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Contact me for freelance Android App Testing & QA Services
My other testing services: iOS App Testing / Website Testing
How an Android App Testing Project works
In order to define the project, we can discuss requirements via email, phone call, Skype call, Slack chat, MS Teams etc.
The aim here is to agree what the testing should focus on and on what devices the testing should be carried out on.
Other factors to consider are scheduling, the app delivery method to use, also where issues are to be raised and how test results are to be reported.
Issues are raised as they are found, in the method agreed: this could be in your own issue tracker – such as JIRA, DoneDone, RedMine etc – or within an Excel document, or perhaps a Google doc, or, where applicable, within my own hosted JIRA issue tracker.
A Test Summary Report includes sections such as Overview, Main Findings, Gap Analysis, Deliverables, Testing Types Performed, Test Devices, Bugs Statistics and Summary of Main Bugs.
This may include further focussed testing, retesting of fixed issues, regression testing after changes or any other type of testing.
Other testing types I perform: iOS App Testing, Website Testing
Testing Stages
- * Working with Developers, Designers, Project Managers.
- * Testing can be focussed on the most important functionality or can be generalised, to cover all areas of the app.
- * Testing can be added in phases, as new functionality is developed and available for testing e.g. on a sprint/iteration/release basis.
- * Most cost-effective time for testing.
- * Find Bugs before App is released to the public.
- * All functionality can be tested at this stage, and emphasis can be given to certain functionality depending on priorities.
- * Still a cost-effective time for testing.
- * Testing at and around the go-live stage, to find any last-minute issues
- * Testing new Features and Functionality
- * Finding Bugs in rewritten Apps
Some of the Testing Projects I’ve worked on
- Universal Music – Composed music streaming service – App & Web TestingPat Walsh2018-10-27T14:02:12+01:00
Android App Sectors I have tested in
- Communications
- Retail & NFC Payments
- Email
- Field Service
- Health & Leisure
- Cinemas, cinema ticket booking
- Sports – Golf & GPS
- Fitness Tracker
- Retail & Shopping
- Shopping Rewards
- Financial
- Games
- Casino
- Poker
- Music Industry
- System Utilities
Android App Testing related activities & technologies
Crashlytics is an excellent platform for both distributing apps and also – it’s main use – for Crash reporting. To enable app distribution, the tester is signed up to the dev team as a tester and then installs the Crashlytics Beta app to enable the app install on the relevant device(s) From within the Beta app, the tester can see all the apps they are signed up to test and can then install them. I’ve also used TestFairy for Android app distribution.
Other methods of Android App Distribution include the HockeyApp platform (now owned by Microsoft), also released apps via the Google Play store and apps can also be distributed by email – where attaching the APK file allows the receiver to install the app on their Android device, via Install Now.
There may be many different reasons for the crash, so the developer will want to know as much information about the crash as possible, so they can attempt to fix the issue. This information will usually include both a description of what the tester was doing in the App at the time of the crash, the exact time of the crash and also any accompanying crash logs from the device.
As mentioned in Android App Distribution above, the Crashlytics platform provides a method of both Android App distribution for testing and also crash reporting and analytics.
Other ways of getting crash logs from an Android App is to use an App like aLogcat, which allows you to see the log information and then use that information, by emailing it or copying/pasting it, perhaps for use in a bug report for an Issue Tracker. The app Crash Report performs a similar task. Another way is to run the app along with the Android SDK and then obtain the crash reporting information that way. (Note: Some of these methods no longer work in later versions of Android)
Android Pay – Google bills Android Pay as “Pay your way. Shop how you want” and it allows users to make payments both in stores and in apps, similar to Apple Pay. It uses a combination of Near Field Communication (NFC), plus one of a PIN code, password or pattern to authenticate.
NFC – NFC is a method of wireless data transfer between two enabled devices that are in close proximity (about 10 cms) An NFC-enabled device will detect another NFC-enabled device and data can then be transferred between the two devices. In the real world, NFC is technology used in ‘Tap and go’ or ‘Proximity card’ services – including Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay, plus many other services.
IoT – The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the interconnection of physical objects or “things” which contain network connectivity, sensors, electronics and software and are enabled to exchange data with smart devices, such as smartphones and tablets – this then enables them to be app-controlled.
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