How To Test Native vs. Web vs. Hybrid Apps: Mobile Apps Testing Tools & Techniques

Mobile technology has revolutionized the way we live, work, and interact with the world. With the exponential growth in smartphone adoption, mobile applications have become an integral part of our daily lives, providing us with access to information, services, and entertainment at our fingertips. Thus, the importance of mobile technology lies in its ability to enhance communication, productivity, and convenience on a global scale. 

Besides, it is the introduction of mobile applications that has created a significant impact on various industries, including healthcare, finance, education, transportation, and entertainment. From enabling seamless access to critical services to facilitating remote collaboration and promoting digital inclusion, Mobile apps have made way for new business opportunities. 

According to Grand View Research, “the global mobile application market size was valued at USD 206.85 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.8% from 2023 to 2030.”  

However, the success of mobile technology heavily relies on the reliability and performance of mobile applications. This is where mobile app testing comes into play.  

Rigorous mobile app testing allows developers to ensure that applications function as intended across various devices, operating systems, and network conditions. Besides, access to advanced approaches like mobile test automation helps identify and fix potential bugs to deter security vulnerabilities, and compatibility issues for a seamless and satisfying user experience. 

In this blog, we will walk through the various dynamics of mobile app testing while diving through various tools and techniques that simplify testing of native, web, and hybrid apps.  

Let’s jump in.  

Testing Native vs. Web vs. Hybrid Apps 

Testing native, web, and hybrid apps involves different approaches and considerations due to their distinct characteristics. Therefore, it becomes necessary to align with the right approach and strategy in order to ensure maximum output of the testing efforts made.  

Here's a breakdown of how to test each type of app: 

Testing Native Apps 

1. Device-Specific Testing: Since native apps are built specifically for a particular operating system (e.g., iOS or Android), it's crucial to test them on the target devices to ensure compatibility, functionality, and UI/UX consistency. 

2. Native Feature Testing: Native apps often leverage platform-specific features and APIs. Testers should thoroughly evaluate these features to ensure they function as intended and adhere to platform guidelines. 

3. Performance Testing: Native apps have direct access to device resources, so performance testing is crucial to ensure smooth operation, responsiveness, and efficient memory usage. 

Explore Performance Testing In Detail.  

4. App Store Compliance: Native apps need to adhere to the respective app store's guidelines and policies. Testers should verify that the app meets the required standards for submission and does not violate any policies. 

Testing Web Apps 

1. Cross-Browser Compatibility: Since web apps run on web browsers, cross browser testing is done (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari) to ensure consistent behavior and appearance. 
2. Responsiveness and Scalability: Web apps should be tested on various screen sizes, resolutions, and devices to ensure they are responsive and scalable. 
3. Performance and Load Testing: Web apps may experience performance issues due to factors like slow network connections. Conducting performance and load tests helps identify bottlenecks and ensure optimal performance. 
4. Security Testing: Web apps are prone to security vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting and SQL injection. Comprehensive security testing should be performed to identify and address these risks. 

Hybrid Apps 

1. Compatibility Testing: Hybrid apps combine native and web app elements, so it's essential to test them across different devices and platforms to ensure compatibility and consistent performance. 
2. Native Feature Integration: Hybrid apps often integrate native device features using plugins or frameworks. Testers should verify that these integrations work correctly and do not impact app functionality or performance. 
3. UI Consistency: Hybrid apps should maintain a consistent UI across different platforms. Testers should check for any UI inconsistencies or glitches. 
4. Offline Functionality: Since hybrid apps can work offline, it's crucial to test their behavior in offline mode and ensure that data synchronization occurs correctly when the app reconnects. 

All in all, native, web, and hybrid apps require specific testing approaches based on their unique characteristics. By considering the factors mentioned above and selecting the right approach, technique, and tool, testers can ensure that each type of app performs optimally, meets user expectations, and provides a seamless user experience. 

Breaking Into Mobile App Testing: The Process & Techniques  

Mobile app testing ensures that applications meet industry standards, comply with data protection regulations, and maintain user trust. Quality testing contributes to enhanced user satisfaction, increased retention rates, and positive reviews, ultimately leading to higher app downloads and revenue generation for businesses. 

Mobile App Testing Process 

The mobile app testing process is a crucial step in ensuring the quality and functionality of a mobile application. It typically involves multiple stages, starting with test planning and strategizing, followed by test case development, execution, and bug tracking.  

Usually, the key areas of focus include user interface testing, functionality testing, performance testing, security testing, and compatibility testing across different devices and operating systems. To gain precision, testers use various testing tools and techniques to simulate real-world scenarios and uncover any bugs or issues. The process concludes with result analysis and reporting to provide valuable feedback for developers, leading to continuous improvement and a seamless user experience. 

Mobile app testing techniques can be categorized into two main categories: common and advanced techniques.  

Common Mobile App Testing Techniques: 

1. Functional Testing: This technique focuses on testing the app's functionality to ensure that all the features and functionalities work as intended. 

2. Usability Testing: It involves evaluating the app's user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) to ensure it is intuitive, user-friendly, and meets the users' expectations. 

3. Compatibility Testing: This technique tests the app's compatibility across different devices, operating systems, screen sizes, and resolutions to ensure consistent performance. 

4. Performance Testing: It involves testing the app's performance under various conditions, such as heavy usage, low battery, and poor network connectivity, to identify any performance issues or bottlenecks. Depending on the nature and budget of the project, performance testing in cloud or manual testing are both used for mobile testing.  

5. Security Testing: This technique focuses on identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities, such as data breaches or unauthorized access, to ensure user data is protected. 

Learn How Timely Testing Could Help You Strengthen Security While Resisting Cyberattacks 

Preventing Cyberattacks In 2023: Taking Access To Security Testing   

6. Regression Testing: It involves retesting the app after modifications or updates to ensure that the changes do not introduce new bugs or affect existing functionalities. 

Advanced Mobile App Testing Techniques 

• Automation Testing: It involves using automated tools to execute test cases, which saves time and effort compared to manual testing. It is particularly useful for repetitive tasks and regression testing. 
• Load Testing: It tests the app's performance under heavy user loads to identify performance issues, such as slow response times or crashes, and ensure the app can handle the expected user traffic. 
• Localization Testing: This technique checks the app's adaptability to different languages, cultures, and regions, including date and time formats, currency symbols, and text translations. 
• Accessibility Testing: It focuses on testing the app's accessibility features, such as screen readers, color contrasts, and font sizes, to ensure it is accessible to users with disabilities. 
• Alpha/Beta Testing: These are pre-release testing techniques where the app is tested by a selected group of users (alpha testers) or a larger group of external users (beta testers) to gather feedback and identify issues before the official release. 

By employing a combination of these common and advanced mobile app testing techniques, developers can ensure that their app is robust, user-friendly, and meets the highest quality standards. 

7 Leading Mobile App Testing Tools 

There are numerous mobile app testing tools available in the market that can help developers and testers ensure the quality and reliability of their mobile applications. These include some of the most advanced mobile app testing tools as well as those that are highly capable of automation yet specific to testing of mobile apps with dedicated features and technology use.  

1. Appium: Appium is an open-source and widely used automation tool for mobile app testing. It supports both Android and iOS platforms and allows testers to write test scripts in multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, and Ruby. 

2. Xamarin Test Cloud: Xamarin Test Cloud, now a part of Microsoft Visual Studio App Center, is a cloud-based testing tool that enables testing on real devices. It supports both Android and iOS platforms and offers extensive device coverage for efficient testing. 

3. TestComplete: TestComplete is a comprehensive automation testing tool that supports mobile app testing on both Android and iOS platforms. It offers scriptless testing capabilities, making it easy for non-technical testers to create and execute test cases. 

4. Firebase Test Lab: Firebase Test Lab is a cloud-based testing platform by Google. It provides a wide range of testing options, including compatibility, performance, and usability testing, on real Android and iOS devices. It integrates well with other Firebase services. 

5. Kobiton: Kobiton is a mobile testing platform that provides real-device testing for both Android and iOS apps. It offers features like manual testing, automation testing, and device cloud management, allowing testers to execute tests on a wide range of devices. 

6. Perfecto: Perfecto is a cloud-based mobile testing platform that supports automated testing on real devices. It offers a variety of testing options, including functional, performance, and security testing, and integrates with popular test frameworks like Appium and Selenium. 

7. TestFairy: TestFairy is a mobile testing platform that provides real-time testing and monitoring of mobile apps. It offers features like crash reporting, user feedback, session recordings, and over-the-air build distribution, making it easier to identify and fix issues. 

These mobile app testing tools offer a range of features and capabilities to meet the diverse needs of developers and testers. However, choosing the right tool entirely depends on factors such as the platform, testing requirements, budget, and team's expertise. 

Explore More About The Advanced Mobile Test Automation Tools With BugRaptors 

Read Here: 13 Mobile Testing Tools To Simplify Your Life In 2023 

In case, you are looking for some professional quality assurance services or need expert assistance testing your mobile apps, we at BugRaptors bring you a team of most experienced ISTQB testers who could help you transform your entire mobile testing strategy.  

For any QA-related assistance, feel free to contact our team.