Mobile Application Testing

Mobile application testing verifies a mobile application’s functionality, usability, and performance on different devices and operating systems. Today, mobile applications run on various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and IoT devices. Given that most internet traffic comes from these devices, making a mobile application easy to use across platforms is more important than ever.

According to Statista, global mobile application downloads are expected to reach 143 billion from the Google Play Store and 38 billion from the Apple App Store by 2026. Meanwhile, AppsFlyer reports that the uninstall rate for Android applications in 2024 was 46.1%. 

The data highlights that while users prefer mobile applications over web versions, they also quickly remove them. Users may uninstall an app for many reasons, including bugs, excessive notifications, UI/UX issues, intrusive ads, poor performance, and battery consumption. Mobile application testing helps to reduce concerns and improve user retention.

This article covers all aspects of mobile application testing, from application and testing types to creating an effective test plan. It also explores optimizing the testing process and addressing challenges by following best practices. 

Summary of key mobile application testing concepts

Mobile applications types

There are four main types of mobile applications, as described in the table below.

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Mobile application testing types

This section outlines the different aspects or phases of testing. You typically want to test every application using all the test types outlined below.

Functional testing

Functional testing checks the overall functionality of the application. Tests are performed based on the requirement criteria, ensuring the user workflows and interactions are seamless and behave as expected. There are various types of functional testing, including unit testing, integration testing, end-to-end testing, and more. 

Functional testing checks include:

• The application installs and uninstalls properly
• The app launches without crashes or glitches
• Smooth user authentication
• The interactiveness of buttons, text inputs, and other elements
• Validating correct permissions

Compatibility testing

Compatibility testing identifies and addresses platform and device issues before the mobile app is released to users. The app is tested on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, iOS, Android, and different browsers. 

When conducting compatibility testing, create a list of target devices and screen resolutions to test against since exhaustive testing isn’t feasible for every device and screen resolution available. The list of devices and platforms should be based on user analytics. 

Devices that are more popular among users should be prioritized for testing, while less common devices can be tested as needed. Covering widely used devices offers a smoother experience for the majority of users.

Localization testing

Localization testing matters for apps aimed at global users or specific groups of people. You verify that translations, currency, and date formats are accurate according to the geographical region. For example, validate that: 

• The app syncs with the user's local time zone, not the server location.
• Translations are correct and make sense in the context.
• Any currency formats change based on the user's location.

Localization testing helps tailor apps to a user’s culture and environment, making them feel more comfortable and engaged. It is relevant to user retention metrics because users are likelier to continue using an app that feels familiar.

Interrupt testing

Mobile applications can be interrupted by various external events, such as incoming calls or messages, push notifications, low battery alerts, or app switching. Interrupt testing assesses how the application behaves during these interruptions and how it resumes functionality afterward.  

For instance, if a call comes in while using the app, the user should be able to answer the call and quickly return to the app once the call ends without any issues. When switching between applications, the app should preserve its state so users can continue where they left off. 

The app should also gracefully handle interruptions, like when the device goes into sleep mode or loses its network connection. It should save its state, maintain the user’s progress, and avoid crashes or data loss.

Performance testing

Mobile applications tend to have rich UIs and several layers of background processing. In UI-heavy applications, in-app performance plays a crucial role in capturing the user's attention. 

Performance testing ensures that the app provides a smooth, fast, and efficient experience for users, helping to retain their engagement. It assesses performance aspects like:

• How quickly the application responds to user interactions, such as touch, swipes, and taps 
• How long it takes for the app to launch and load its content  
• The app's battery and memory consumption 

The testing also verifies how the app performs under extreme network conditions to see if it remains functional and responsive even in less-than-ideal scenarios.

Location-based testing

Location-based testing verifies that users receive precise, relevant data based on location, enhancing the overall app experience. It checks the accuracy of the GPS functionality —for example, it checks that the application:

• Displays the correct location information.
• Handles background location updates.
• Location tracking feature continues to work as expected, even when the app is not actively being used. 

Testing the app's behavior in different geographic regions and under varying network conditions is vital to confirming that it functions correctly in all scenarios.  

Location-based testing is widely used in applications that rely on location-specific data, such as maps, weather apps, or ride-sharing services. It is also relevant when simultaneously serving a single app to many geographic regions. 

Security testing

Security testing is performed to uncover and address potential security vulnerabilities that impact user data safety. Most security breaches happen in authentication and authorization logic. Hence, security testing focuses on performing various edge cases that might cause data leaks.

In addition to authentication and authorization, security testing covers data encryption, secure communication channels (e.g., HTTPS), session management, and error handling. It guarantees that the application responds appropriately to common attack attempts like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

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Developing a mobile application test plan

A test plan is a document containing detailed information about the scope, objectives, test strategies, test data, and other relevant resources during the testing process. Here’s how we can create an effective test plan for our mobile application:

Define test objectives and scope

The goals and purpose of testing should be clearly defined with specific, measurable items. Outline the features, functionalities, and components that will be tested to ensure they meet the expected quality standards. Additionally, specify any areas outside the testing scope to set clear boundaries and avoid confusion.

Identify test strategy

This section defines the testing strategy to be used throughout the testing process. Two of the most common testing approaches are waterfall and agile. Any testing approach should be compatible with the development approach to ensure that testing and development work together. 

You can also determine the various testing levels, such as unit, integration, or end-to-end testing. Identify specific testing types, potential risks that might disrupt the testing process, and a mitigation plan to address them.

Determine the test environment

Make a list of target devices along with their respective operating systems. The list can be created based on user analytics, although many teams need to start with a general set of devices until they have analytics to review. Select a range of devices with different screen sizes, resolutions, and OS versions to establish broader compatibility. 

Specify the network conditions, such as 4G and 3G, and any tools, such as emulators, simulators, and automation testing frameworks, you plan to use.

Define test data

Outline the test data required during the testing process. This may include user data, test accounts, and valid and invalid test case datasets. Properly structured test data guarantees comprehensive test coverage and helps accurately verify the application's functionality. Make sure test data is collected prior to the actual testing. 

Prepare test schedules and allocate resources

Estimate the timeline for each testing phase, ensuring alignment with the development schedule. Identify and allocate any necessary resources and budget for the testing process, including human resources, hardware, and software tools. 

Gathering and finalizing information on schedules and resources can be a multi-department task. Various team members, like the Project manager, QA lead, and finance teams, may need to communicate to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Determine test deliverables

Specify the expected output from the testing process. These may include test reports, test logs, defect reports, and other relevant documentation generated during testing. Any deliverables should be clearly defined to ensure they align with the project's requirements and provide valuable insights into the testing outcomes. These documents can also be reviewed during sprint reviews and delivered to the project managers, developers, or other stakeholders to inform them about the state of the testing process.

When should mobile application testing in SDLC start?

Most software development teams today follow the agile model, which divides development into multiple phases and sprints. This iterative approach focuses on collaboration, customer feedback, and rapid delivery.

In an Agile environment, testing begins at the beginning of the software development cycle. The first stage is the planning phase, also known as the requirement-gathering phase. Ideally, the testing process starts at this phase by writing test plans and test cases for the application. 

Here’s a concise breakdown of how testing is integrated across different phases of the SDLC:

Benefits of early testing

Identifying and addressing inconsistencies or ambiguities in the requirements early on ensures that stakeholders and the development team understand each other's requirements, reducing the potential risk of extra time and cost of rework.

Early testing helps create stable software, improving a product's overall quality in the long run. Fixing and identifying bugs in the earlier stage is also cost-effective and easier to manage. Product deployment blockage due to last-minute bugs significantly reduces, ensuring timely release cycles.

Challenges in early testing

In the earliest development phase, the requirements evolve and change frequently, making it difficult to understand them and create stable test cases based on them. As the requirements change, the test cases might need to be reworked.

Testing while features are still being developed is difficult because the code is unstable, resulting in many bugs. These bugs are usually part of undeveloped features, which leads to inaccurate and unstable testing.

As the test/staging environments are yet to be set up, testers might be limited to testing on their machines. This can lead to the “it works on my machine” problem, where developers struggle to reproduce reported errors due to differences in system configuration.

Challenges in mobile application testing

Apart from early testing challenges, mobile application testing comes with its own concerns.

Device fragmentation

Mobile devices come in various sizes and are produced by many different brands, each with its own hardware and dependencies. This makes it particularly challenging to validate the application works seamlessly across all devices. Additionally, ensuring compatibility across different versions of Android and iOS adds another layer of complexity.

To address device fragmentation, focus on testing the most popular devices and screen sizes used by your target audience. Prioritize testing across a range of devices based on user analytics.

Network variation

Mobile devices are portable and easy to carry around. However, depending on the user's location, the network connection may not be stable. Mobile apps nonetheless need to perform well under various network conditions, such as low bandwidth, unstable connections, or different network types.

To address this, ensure the app is optimized for different network conditions. Implement adaptive loading techniques, like lazy loading and caching, to reduce the app's dependency on network speed. Test the app under various network scenarios using network simulation tools or real-world testing to identify performance bottlenecks.

Test automation

Automating tests across multiple operating systems is time-consuming and challenging, especially due to platform-specific requirements and dynamic interfaces. Because each platform's codebase is different, implementing the automation framework might also be different, requiring more time and effort.

To overcome this, cross-platform automation frameworks like Appium, which supports both iOS and Android, can be used to write reusable tests for multiple platforms. Make test scripts as modular as possible. Integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines to automate the execution of tests on various devices and operating systems.

Mobile application testing best practices 

Here are some mobile application testing best practices that will help streamline the testing process.

Prioritize user experience

Conduct beta testing to collect opinions from real users and use the feedback to optimize the application. Additionally, check that the application's UI is visually appealing across all target devices.

Align testing with the application’s platform

Native and hybrid apps offer better control over user experience but require thorough testing of hardware dependencies. Since native apps have separate codebases for different platforms, they must be tested individually to guarantee features work consistently and provide a uniform experience. Web apps, on the other hand, need testing for browser compatibility, load times, and responsiveness across various screen sizes.

Test on real devices before deployment

While simulators and emulators are useful, they can’t fully replicate real-world device behavior. Testing on actual devices is essential to catch and address any hardware-related issues or device-specific edge cases before the application is released to users.

Automate tests

When automating tests, start with smoke tests and build comprehensive regression test suites. Focus on automating repetitive user journeys to speed up the testing process. Integrate the test suite in CI and regularly update and optimize automated tests to adapt to the evolving application.

Automate mobile testing with AI-powered solutions

We’ve seen that manual mobile testing is quite difficult to scale. One of the most significant challenges in mobile application testing is efficiently handling so many devices, OS versions, and network conditions. While manual testing ensures in-depth validation, automation significantly accelerates the process, reducing human error and improving coverage.

However, a common issue in test automation is maintaining scripts across different platforms, especially when dealing with evolving UI components. Traditional tools like Selenium help automate mobile testing but require significant coding expertise and maintenance overhead.

This is where AI-powered, low-code automation tools like Qualiti provide an advantage. Qualiti simplifies mobile test creation by automatically generating Playwright-based test cases, reducing manual scripting and maintenance overhead. Unlike conventional automation frameworks requiring ongoing script updates, Qualiti dynamically adapts to application changes, ensuring consistent, up-to-date test coverage.

Qualiti for mobile testing

Qualiti is an AI-powered, low-code solution for automated software test generation. It natively supports Playwright for test automation. The Qualiti platform automates test creation, reducing manual effort and maintenance. 

Qualiti’s AI explores the entire codebase and generates tests, with each test step recorded for future playback. 

You can add test steps to manually introduce your own test logic.

The platform's real power lies in its continuous integration capabilities. Test runs can be scheduled at regular intervals or triggered with a CI trigger when your codebase is updated.

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Qualiti supports integration with any Bash environment. That means that GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, and many more tools can be integrated out of the box.

With Qualiti’s upcoming support for mobile application testing, teams will soon be able to streamline mobile test automation without extensive setup or manual script maintenance. With Qualiti’s AI-driven automation, teams can accelerate testing cycles, minimize maintenance, and ensure reliable mobile applications with minimal manual intervention.

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Last thoughts

With more than 60% of internet traffic originating from mobile devices (Statista, 2025), it’s crucial to test mobile applications rigorously for a seamless user experience and retention. Mobile application testing has become an important part of the software development lifecycle for delivering high-quality and reliable applications. 

Understanding the type of mobile application helps determine the appropriate testing strategy. Starting testing early in SDLC, defining clear test objectives, and leveraging testing tools and technologies help smoothen the overall process. AI-powered testing solutions like Qualiti play a key role in overcoming existing challenges.