Mobile apps cutting across domains have transformed the digital ecosystem across the globe. They have provided users with unprecedented conveniences that were unthinkable a decade ago. Based on the increased usage of such apps, the industry is expecting a revenue figure of $156 billion in 2022. According to an estimate, there are approximately 1.85 million apps for users to download. By giving instant access to products and services, anytime and anywhere, mobile apps have become both an opportunity and a challenge for business enterprises. The challenge comes in the form of garnering customer loyalty when competition is going through the roof.

The mobile-enabled users of today expect the apps to load faster, be easy to use, consume less energy, and not face latency or downtime, especially during peak usage hours. Also, with more customers riding the mobile wave, there are concerns about maintaining and securing the confidentiality and privacy of data from cybercriminals. To mitigate such issues and ensure the mobile apps perform as expected, they should be tested thoroughly by professional mobile app testing services.

It has been made abundantly clear that increased adoption of mobile apps is directly linked to superior user experiences. So, mobile apps have moved beyond the realm of just enhancing functional specifications into areas such as accessibility, compatibility, usability, performance, and security. Any mobile application testing process should consider these aspects so that mobile applications remain compatible with various device platforms, operating systems, and networks. Given the new challenges faced by brands riding the mobile app bandwagon, the traditional models of testing mobile applications are poised to change. In fact, modern testing interventions are needed to ensure the apps delivered to the users perform at their optimal level, strengthen brands, and become a reliable revenue earner for business enterprises.

The top modern testing interventions for mobile apps

Any mobile application testing strategy should incorporate a set of modern testing interventions as described below:

Performance: Apps should perform consistently in an omnichannel environment, including during peak usage hours. App performance depends on three aspects: the network, server, and the app. Since testers cannot control the network, they test the app and server first as part of mobile testing. Server performance can be tested through mobile test automation where commercial load testing tools are utilized. Whereas app testing can be performed by connecting actual devices with tools to know the results of metrics such as app load time, memory consumption, and battery usage.

Usability: The tech-savvy customers of today want the interfaces of their mobile apps to be simple and easy to navigate. This calls for incorporating dynamic content and minimalist design to let customers understand the various features and functionalities of the app. Also, since the screen sizes of mobile phones are small, it is better to shift the features that are not central to the app’s functionality to the secondary screens.

This can remove a lot of clutter from the home page of the app. An important trend is to tweak a set of style sheets to drive the display of dynamic content and resize content and interface elements automatically based on the screen size. Developers are going for responsive design to reduce development time while maintaining a consistent look and feel of the app’s interface across device platforms. These aspects should be considered while devising a mobile application testing approach.

Accessibility: An easily accessible mobile application can reach out to disabled users with features such as visual notifications, screen-readable text, vibrations, and voice recognition, among others. In fact, enterprises can refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to build accessibility principles in apps. Any mobile application testing strategy should verify the accessibility of apps through the above-mentioned features.

Security: Cybercriminals can get hold of confidential customer data when mobile apps are accessed using an insecure network such as an untrusted cellular network, mobile hotspot, or WiFi. With a plethora of entry points for mobile devices, namely, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth, and others, computer malware can easily enter the devices and the apps therein to cause data breaches. This calls for employing robust data security measures and creating a strong mobile application testing framework.

By incorporating the security aspect in a mobile application testing strategy, the integrity and confidentiality of data can be ensured. The security testing techniques for mobile apps may include leveraging Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) methods. Issues such as compromised authentication, client-side injections, transport layer insecurities, weak server-side controls, insecure data storage, and poor authorization must be tackled during the security testing of mobile apps.

Conclusion

There is no ‘one size fits all’ mobile application testing methodology. Each mobile app should be rigorously tested by mobile app testing services for compatibility with all OS and device combinations and the cloud. Modern testing interventions, as mentioned above, can enhance the performance of mobile apps and let them become brand representatives of business enterprises.

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James Daniel is a software Tech enthusiastic & works at Cigniti Technologies. I'm having a great understanding of today's software testing quality that yields strong results and always happy to create valuable content & share thoughts.

Article Source: dev.to