According to the World Quality Research 2017-2018, mobile application testing is now on the verge of changes. The number of enterprises investing in the testing process is increasing constantly.
At the same time, the quality assurance requirements are enlarging. Engineers are involved in testing complicated products and are to find even trivial defects.
Let’s have a look at the most common defects that QA Academy tutors face during mobile testing projects.
We hope this material will help you always remember about crucial quality aspects of the application you are to test.
Different OS, browsers and screen resolutions lack appropriate support
An application shouldn’t only perform its functions correctly. It should also pass prerelease cross-platform and cross-browser testing.
Otherwise, compatibility problems for sure will take place.
New versions of the most popular OS such as Windows, Android, macOS, Linux are announced annually. Sometimes they are released even twice a year. Chrome, IE, Opera, Firefox, Safari, Konqueror, Lynx, Dolphin Browser HD and many other browsers follow the same tendency.
The variety of devices is also of great importance. Screen resolutions differ from a phone to a tablet. Nevertheless, display quality shouldn’t be affected.
The defect will unlikely fall into production if configurations’ matrix is complete.
Rejection of security principles
It happens when a mobile application requests access to data that is obviously unnecessary for its correct performance.
For instance, the game requires access to sending SMS or voice mailing. It’s important to avoid such financial spending.
Access to audio or video files can also cause problems. They include tracking through the camera on a mobile device or tapping all calls.
Incorrect application localization
Many mobile applications are implemented for the international market. That’s why localization is one of the main principles for a successful release. It should be taken into account in order to save time and money on the bugs’ removal.
Localization isn’t only about translating the application text into the desired language. It also means adapting the application to the new cultural environment and the mentality of the inhabitants who live in various countries.
Qualitative localization involves correct translation of:
- Abbreviations
- Currencies
- Names and surnames
- Date and time formats
- Time zones
- Postal addresses
- RTL languages (Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac).
General text euphony is also very important.
Uncontrolled consumption of device resources
If the battery is low only after several hours of an application performance, the app for sure is not optimized.
In such situations, except for a quick battery discharge the application performs badly and heats the smartphone.
Some mobile applications, such as social networks, constantly collect information about users, for instance, their location. It is no surprise such apps use much of device’s memory. In this case, you can turn them off.
However if the app even in the background causes a complete battery discharge, it contains defects.
The lack of optimization for various types of connections (Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE)
If the app catches the network badly even after fulfilling all the recommendations for improving the Wi-Fi signal, the optimization isn’t customized.
In such a situation, the user’s relocation influences the quality of connection. As a result, the application will be deleted due to its uselessness.
Incorrect display on different resolution screens
Screen resolution of multiple mobile devices differs.
The app may be displayed incorrectly. For instance, the defects occur during a horizontal smartphone utilization, when the elements of the program interface collapse.
The problem is that the application doesn’t perform properly according to the existing requirements.
Application crash
Mobile application development is expanding quickly. Application reliability is also increasing. However, they still crash at times, if internal defects are dismissed.
After a sudden app crash, an error message appears. Reboot or clearance of device memory aren’t always the best solutions.
Sometimes you have to delete all the data, reinstall the app or reset it to the factory settings, which in all cases leads to a complete data loss.
The lack of an appropriate application response to certain gestures
Sometimes web applications misinterpret the gestures of users.
For instance, an application reacts strangely to unsupported gestures and even stops performing. One more example occurs when several applications are run, but the right one does not respond properly (a browser and a website).
How to become a mobile tester?
If you are interested in mobile projects, always remember that you are to study the basics first. Having mastered the fundamentals, you can easily start ensuring the mobile product’s quality. The graduates of our educational center will agree with this statement!
Summarizing
The mobile app testing is an integral part of product development.
A professional tester should have deep understanding of where to look for the defects, how to detect and describe them correctly. Developers will thank you if screenshots or other files accompany the defect’s description.
It’s a pleasure to read the reviews of satisfied users after the release of the high-quality product. Thus remembering that this is your merit as well.