The consistent growth of smartphone usage, the emergence of Agile and DevOps, new trends in mobile app development among other factors brought forth a change in software testing practices in general. This subsequently impacted mobile testing as well considering the fact that the modern world we live in is unquestionably mobile-driven.
Statista’s report that over 52% of all worldwide online traffic in 2018 came through mobile phones is a testament to the influence mobile devices have in our day-to-day lives.
Though mobile testing is technically software testing, there are fundamental differences particularly in the testing approach and purpose. People now see their mobile devices as useful personal assistants – a source of information on almost everything which means a great user experience can make a world of difference. If one app fails to grant them a good experience despite serving its purpose, users are likely to seek better ones that are more convenient and user-friendly to use.
This means mobile app testing should not be just about finding and rectifying bugs. It’s about ensuring that the experience will delight target users. Thankfully, modern mobile testing trends are centered on mobile UX. Let’s explore those mobile app testing trends that are already turning heads this year.
The Agile – DevOps Ecosystem
Both aren’t new concepts, and many software development companies were willing to invest in an ecosystem that combines the best of both Agile and DevOps. But by 2019, this trend garnered a great amount of positive reviews owing to its capability of reducing development time. The combination has also been particularly beneficial for testers and QA professionals.
The combination presently recommends planned use of test automation for even more benefits. As automation demands requirements verification, configuration of toolsets for integration and delivery, automation frameworks etc. it can be efficiently implemented in an Agile ecosystem that facilitates collaboration among the teams involved.
Performance testing to Performance engineering
User experience is one of the most important factors that determines the success of a mobile app in a competitive market. To ensure better UX, performance testing has been undergoing a slow transformation into performance engineering – something which is garnering praise from the testing community. Performance engineering is how many companies make sure that the components of an app and its network are functioning properly in addition to offering testers better automation opportunities.
Open source tools are adopted more
Open source testing tools have been helping testers across the globe for many years. But they have never been adopted like they are being adopted now. Though open source tools are generally perceived as cheaper alternatives to proprietary tools, this isn’t always the case. Regardless, open source testing and management tools are proving their mettle in more ways than one.
Open source testing tools are chosen for their versatility allowing testers to cover everything from web apps to various kinds of mobile apps – native, web, and hybrid. Some of them also come with code libraries for popular programming languages, and are both customizable and adaptable. Though the security of open source tools is questioned by many, a number of large organizations embrace open source services – a testament that their pros outweigh their cons.
Embracing IoT
In this era, people use a number of connected devices with or without knowledge popularly referred to as the Internet of Things. Gartner forecasts that there will be more connected devices in the world soon estimating the existence of over 20 billion connected devices by 2020.
As IoT gains momentum, companies investing in IoT are trying to figure out how to address the questions raised on the security of the new technology. Considering the increasing security threats to IoT, QA professionals will have to put in more effort to perform static and dynamic testing on IoT devices.
At present, IoT testers are finding it a challenge to establish security priorities, and to define ideal testing tools and conditions. But IoT’s rapid growth leads us to assume that the security aspect will definitely improve considerably this year. It’s now easier to find a reliable application management services company that can help organizations handle IoT apps and tools.
Conclusion
QA experts, testers, as well as developers may find the seemingly unstoppable rise in the number of mobile devices quite unnerving. But this is the future we used to read about years ago. It’s here and it brings with it a number of trends that open up new challenges for mobile app testers. It’s now vital to understand testing trends and how a cohesive testing strategy can ensure quality that meets the changing standards of mobile users.
