This document is to provide fresh test engineer or junior test engineer a overview to enable them to start testing applications on mobile.

1. Mobile Application
Testing
Srinivasan.G
www.mobisir.net
www.arthavidhya.com

2. Mobile is the NEXT in Computing
• Mobile is different:
Transformational business models
Faster lifecycles
More iterative
• Mainframe -> Client/Server-> Web/Desktop -> Mobile
• New to Mobile!
• Our past experience can shape our views, our expectations, what we think to
look for.
• We know mobile is a “world without wires” but is there anything else
different or unique from what we know

3. Mobile Applications : Broad Category
Customer facing (B2C) applications
• ‘Face of the Business’
• Engage customer personally and drive loyalty
• User experience is key to brand perception
Employee facing (B2E) applications
• Increase worker productivity
• Speed decision making and action
• Poor user experience compromises investment
•Quality is critical for mobile applications

4. Non-user Stakeholders in mobile testing
• Device (Screen Size)
• Platform (OS, Browsers)
• Features( Stories)
• Carrier (Capabilities, Constraints)
• Location( Load(crowd), Topography)
• End Users

5. Application Usage
Type
Description
Native App
• Specifically designed to run on a device.
• Testing needs to include download/ upgrade/ uninstall.
• Typically needs to be adapted for different devices.
•Runs on Device OS
Mobile Website
• HTML5 makes it increasingly difficult to separate web apps from
• Usually be accessed from all Web-capable mobile devices.
• Testing needs to include different mobile browsers.
Native app with offline and/or
sync capability
• Sync with server happens on the device.

6. The end user
• The end user is the ultimate consideration!
•
•
•
•
What they actually do?
What they want to do?
What they like
What they do not like

7. Mobile Development Steps.
• Develop
• Strategize
• Design and Develop
• Integrate, Instrument
• Test
• Scan & Certify
• Deploy
• Manage
• Get insights from the field
• Manage, Prioritize

8. Mobile App Testing Scope
Testing involves much more than just the mobile front-end
Testing the end-to-end mobile solution
Development Stages
Type of Testing Needed
Mobile Product Development
Mobile Web, Native client, Server development & backend Integration
Mobile Testing
• Emulator & on-device testing, Testing for certifications
• Usability and Automated testing
• Last mile testing in target geography
Platform/Device Testing
• Platform porting, Device porting
• Development for OS and device upgrades
Application Launch
• Application signing & certification
• Launch in App Stores

9. Is Mobile testing different?
• User experience is more critical
• Device platforms, fragmentation, and growth
• Various mobile vendors
• Multiple form factors and screen resolutions
• Device refresh every 24 months
• New capabilities to test
• Camera, GPS, direction, orientation, Voice, etc.
• Data and power consumption
• Network Related
• Multiple carriers, variable throughput and latency, offline access, transition

10. Pointers during mobile testing
Areas
Device Access
Devices might be shared across team. You need access to diversified selection. Can
device be remotely accessible? Are you making use of device clouds to minimize cost?
Performance
Test working of mobile client code, mobile network and mobile client experience. We
also need to test middle-tier and back-end.
Security
Check for security leaks in Network connections, Check for Server data, Client data,
injections and data flow analysis
Service Virtualization
Can we Isolate front-end from back-end and test? Can we have control over data and
interface? Both of them keep improving. We want to decrease expensive set-up costs
Manual
Still most used mobile testing method, Frequently made use in outsourcing and crowd
sourcing scenarios. Need for input validation and integration testing along with test
management
Test Management
Test planning, reporting, and dash boarding

11. Emulation of Devices and Browsers
• Emulators are used for
• developing mobile websites and applications
• rapid smoke-tests
• testing in parallel with physical devices
• Install application
• You will need to be able to perform app deployment
• When restarted, everything returns to default settings.

12. Activities of Mobile Tester
Testing Coverage
Manual Testing
Still most used mobile testing method
•Necessary for some validation
•Integration with test management
•Frequently key in outsourcing scenarios
Test Service layer
• Test front-end and back-end separate
• Control over data and interface
• Decrease expensive set-up costs
Security Testing
• Network connections - Server data, Client data
• Injections and data flow analysis
Performance Testing
Mobile client code, Mobile network, Mobile client experience
Device Access
•
•
•
•
Test Management/Test
Environment setup
Test planning, reporting, and dash boarding
Test case/suite/, Create Test environment
Remotely accessible
Shareable across teams / geographies
Access to diverse selection
Device clouds minimize cost of ownership

13. Quality is not currently great
• Many applications are un-tested.
• Many phones launch with serious issues
• Users tolerate this….but for how long?
• How can we improve this?

14. Thank You
gsvasan@mobisir.net
http://proteans.wordpress.com/?s=mobile+testing