Mobile Automation Testing: Where Do You Start?

Automation for mobile testing is the process of using special software tools and scripts to automatically execute test scenarios and check the functionality, stability, and interaction of a mobile application on different devices and platforms. Automated mobile testing allows for greater efficiency, speed, and accuracy of mobile application testing. It helps to detect errors, flaws, and incompatibilities of the software on different devices and versions of operating systems and also provides coverage of a broader range of test scenarios.

With proper planning and tool selection, automation can improve the quality of your mobile app testing. Considering all the above points, automated testing of mobile applications is necessary for your project.

Mobile apps are usually built to provide specific functionality or services to users, ranging from productivity tools to social networking, gaming, entertainment, e-commerce, and more. To better understand the process of creating mobile automation tests, it is necessary to understand their typification to consider all the features. 

Native apps: Native applications are used on a specific platform, such as iOS or Android, using programming languages and tools supported by that platform. These apps have full access to the device's functionality, including the camera, geolocation, and notifications. As a result, they can work offline and provide the best performance.

Web apps: Web applications are available through a web browser on mobile devices. They do not require installation on the user's device and can work on different platforms. Web applications may have limited access to device functionality and require a constant Internet connection, but they are the fastest to develop and the most convenient for updates and deployment. You can learn how to test web applications here.

Hybrid apps: Hybrid apps combine elements of native and web development. Known technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are used for their development and then packaged into native application containers. Hybrid apps can run on different platforms using shared code. They may have limited access to device functionality, but their development is faster and more cost-effective because only one codebase needs to be created.

Each type of application has advantages and limitations, and the choice depends on the project's needs, budget, and target audience. Every mobile application requires its approach, testing, and a separate list of tools.

It is important to focus on features of mobile automation tests, which include several essential aspects:

We have prepared a review of the most popular frameworks and tools of automation for mobile testing. Our prepared list will help you familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of the most famous tools.

WebdriverIO is a framework for automating web, mobile, and desktop application testing using Selenium WebDriver. This framework is open source and has very extensive and informative documentation.

Advantages:

• speed;

• a time-tested framework that is regularly updated;

• convenient API.

Disadvantages:

• only works with JS/TS.

Selenium is a framework that lets you automate the testing of mobile applications on various platforms, including Android and iOS. Selenium was initially designed to automate web applications, but the Selenium WebDriver extension allows you to use it to automate mobile applications.

Advantages:

• many people know this test framework;

• the ability to write in the following programming languages: JS/TS, C#, Python, and Java.

Disadvantages:

• obstinacy, clearly inferior in simplicity to new frameworks;

• speed, unhurried;

• difficult to set up and use.

Appium is a cross-platform, open-source platform for automating mobile testing. This allows you to automate mobile testing using the same test code on different platforms, including Android and iOS. An exciting feature of Appium is that it also supports the following Espresso and XCUITest under the hood.

Advantages:

• cross-platform support;

• support for various languages and frameworks;

• rich documentation.

Disadvantages:

• setup complexity and experience requirements;

• slow startup;

• lengthy installation process.

Espresso is specially designed for testing Android applications and provides advanced features to ensure speed, reliability, and ease of testing. It offers a simple API that is easy to learn and updated with new Android versions.

Advantages:

• frequent updates and support for the latest Android versions;

• automatic synchronization;

• ease of use.

Disadvantages:

• dependency on UI elements;

• supports only the Java programming language;

• does not support cross-platform testing.

XCUITest is an automated mobile testing framework designed for testing iOS applications. It is designed specifically for this platform and provides many opportunities for fast and reliable application testing.

Advantages:

• support for asynchronous operations;

• possibilities of interaction with all elements of the user interface;

• speed of work;

• doesn’t need to install anything.

Disadvantages:

• only used for iOS;

• the complexity of the setting;

• does not support cross-platform testing.

BrowserStack provides developer teams instant access to a cloud platform that allows them to comprehensively test their websites and mobile applications for functionality, performance, and visual appeal so they can release bug-free software faster and at scale.

Advantages:

• supports cross-browser and cross-platform testing;

• high speed and stable performance;

• ease of use through an intuitive interface.

Disadvantages:

• high usage cost;

• spending a lot of resources.

SauceLabs is a cloud-based automated testing platform that specializes in web and mobile application testing. It provides a cross-device, operating system, and cross-browser test environment that allows developers and QA engineers to run tests on various configurations efficiently

Advantages:

• cross-platform;

• cloud infrastructure;

• a wide selection of browsers and devices;

• simplified test management.

Disadvantages:

• cost;

• dependence on Internet connection;

• limitation of own resources (restriction of the ability to configure the environment according to one's own needs).

Creating automated tests for mobile apps can be challenging, but it's worth the effort. If you want to improve the quality of your app, here is a list of our tips for creating automated tests for mobile apps to help you along the way:

Our tips will help you get off to the right start, streamline the testing process, and ensure a successful outcome. Contact us to learn how Luxe Quality can elevate your mobile app testing experience.

It should be noted that mobile applications are much more complex than web applications and desktop applications, and therefore, their testing should be given much more attention. You learned the critical stages of automating mobile testing and got acquainted with the most popular tools designed for this process. We have shared our experience and advice with you.

Luxe Quality offers extensive testing services, including mobile application testing services. Moreover, you can explore case studies from our clients, such as Magora and others, who have already taken advantage of Luxe Quality's services. These case studies offer valuable insights into their collaboration experience with Luxe Quality and the outcomes of testing their mobile applications.