The Secret to Flawless (Mobile) App Launch: An Insider's Guide to QA Testing - Interview
Why is app testing so vital?
When it comes to developing a new mobile app, the excitement of defining requirements, discussing designs, and initiating development often takes center stage. However, there's one crucial aspect that sometimes doesn't receive the attention it deserves: testing the product.
We understand the significance of delivering a flawless product to our customers, ensuring that it works seamlessly from the moment they lay their hands on it. After all, what's the point of investing time and budget into acquiring new customers if they end up frustrated by buggy experiences?
In our pursuit of delivering the best for our partners, we have an ace up our sleeves: our exceptional Quality Assurance (QA) team. Today, we're thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with our QA Lead, Alex, who will share invaluable insights into how we ensure our apps are primed for success before they even hit the app stores.
Let’s delve into the secrets of a bug-free app launch with our app testing process, learn about the methodologies that guarantee a seamless user experience, and discover how our relentless commitment to quality sets us apart in the competitive world of mobile app development.
Patricia Cosma: Why do you think it is important to test an application before launch?
Alex Balanean: We can talk about 2 different things here:
1. Testing an application before updating it on the store with a new version
2. Testing a brand new application before launching it for the first time.
In the first case, an update usually provides bug fixes or introduces new features to an already existing app. These bug fixes have to be tested because we have to make sure that they are properly fixed and they are not causing other issues. For new features, we have to make sure they are working as expected and that no major problems are present, but also that there are no issues in the integration of the new features with the already existing ones.
In the second case, before launching the app for the first time, QA testing is done again to ensure that all the functionality of the application is working as expected and that no major problems are present which would defer a user from using the application.
Patricia: Why would you recommend having the application tested by a professional QA engineer rather than the app owner?
Alex: Quality in software is something that resides in the hands of all the people involved in the development of said software (i.e. developers, testers, managers etc.) That being said, a QA engineer is someone specialized in detecting complex defects, keeping track of these defects and validating the fixes for them. I would say a QA engineer would know the places to look for defects and an application owner would basically use the application as an end user […].
Patricia: What is it essential to test before a production release?
Alex: In short… everything! We test all the essential functionality of the app (i.e. Login, SSOs, Settings etc.), the bug-fixes if there were any and a last little glance of the newly implemented features after, of course, thoroughly testing it before on the dedicated branch and in development.
Patricia: I understand that there are many types of QA testing and I’d like to ask you about a few of them. What does functional testing refer to? How is it done?
Alex: Functional testing is a testing type that validates the software against the specified requirements. In other words, it ensures that all the app's features work as expected. It can be either manual testing or automated. It involves testing the UI of the application, all the app features, APIs, database etc.
Patricia: What about usability testing? How is it done?
Alex: Usability testing is a testing method for measuring how easy to use and user-friendly a software application is. It is done by verifying how easy it is to get from one part of the app to the other, how intuitive the control and navigation are (the user should always know in which part of the app they are), uniformity in the format of the screens and pages etc.
Patricia: Can you walk me through exploratory testing as well? How is this one done?
Alex: Sure. This is the type of testing which lets the QA team be the most creative. We like to make an exploratory testing session once a month to find new ways to disrupt the application. Each member of the QA team comes up with new testing scenarios to find out how the application reacts in these scenarios. It can also be a very good method to discover new edge cases which weren't taken into account before.
Patricia: You mentioned earlier that more people outside of the QA team are responsible for the quality of the software. I’m curious if and how they are included in the testing process.
Alex: Yes, for sure!
Patricia: How can a Product Owner help the testing process?
Alex: The role of the Product Owner (PO) is a very important one. Having clear and concise requirements is a must for every QA team to operate successfully because we test the software against test cases derived from those requirements. This means that the QA team always assumes that in case of an inconsistency between the software and the requirements, the requirements are always correct. In our case, the PO also helps the QA team a lot by providing accounts for testing and other general product knowledge.
Patricia: What about a developer?
Alex: The relation between a developer and tester can often be a rocky one - this is why efficient communication is key here. How well a developer and a tester collaborate is reflected in the final product. In our case, when a task is ready for testing, the developer will specify for the QA team on which build/branch this task can be tested on and other details meant to facilitate the QA process. When the QA team has questions in regards to how something was implemented, we often try to communicate with the developer who was in charge of the tested part and find solutions together.
Patricia: To sum up, how would you recommend approaching product testing from the early development stage until launch?
Alex: As I previously said, quality in software is something that resides in the hands of all the people involved in the development of said software, not just the QA team, so a strong team with lots of expertise is key. Testing has to be done from the early stages so that major problems are discovered and resolved quickly. The QA team can also write test cases derived from the requirements even before any software was written [...]. Even if there are changes made on the way, the test cases can be adjusted to the new requirements, when the case. Already having test cases when the first versions are released for testing makes the whole QA process a lot easier - and faster.
Final Thoughts on App Testing
In the competitive world of mobile app development, a flawless app launch is without any doubt a must. At X2 Mobile, testing isn't an afterthought; it's a crucial keystone of our process. Quality app testing guarantees that new features integrate seamlessly and that bug fixes don't create new issues.
However, mistakes can happen. The most important step we take when this occurs is to clearly communicate with the team and the clients as fast as possible all the details. Being transparent helps us come up with a fix quickly. Once the issue is resolved, we focus on how to avoid doing it again in the future. We discuss, conclude and update our processes.
Before launching a new app, QA testing ensures all functionalities work flawlessly, providing users with a frustration-free experience. Our professional QA engineers know where to look for complex defects, making the testing process thorough and comprehensive. From functional testing to exploratory testing, we leave no stone unturned to deliver a polished app.
So, if you are looking for a bug-free and seamless mobile app experience, get in touch through this form or directly at hello@x2mobile.net. Let’s launch - or update - your product in which you can be confident and ready for business!