Mobile applications are used by users not in the same way as web or desktop applications. The differences are inherent in the user's behavior. We often use mobile applications instantly on the road, in the elevator, at the bus stop, etc. The phone starts up quickly, often turns to sleep mode, switches between cell towers, etc. Compared with web applications, which are usually opened on a computer with a large screen and the user is in a comfortable chair at work, at home or in a cafe. In such conditions, the user is ready to peer at the monitor, paying attention to information that is generously scattered on the site. While using the phone, a small screen and a changing environment influence the user's perception.
The user is annoyed if the page loads for more than 2 seconds or if it is unclear where to click to find the required information. Big companies, such as Facebook or Twitter, stir the pot by producing applications of excellent quality, spending hundreds of man-hours on researching each button and testing each function (read $). In comparison, applications with weak or unprocessed UI are losing a lot. The applications with unstable work in a changing environment are losing even more.
This difference in user behavior in mobile applications imposes other requirements not only on design but also on the development and testing of mobile applications.
That's why testing mobile applications is different from testing web and desktop applications, and it is a separate direction that has its own nuances.
Because of the complexity of Android application testing, as dictated by different types of devices and the universality of the Android OS, we will go into detail in this article.
Checklist for each Android mobile app:
1. The distinction between Android and iOS.
2. Selection of devices for testing.
3. Installation, removal, and upgrade functions.
4. Working with hard buttons.
5. Networks (Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, Edge etc.) and features of application interaction with networks.
6. Interrupts and switching.
7. Android app testing the graphic and logical interfaces of the project (UX/UI).
8. Checking the work with the memory of your mobile device or phone.
9. Localization.
10. Consumption of energy.
These are not all the questions that appear while Android application testing, but even a glimpse of them gives an idea of this process complexity. Our experts of Android app development will consider these issues in order.
The difference between mobile OS
Here we draw out the following important features of the Android OS related to iOS.
The share of users on the Android system is about 71.4% of the mobile market, according to Statcounter. So, these users install the largest number of mobile applications available on the market. Dealing with the majority of users around the world is a big responsibility, so it is very important to provide them with a quality product and high-performance devices.
Out-of-date versions of the operating system. Android OS is an operating system with an open source code for smartphones and tablets based on the Linux kernel. It means that users don’t tend to update it immediately. For example, if the latest version is Android 12.0 and the most popular version is 9.0. With detailed and high-quality Android app testing it’s easier to debug errors and make every new update really better than the previous version.
The variety of devices. The Android market is full of devices with different screen resolutions and diagonals, the operating system shell from the device's producer, camera, processor, etc. This complicates the choice of test devices, which provide the maximum coverage of device-dependent bugs.
The variety of phone firmware. Many Android device producers are trying to lay their shell on top of the Android OS. It is being done for a number of reasons: the use of exclusive features (e.g.: Bixby, device compression in the hand, which leads to the activation of the function, etc.), the design, the location of the system buttons (it can be either on the display or on the smartphone frame), "not to be like others," and so on.
In addition, there are many updates to this OS, which increases the time for Android testing. In order to test the mobile application on a lower version than what's on the device, I recommend downgrading the firmware. This topic is so broad and multifaceted that it is impossible to cover everything in one article. So, to learn more, read our part 2 about Android testing.Image from
