app test / 6 min read

App Testing: The Do's and Don'ts

App Testing: The Do's and Don'ts

If you’re in the process of developing an app, congratulations! This is a huge accomplishment. But your work is not done yet. The next step is to test your app to ensure it’s ready for prime time. App testing can be daunting, but don’t worry; we’re here to help.

In this blog post, we will explore the do’s and don’ts of app testing. So read on to learn more about how to test your app the right way.

The Do's of App Testing

When testing your app, you should keep a few key things in mind. First and foremost, you want to ensure that you test early and often. The sooner you can catch any bugs or issues, the better. Additionally, you’ll want to be sure to test on multiple devices and platforms. This will help ensure that your app is compatible with as many devices as possible. Finally, be sure to take advantage of beta testers. These people can provide valuable feedback about your app before it’s released to the public.

1. Planning Your Test

First, you need to understand what you want to test clearly. What are the main features of your app? What are the most important aspects of your app that you want to ensure work correctly? Once you know what you want to test, you need to create a plan.

Once you have a plan, it's time to start testing. There are a few different types of tests you can run:

• Functional tests: These tests focus on your app's functionality and ensure that all the features work as they should.
• Performance tests: These tests measure how well your app responds to various user interactions and how quickly it loads.
• Usability tests: These tests assess how easily users use your app and navigate through its different features.

You can either run these tests yourself or hire someone else to do it for you. If you're doing it yourself. Make sure you're thorough in your testing and document everything you do. It's also important to get feedback from other people who use your app so that you can improve it before launching it publicly.

2. Creating Your Test Cases

Now that you understand the basics of testing apps, it's time to start creating your own test cases. But where do you begin? There are a few things to keep in mind when creating your test cases:

1. Make sure your test cases are specific

Don't try to cover too many scenarios with one test case. Instead, be specific about what you're trying to test and what you expect to happen. This will make it easier to find bugs and track your progress.

2. Keep your test cases organised

Create a system for easily organising your test cases to find and run them when needed. This can be as simple as creating a folder for each app you're testing or using a tool to manage your tests.

3. Automate your test cases

Once you have a few test cases created, start thinking about how to automate them. This will save you time in the long run and help ensure your tests are consistent.

4. Make sure your test cases are reusable

When possible, create test cases that can be reused for future testing. This will save you time in the long run and help you keep your tests consistent.

3. Executing Your Tests

Assuming you've followed the tips in the previous sections and have written quality unit and integration tests, it's time to execute those tests and see if they pass. This is where things can get tricky, as there are many different ways to execute your tests.

There are three main ways to execute your tests: manually, via a testing tool, or through continuous integration. Let's take a look at each of these in turn.

Manually executing your tests is the most straightforward approach, but it can also be the most error-prone. To do this, simply run your test suite on your local machine and check the results. This approach can work well for small projects with a few tests, but it quickly becomes unmanageable as the number of tests grows.

Using a testing tool is a more scalable solution, as it automates the execution of your tests. Many different testing tools are available, each with its advantages and disadvantages.

Continuous integration (CI) is another popular option for executing tests. With CI, a build is triggered every time code is pushed to a shared repository, and all tests are automatically executed. This ensures that all changes are tested before merging into the main codebase. Many popular CI tools also provide additional features like code coverage reports and automated deployments.

4. Analysing Your Results

After you've completed your app tests, it's time to analyse your results. This can be a tricky process, as there are many factors to consider. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your analysis:

• Take a close look at all of your data, including any feedback you received from users.
• Try to identify any patterns or trends in the data.
• Make sure to note any areas where further testing is needed.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help from others if you're having trouble understanding the data.
• Finally, make sure to test your changes before implementing them.

Making improvements to your app can be a long and difficult process, but it's important to remember that even small changes can significantly impact your app's success.

The Don'ts of App Testing

When it comes to testing your app, there are certain things you should definitely do to ensure a high-quality product. However, there are also some things you definitely should not do if you want your app to be successful. Here are the top three app testing don'ts:

1. Don't Forget the Basics

When it comes to testing your app, don't forget the basics! Make sure to test for functionality, usability, and compatibility.

Functionality testing is important to make sure that your app is working correctly. This includes testing for bugs and errors and ensuring that all features work properly.

Usability testing is important to ensure that your app is easy to use and navigate. This includes testing for user friendliness and ensuring users can easily find what they're looking for.

Compatibility testing is important to ensure that your app is compatible with all devices and operating systems. This includes testing for different screen sizes and resolutions and ensuring that your app works with both iOS and Android devices.

2. Don't Overlook the Obvious

Assuming that you have a basic understanding of what app testing is, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

-Don't overlook the obvious. This seems common sense, but you would be surprised how often people overlook the most obvious things when testing an app. Remember to test all aspects of the app, including the user interface, functionality, and performance.

-Don't forget to test on different devices. Just because your app works on one device doesn't mean it will work on all devices. So test your app on as many different devices as possible to ensure it is compatible with as many devices as possible.

-Don't forget to test for different screen sizes. With the proliferation of mobile devices, it's important to remember that not all screens are created equal. So test your app on different screen sizes to make sure it looks good and functions properly on all screen sizes.

3. Don't Ignore Your gut

As a tester, it's important to have strong instincts and good intuition. If something feels off about a particular app, it's probably worth investigating further. It could be a sign that some underlying issues need to be addressed.

Of course, you can't always go on gut feeling alone. Sometimes you'll need to do some digging to figure out what the problem is. But if your gut tells you something is wrong, it's worth learning more.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has given you a good overview of the do's and don'ts of app testing. Remember, the most important thing is to start and keep learning as you go. There are a lot of different resources out there that can help you, so don't be afraid to search for them.

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