Therefore, the mobile web has become the main necessity, and the new application in many cases will be exactly the web application, the urgent task of which will be the ability to work in all browsers on a mobile device.
In this article, I want to share my approach to testing such applications and tools that will greatly simplify this process.
Let's first define what a mobile web application is.
Mobile web appIs, in essence, a website adapted and optimized for any gadget - for example a phone, tablet, etc. In order to use it, you just need to have a browser and Internet access on your device.
Such applications do not require installation, are easily accessible via a link in a browser, but have limited functionality compared to hybrid and native applications.
If you come across such an application, it is worth deciding how and on what you will test it. How to choose the right toolkit and a sufficient set of configurations? Let's figure it out now.
There are at least 3 ways to test:
- On a real device;
- Using an emulator;
- Using a simulator.
Each project is unique and requires its own approach. To make a choice (or use both), I made a small analysis of the pros and cons of each of the options:
Real devices:
+ Accuracy of results;
+ Facilitates testing device orientation;
- Expensive;
- Time - consuming process of creating and sequential reproduction of
results;
Emulators:
+ Easier to manage switching device types by loading a new device profile;
+ Free or low cost;
- Possibly small errors as a result;
- Limited options when using resize windows.
Simulators:
+ Cost effective;
- Does not take into account the hardware;
- Possible false positives;
- Simulation results can be difficult to analyze due to incomplete data.
I would not recommend using simulators. First, you won't run into all the problems that hardware can cause. Secondly: some applications may work a little differently, and this indicates the unreliability of their use.
If you decide to follow the path of using emulators, you will need to decide on the tool that you will use.
Here is a list of tools that I would advise you to use:
- Chrome DevTools is a simple emulator based on the Google Chrome browser that can work in mobile mode. It is mainly used to perform initial level testing of emulation of a specific mobile device.
- BrowserStack is an online tool for testing web applications on various mobile devices. It is a fairly reliable and comprehensive tool that provides easy access to over 1200 real mobile devices and browsers. The user interface is pretty easy to understand.
- MultiBrowser is an online tool to make sure your app works well on mobile devices. It uses mobile browser emulators to provide hassle-free testing. You don't need 24/7 Internet access to work with the tool, as it works great as a desktop application as well.
Once you've chosen the real device path, your next step is to determine which devices you will use for testing.
How to choose what to test on?
- ;
- (Android, iOS);
- .
gs.statcounter.com to help you!
After choosing the toolkit, we decide on the set of browsers on which we will test. They can be regular and InApp.
A regular browser is a standalone application for viewing websites on mobile devices. As a rule, such browsers are flexible in settings and advanced functions relative to built-in ones. Most popular: Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Oper mini, Tor Browser, UC Browser.
An in-app browser is an in -app browser that has a web viewport. Every time you click on a link in a mobile application (such as Facebook), you are using the built-in browser, that is, you follow the link inside the application itself.
In-App browsers have light functionality, but they will not allow you to add bookmarks, do not have a changeable address bar and do not allow you to open links in new windows (they just let you switch to a regular browser).
When choosing a browser, you can again use gs.statcounter.com and for traffic statistics of your application - www.similarweb.com
In conclusion, I will say that it is best to use a combination of tools and remember that a real device is the best solution that always gives you maximum accuracy of results.
Thanks for reading! All the right thoughts and the best testing tools for your application.