Each mobile application is tested before being released in app stores. The testing procedure is not so easy to understand. We have provided an overview of the primary stages of the mobile application testing process, which will assist you in achieving top-standard results for the entire project.

Preparation for the testing process

When we at Orangesoft are responsible for doing a technical audit, we often face the reality that QA professionals join the project later than they should. If you wait to begin the testing process until you have got the initial version of the application, there is a possibility that errors were committed at the stage of defining the app’s technical requirements and specifications. The difficulty of reworking the finished product increases with each iteration.

Test plan

The test plan is the most important document throughout the quality assurance process. This rulebook describes every step of the project’s testing process in detail.

Project overview

This includes the introductory information that will make it easy for any professional to understand the concept and objective of the project, as well as its target audience, a description of all the components of the project, and the components that will be put through testing. In most cases, the project consists of at least one mobile application in addition to a back-end and an administrative system. In addition to mobile apps, the project may include several administrative systems or a website.

Links to the main project documents

This incorporates everything that QA professionals could find valuable, such as links to the project space, technical specifications, information about the project stack, design source files, and a list of test usernames and passwords.

Necessary equipment

In the first phase, we determined the different operating system versions and device types that the application needs to be able to handle. At this point, we must choose the OS versions and device models that will be tested. It is a very uncommon experience to test one hundred percent of the operating system versions and device combinations.

Interaction with other applications or devices

If the project involves integrations with other programs or devices, the quality assurance team has to be informed of the specifics. It is essential to decide how integration testing will be carried out and the means by which the devices can be accessible. For instance, this is important when testing Internet of Things mobile apps since, in such cases, you need to have precise information about the function of the device or the item with which the application is integrated.

Testing team

The test plan should include the testers that will be conducting the test as well as the roles that each member will perform. However, it’s critical to arrange an introductory group meeting to examine the responsibilities, goals, and expectations of all project participants, not merely to fix the team members on paper. Throughout the development process, each quality assurance professional ensures that all testing documentation is updated regularly.

Project space, bug tracking tools

The list of tools used on the project must be familiar to every team member. For example, some of our best prospects include the following: ADB, Crashlytics, Postman, and Instabug are some of the tools.

Testing start and finish

If you know the exact day the project will be released, you can start formulating the testing criteria and deadlines. Setting these dates in concrete in the QA team’s work schedule is essential if you want to organize private demonstrations at any point throughout the development process.

Types and forms of testing

Let’s take a more in-depth look at all types of mobile application testing available. The project’s requirements, the available budget for testing, the planned delivery date, and the level of experience possessed by the team are the primary considerations that should determine your choice of the testing method.

Performance testing

This type of testing checks the performance of the back-end in three different scenarios: with a normal predicted load, with a load that is higher than planned, and when working for an extended period of time with a normal load.

Testing documentation

The document that comes first on the list is the test plan. The following documents are written based on the test plan, forms, and methods of testing as their main sources of data:

Checklists

It is essential to provide a detailed description of the acceptance criteria since these requirements will be used to determine whether or not the application’s performance is acceptable.

Test cases

Test cases include the tests to cover all aspects of the application’s functioning. It has already been shown that it is impossible to test every potential combination of the input parameters. Finding potential bugs requires careful consideration when selecting the data to be analyzed.

Bug report

When dealing with checklists and test cases, quality assurance professionals search for discrepancies in the application’s outcomes between what was anticipated and what occurred. Simply finding them isn’t enough. It is essential to provide as much data as possible about the bugs to enable the development team to readily reproduce and fix them.

Testing

The testing process continues until all of the anticipated features are implemented, and the required quality standard is reached. This is why it’s important to remember:

• The tests that were developed during the stage before this one cover every new portion of the functionality that was achieved throughout each new iteration;
• It is necessary to evaluate how the newly developed features interact with the already developed modules;
• Confirmation testing has the purpose of ensuring that bugs that have been found and addressed by the developers in the past are no longer reproduced;
• It is necessary to do regression testing in order to ensure that the newly implemented features and fixed bugs have not adversely impacted the previously stable functionality;
• Updates and improvements are needed to the written test cases that are currently in use. If you skip this step, subsequent tests will become less accurate over time (this phenomenon is known as the “pesticide effect”).

Pre-release testing

The acceptability test involves both precise and complete testing, which may still be necessary to stabilize the application’s performance and uncover a few small bugs. At this point in the testing process, it is important to compare the planned functionality and the functionality approved to be delivered to the stores for publication. You may need to get rid of certain functions that are unnecessary or create some new ones.

Final report on pre-release testing

To provide the highest quality results, comprehensive documentation is necessary for mobile app testing. First, you should ensure that all the required entries have been made, and then you should prepare your test summary report.

QA responsibilities after release

The task of the quality assurance team is not over after the application release. If the team continues working on the second version of the project, the entire procedure may have to begin from scratch. However, it is excellent practice to schedule time for testing even when there is no need for more work and the project is working smoothly.

Testing mobile applications is difficult, and getting them set up properly involves work from everyone on the team. You can customize, as needed, the phases of the testing procedure described earlier in this paragraph for any individual project. However, you must not skip any of the above-mentioned steps during the testing procedure. By proceeding this way, you will be able to ensure that you get dependable results in the form of high-quality mobile apps.