How do developers test apps?

Mobile application design has emerged as the biggest trend in the market in recent years; this field has created many opportunities for people including developers, application owners or users. Mobile applications have created a good vibrancy in the market and for this reason the competition in this market is very high. Therefore, designing a functional and beautiful application is not enough, and developers must ensure that the application is free of any errors and bugs that may create a bad user experience for users and discourage customers from using it. App testing here helps you to have a professional app by fixing the bugs and checking the user experience of the app. By testing the application, a higher quality app can be produced. Unfortunately, many people ignore this important stage of development. For the useful design of any application, app testing should be done in all phases of development, from idea generation to design and implementation. It may seem difficult to know when to test your app, but mobile app testing tools have made it easy for you. By reading the rest of this article, you can find out the stages of app testing during its design process.

App test steps

1- Strategy and preparation

This is the first and most important step after the completion of the development process. This step requires you to set up a strategy and work plan to determine what actions are needed for the success of the application and what obstacles and limitations are on the way. This is a critical step because it sets the course for the rest of the steps. The activities performed at this stage are as follows:

- Dependence on different systems

- Check and summarize essential items

- Check the data used in the app

- Check the space required to design the application

- Describe practical prerequisites

- Does the application interact with different applications?

- Specify the smart devices that use the application

- Determining whether the application is limited to front-end testing? Is it possible to test it in the back-end mode?

- Check the app management panel

- Checking the applications of each feature of the app

- Determine whether the application will be native, progressive (PWA) or hybrid

2- Categorize the type of application

It is necessary to design the application in such a way that it supports both Android and iOS versions. The reason is that end users may use different mobile phones. To ensure that the application works with both operating systems; We consider a combination of manual testing, automated testing and testing in the cloud simulator, which includes practical testing, ease of use of the app, security testing, etc. This way you will know what kind of practical prerequisites to try.

3- Case application and design script

Application case testing consists of a series of steps that help us run a special test on the application. Script testing is very similar to case testing. The only difference between them is that the term case test is used in manual testing and the term script test is used in automatic testing. It is very important that you test every feature and functionality you have introduced in your mobile app.

4- Testing the application in the right environment

The suitable environment for application testing means a combination of app codes plus different models of mobile devices. This helps to test hardware, software and designed system. Also, the test environment is prepared according to the requirements of the application under review. Providing the right environment to perform the necessary tests on the app guarantees the success of the application. Any defect in this field can lead to additional cost and time for the customer.

5- Manual and automatic application

This stage includes manual application case testing and automatic testing using tools, simulators or test systems. Currently, these manual case tests and automated content tests are performed on the key functions of the application to guarantee the absence of bugs. Record the identified defects in the error management system and follow the work plan set in step 1.

6- Beta testing

Beta app testing is an important part of the app development process. After the app is tested by the app design company, they give the app to real users to test. Beta testing makes it possible to fix the main bugs before releasing the app and making it available to the general public. What is the role of beta testers? These people use the app for a certain period of time and report any bugs and issues in the app to be fixed. This test helps app designers to understand whether the app is suitable for users or not. And if the application design is not suitable; they have the chance to improve the app design before submitting it to the stores.

7- App efficiency

Application testing in terms of efficiency is actually an evaluation of a framework, how the app is designed to do a specific task. Performance testing is usually done to analyze the speed, proper functioning of different parts of the app. This test considers several points, for example, it checks the number of server requests, the reaction of the app to touching the button, etc.

8- Security

Make sure that security layers are observed in the design of the application and that the application is safe from cyber attacks. To have a high security application, you must follow some important points such as installing SSL, using a dedicated host, making regular backups of the app, etc. Penetration testing is used to measure the security of the site.

Mobile apps have to meet many security rules before they can be made available to the public. Security testing depends on the features of the mobile application. However, the security rules that every developer should follow are as follows:

- PCI DSS – Set Payment Security Act on Payment Cards.

The standard of information security in electronic payments (E-payment) is a well-known standard in increasing the security of information in financial processes and transactions, which all card service provider organizations should implement in order to increase the security of cardholders' information.

- HIPAA – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

HIPAA, which stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability, was approved by the US Department of Health. This law aims to reduce the costs and executive burden of health care by accepting the electronic transfer of administrative and financial transactions to standard complaints, which led to the rule of confidentiality of health information on service providers.

- FFIEC – Security Act for financial and banking industries that have sensitive financial data.

The Federal Financial Institutions Supervisory Council (FFIEC) was established in 1979 as an interagency body mandated to define rules, policies, standards, and report common federal practices on financial institutions, although the FFIEC has created a higher degree of coordination between agencies and bank branches. And adjustment regulations are constantly changing. In addition to changing laws, changes in the industry have resulted in mergers of the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, OTS, MAIC, and OCC, and offices have been closed.

9- Device

The purpose of device testing is to test the app with different phones with different operating systems and in different sizes to ensure that the applications work easily.

10- Application report

At this stage, a complete report of the tests performed on the application should be prepared. This report includes evaluations of the app's performance, framework, speed, flaws and bugs. The type of tests and their results should be included in this report, which will help improve the app in the future. This report indicates whether the manufactured product is ready for use and investment.

Why should we do mobile application testing?

In mobile application design, there are definitely some problems that are fixed during the testing and development stage. The importance of app testing to attract investors is undeniable. So, in order to have a successful application, in addition to its design, it is necessary to test and develop the application in all stages. Because the technology and the needs of the users are progressing and the app must be updated along with the technology. Also, application testing improves the user experience at each stage of testing. In addition, mobile application design becomes more complex over time and requires application testing from start to finish. Whether the program is easy to download, works well and performs well on different devices should be tested. We hope this article gives you an overview of the mobile app testing process and what you need.