Testing Strategy for Mobile Applications

Now a day’s the market of smart phones in increasing in all over world and so is the completion of different  Mobile Applications and so is the development and testing jobs of persons on mobile platforms.

Since I am a QA guy who have experience on  testing applications on different mobile platforms starting from Palm , Pocket PC (PPC), Blackberry, iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad and  Android devices, so I would like to point out the Testing Strategy for Mobile Applications:

Following Test Strategy can be followed while testing Mobile Application:

1. First and foremost point is application installation on device , the application installation testing that application should be easily and completely installed on device.
2. Then comes the smoke or sanity testing, do basic verification of application whether it is testable or not, if no then file a bug or suspend the testing effort.
3. Then do the functionality testing of Application, whether it is meeting the functional requirement or not.
4. Then verify the GUI of application.
5. After this much is done you have to take care of the
• Performance of application, i.e. how much time application screens are taking in responding to user action for static applications.
• Network testing i.e., using application on EDGE, WIFI, 3G or 4G networks, Airplane modes and observe the behavior of application as some applications crashes on low networks.
• Testing call feature from application (if application has that feature) with and without SIM card installed in it.
• As now a day’s most of the devices are coming with touch screens so you have to take care to multi touch using more than one finger, tap & hold on screen and just a small touch etc.
• Open all the native application if device is multi tasking then observe the response/behavior of application under test.
• Do orientation multiple times if application support orientations. 
• Then check the uninstallation Testing of application i.e., all the components of application should get removed from device when user uninstall it   

After these things are done you have to take care of various other scenarios like 

      

• Interruption in the process of installation and at various other place of request/receiving from server etc by receiving call/SMS etc ,low battery indicator, Alarm/Calendar event indicators .
•  Application specific testing scenarios depend on which type of application you are testing.
• Check the compatibility of application on different hardware’s which includes different screen size/resolution on real devices like iPhone platform check on iPhone/iPod touch and on iPad which are running on different or same iOS or on different manufacturer devices of same /other device OS like Android or Windows phones or on different emulators as emulators always do not provide complete support to all kind of application.
• Do some destructive testing like passing large input at different places or by doing something which is not expected.
• Security Testing which also depends upon application to application, basic application like password encryption etc
• Retesting and regression testing are continuous part of any kind of testing

Please let do comment if i am missing some thing or some point need elaboration.