase the cost of testing and development.
- Lack of access to multiple devices
There are chances where two testers need the same devices at the same time. It would be impossible to use the same devices by two testers. Hence, one tester would be left out until the other one leaves it. Procurement of multiple devices is time consuming and expensive. Also, it is not advisable to place testers across continents.
- Device based testing approach
Under this approach, there is a necessity to buy real new mobile devices as well as setting up a testing laboratory. It is costly and this approach needs to cope with changing mobile devices and platforms as well.
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A proper, specific and structured testing strategy can make mobile app testing services successful and worthy. It would be helpful to consider the above challenges at the time of testing mobile apps.