With the fantastic growth of mobile computing platforms such as the iPhone, Blackberry,Symbian, J2ME, Windows Mobile and Android environments, there has been a dramatic increase in the value of mobile applications for most companies. However, one of the biggest challenges that one faces when developing a mobile application is how to test it. Testing Mobile applications is a very intricate and arduous undertaking. There are an enormous number of factors to consider for mobile computing which simply aren’t present for desktop or web development, including hardware/software platforms, installation the application, network type, network strength, memory & battery consumption, external interfacing through WAP and HTTP etc. Additionally, testing the application in simulator, using various debugging tools are some further adventures which the tester undergoes during testing cycles. With a blend of these challenges as the core of the address, we would be presenting our experience from our product development cycles

1. Testing Techniques for
Mobile Applications
Indira Pai, Basant Chandran
MangoSpring Technologies Pvt Ltd.

2. Introduction
• With the fantastic growth of mobile computing
platforms there has been a dramatic increase in the
value of mobile applications for most companies.
• One of the biggest challenges that one faces when
developing a mobile application is how to test it.
• There are a number of factors to consider for mobile
testing which aren't present for desktop or web.

3. Agenda
• Types of mobile applications
• Mobile testing generics
• Platforms
• Comparing testing on simulator with testing
with device

4. Types of applications in mobile
1. Browser Based
Applications
2. Pre Installed
Applications
3. Installable
applications

5. Browser Based Applications
• Applications built for mobile browsers
• Can be accessed by entering the specific URL
in mobile browser.
• No Installation/Un-installations involved
• No Upgrade involved

6. Browser Based Applications (contd.)
• Browser Based Application users always
expect connectivity
• Network speed and coverage become an
important test case
• Speed is a critical aspect:
• User entered values can’t be stored locally in
device database, until user allows storing
information in Cache, he has to enter all his
information manually every time.

7. Pre Installed Applications
• Applications which are shipped as in built
software with the mobile device
• If devices are not launched yet, a prototype of that
device model is given by the device manufacturer.
• No Downloads involved
• No Installation/Un-installations involved
• Automatic Upgrades can be done.
• This is specific to application.

8. Pre Installed Applications (contd.)
• Testing of these applications in prototypes is
very critical
• They deal with the very core data and
functions of the device.
• If anything goes wrong, the core database might
get corrupt.
• They cannot be uninstalled/deleted ever.

9. Pre Installed Applications (contd.)
• Crashes can cause severe damage to ROM
• Only way to remove these applications would
be to flush ROM and then upgrade it.

10. Installable Applications
• Can be upgraded:
– This is specific to the application design
– This also depends on the source from where
application was downloaded
• Applications whose executable files/packages
can be downloaded / received by wireless
media or wired media.
– Platform Specific

11. Installable Applications (contd.)
• Can be installed/uninstalled in the device
• They can be downloaded from:
– App Store
– OTA (Over The Air)
• A URL which leads to download of the application.
– Transfer via USB cable
• Can be transferred from wireless media like
Blue Tooth, Infra Red etc.

12. Mobile Testing Generics
• Testing in various network strengths
– No Network Defect in %
100 No Network
– Low 80 Low
60
– Medium 40
Medium
High
– High
20
Change in
0
strength
– Testing during change of network strength from:
• No Network/Low to High
• High to Low/No Network

13. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Testing in various network speed
% of issues
– Low
– Medium 100
80 Low
– High 60
40
Medium
High
Change in speed
20
0
– Testing during change of network speed from:
• Low to High
• High to Low

14. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Testing in various network types:
– 2G :
• GPRS
• CDMA
• EDGE
– 3G
– Wi-Fi
– Different types of Plans based on service
provider

15. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Testing in various Battery Strengths
– Critical % of Issues
– Low 100
80
– During Charging Critical
60 Low
– High 40 During Charging
High
20
0

16. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Monitoring Battery consumption patterns
– Observe battery consumption rate as the
application is being
• Run in Background
• Run in Foreground
– Run the application for long time.

17. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Monitoring Memory usage patterns
– Observe memory usage pattern as the application
is being
• Launched
• Run:
• In Background
• In Foreground
• Exit
– Run the application for long time.

18. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Check memory usage patterns when in device
apart from the pre installed applications
– No other applications are installed
• Lot of free memory available in device.
– Some third party applications are installed
• Lesser free memory available in device
– Lot of third party applications are installed
• Very less free memory available in device

19. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Memory Consumption Pattern (RAM usage)
– Check memory consumption pattern when multiple
applications are running while the application is
being:
• Launched
• Run
• In Background
• In Foreground
• Exit

20. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Interruptions:
– Activities which can occur parallel within the
device while application is being:
• Installed
• Launched
• Run
• Exit
• Upgraded
• Uninstalled/ Deleted

21. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Examples of Interruptions:
• Incoming call
• Receiving incoming call
• Receiving message
• Device shutdown
• Remove battery
• Camera activated
• Lose network connectivity and then regain it

22. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Debug Build:
– A very important asset in helping reproduce
“difficult to reproduce” bugs
– A build released in debug mode which has logs
enabled.
– Enabling logs based on sequence of keys
– Logs can be read continuously, and can help
retrace steps to any issue, provided application is
running.

23. Mobile Testing Generics (contd.)
• Build Signing :
• Required for a build which has to be pushed to an
app store.
• Confirms that norms as per the authority of OS or
device manufacturer are followed.
• Testing round after build signing needs to be
done
• Ensures the final build being submitted is of
appropriate quality standard.

24. Platforms covered
• iPhone
• Android
• BlackBerry
• Symbian
• Windows Mobile
• J2ME Applications

25. Input modes in different platforms
• Touch Screen
– Testing with single touch inputs
– Testing with multiple touch inputs
– Testing for Virtual Keypad
• Track Ball/ TrackWheel
• Keypad
• Test cases around multiple inputs at the same
time

26. Device Modes in different Platforms
• Portrait
• Landscape
– UI should be properly
aligned as per mode
– Test cases around
mode change when
application is running
in background.

27. iPhone
• Additional Testing aspects:
– UI Guidelines from Apple need to be adhered to.
– Backward OS compatibility
– Allows running only one application at a time.
– Can debug via USB cable connection
– Device Reboot not much needed until for clearing
cached data

28. iPhone – Testing Tools
• Screenshots:
– Can be taken by clicking the Home key and the
Lock key together.
– No other explicit tool needed
• Memory Sweep
– A tool with which a memory snapshot of iPhone
device can be obtained at any given time.

29. Android
• Additional Testing Aspects:
– Allows running multiple applications in background
– Application gets normally minimized on exiting.
• So a reboot needed to launch application again.
• Reboot needed often

30. Android - Debugging
• Select “Enable USB Debugging” in device
settings.
• Then connect device to system via USB cable.

31. Android -Testing Tools
• Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (DDMS)
– Port-forwarding services
– Screen capture on the device
– Thread and heap information on the device
– Logcat
– Process, and radio state information
– Incoming call and SMS spoofing
– Location data spoofing, and more.

32. Android -Testing Tools (contd.)
• Monkey Tool
– Runs on simulator or device
– Generates pseudo-random streams of user events
such as clicks, touches, or gestures, as well as a
number of system-level events.
• TaskKiller
– A utility application used to kill process.
– Useful to skip device reboot.

33. BlackBerry
• Additional Testing Aspects:
– Allows running multiple applications in background
– Device Reboot
• Not much needed until for clearing cached data
• Needed mainly for while uninstalling/installing any
application.
• Build Signing/Verification
– Signed/certified by RIM

34. BlackBerry – Debugging
• USB cable connected debugging
• Can be done via JDE console after attaching
debugger

35. BlackBerry – Testing Tools
• Native Logs:
– A combination on Alt+LGLG keys opens the
device logs in device.
– Has 3 types of filters:
• Debug
• Information
• Error
– This helps analyze type of exceptions.

36. BlackBerry – Testing Tools (contd.)
• JL_Cmder:
– A little batch script to manipulate JavaLoader.
– JavaLoader, a tool shipped with JDE, can be used
to easily:
• Display Device Info
• Display an event log
• Take a screenshot
• Wipe the handheld
• Reset it to factory conditions

37. BlackBerry – Testing Tools (contd.)
• BBScreenshooter
– Desktop Based tool
– Needs device to be connected to desktop system
for capturing screenshots
• CaptureIt
– Device Based tool
– Device need not be connected to desktop for
capturing screeshots.

38. Symbian
• Additional Testing Aspects:
– Allows running multiple applications in background
– Device Reboot not much needed until for clearing
cached data
• Build Signing/Verification
– Signed/certified by Symbian
– By device manufacturing authority like Nokia

39. Symbian - Debug
• Can be connected to the IDE via:
– USB cable connected debugging
• More preferred
– Via BlueTooth
• Less Preferred due to device driver issues

40. Symbian – Testing Tools
• Screenshot tools:
– All tools are device based
– After installing the tool,
• Set a shortcut key for screen capture.
• Start the tool and then let it run in the background while
application is run.
• Clicking on the shortcut key captures screenshot and
stores it in device.
– Examples:
• ScreenSnap S60 (5th Edition)
• ScreenTaker for Nokia 7650/3650/N-Gage/SX1

41. Symbian – Testing Tools (contd.)
• Yucca Tools:
– File browsing in Symbian device
– Crash Monitor
– Shows all supported fonts in device with preview.
– Memory status

42. Windows Mobile
• Additional Testing Aspects-
– Allows running multiple applications in background
– Can exit the application from task manager
• Needed in case application gets hanged in background
and its process needs to be killed

43. Windows Mobile - Debugging
• Debugging
– USB Cable connection needed between device
and desktop
– Can use visual studio

44. Windows Mobile - Testing Tools
• Hopper
– For stress testing.
– Throws random events such as click events,
entering text if text field in application run in
background etc.
– Logs are stored in device ,screenshot is also
stored if device hangs or if application crashes.

45. J2ME Applications
• J2ME is a Development Platform
• Input Modes:
• Follows input modes of the platform, some
restrictions might exist.
• Device Modes:
– Based on platform

46. J2ME Applications (contd.)
• Additional Testing Aspects:
– For mass markets handsets
– Porting Friendly
• Should work well on the supported device/ platform on
which its installed.
• Should be able to work well after the device firmware
upgrades.
• Build Signing/Verification
– Verified by Verifying Authority.
– Verified by device manufacturing authority like
Nokia

47. J2ME Applications - Testing Tools
• Tools provided by device platforms can be
used.
• Wireless Toolkit
• Debug mode build.

48. Testing on Simulator

49. Testing on Simulator (contd.)
• Simulators :
– A software application that can accurately imitate
mobile phone.
• The need to test on simulators:
– Non availability of device
– Testing same build in multiple device screens
– Non availability of certain network for device
testing in testing area.

50. Testing on Simulator (contd.)
• Advantages:
– Can help in isolating issues which are not volatile
network connection dependent.
– Can provide a wide variety of testing over different
types of device simulators for the same build.

51. Testing on Simulator (contd.)
• Disadvantages:
– Simulators of older generation handsets don’t
resemble the device as closely
– Some issues which are hit by the speed at which
input was given cannot be reproduced easily
– Hardware/Firmware environment variations
detectable in device testing only
– Device testing is always preferred as it represents
more likely end user scenarios

52. Questions

53. Thank You