5 Tips to Choose the Best Automated Mobile Testing Tool

 Mobile applications have revolutionized our lives. Today, with the touch of an option, we can access any amount of information such as getting directions to a restaurant, booking our flight tickets or even order a cab service. The shift from the more traditional desktops to smartphones has resulted in an increase in the demand for mobile applications.

However; the number of smartphones having different features and specifications are increasing daily and this poses many challenges to the testers. Brian MacKenzie in a blog post on northwaysolutions.com highlighted some tips to help mobile app testers choose the best automation tools to test applications.  

1) Reusable Scripts
Testers should ensure that the test scripts can be reused across the various devices running the same operating systems irrespective of the version. There are various solutions in the market today that claim to meet this requirement, however the reality is many of them don't although they come with tag lines such as "object based scripting" and "cross OS scripting".   

2) Support Emulators/Simulators and other Physical Devices
Testers should be able to run and record scripts across physical devices as well as simulators and emulators.

3) Web Application Support
Hybrid apps, web based apps and native apps have their own advantages and disadvantages not only to the developer but also to the testers and users. Hybrid and Web Based apps are becoming popular and they are likely to replace native apps. Before selecting the tool, the tester should ensure that it support all types of apps.
 
4) Interruptions Shouldn't Cause the Test to Fail
Common interruptions such as phone calls and messages shouldn't cause the test to fail. Testers should ensure that the tool doesn't get affected by the various interruptions and it should be able to resume once the interruption is over.

5) Integration with Performance Testing Tools
As poor application performance can affect the revenue, testers should ensure that the solution they plan to select can be integrated with other performance testing tool. Furthermore, the solution should be able to measure the performance of the RAM, disk, the battery and the CPU.