Machine learning technology has transformed countless fields in recent years. One of the professions affected the most by advances in machine learning is mobile app development. The market for mobile artificial intelligence is projected to be worth nearly $9.7 billion within the next five years, since machine learning helps developers create powerful new apps.
We have talked extensively about some of the benefits of AI and machine learning in mobile app development in previous blog posts. However, one of the benefits that we haven’t talked as much about is the application of machine learning for testing new apps during the design process. Apps need to be carefully tested, so it is important to use the right strategies to do so.
App developers can find novel ways to use machine learning to automate the testing process. This can reduce the costs of app development and help them spend more time on other essential tasks.
Machine Learning Enables App Developers to Automate Essential Processes Like Testing
In the past, mobile applications were much more straightforward and had fewer features than the mobile apps we know today. As the features increased and the functions of the apps became more intricate and complex, the app testing process required adaptation to meet the requirements of the modern applications.
Testing of applications nowadays can be done manually or automatically, but in the past manual testing was the only way. As the features of the apps increased and became more enhanced, manual testing became extremely timeous and difficult. This is one of the main reasons app developers use AI and machine learning.
This is where automated mobile app testing became the way to go for modern apps with more features and capabilities and only 13% of app developers reported that they only use manual testing. App developers use test automation to enhance app testing processes and to simplify the entire testing process.
Companies like HotShots Labs use automation testing tools for all the mobile applications that we develop to ensure we provide the highest quality applications to our clients. They are able to accomplish this process with the use of advanced machine learning algorithms. Machine learning has helped them streamline the process considerably.
1. What Is Automated Mobile App Testing?
Automated mobile app testing refers to the evaluation process that mobile app developers should run through for each application that they develop to ensure the mobile apps perform correctly before publishing. The process relies on advanced machine learning algorithms that help make the process go more smoothly and rapidly.
There are various test automation frameworks that developers can choose from to find the perfect mobile testing framework for their specific application and to evaluate how it will operate on different mobile devices and on different operating systems such as Android and iOS.
How do testing tools that use machine learning work? Mobile app testing tools are used to run through the entire operation process of the application using a test script as if it were a user operating the application. In this way errors and bugs are picked up, and can be fixed or updated to ensure efficient operation of the mobile app.
The testing tools run through different test scenarios and test cases to detect any errors that might be in the development code of the mobile application, and therefore these automation testing tools are extremely beneficial and developers, therefore, rely heavily on automatic mobile testing.
2. 7 Benefits of Automating Mobile App Testing with Machine Learning
There are a number of reasons that app developers may want to use machine learning technology to automate the testing process. Some of the biggest benefits are listed below.
Enhance Publishing Timeframes:
repetitive operations are automated throughout the mobile app testing process, saving a lot of time, and accelerating the test execution process.
Enhance Application Functionality:
Automated mobile app testing thoroughly validates app functionality and makes sure there are no faults or flaws that might affect it. Thus, it allows mobile apps to operate efficiently.
Enhance App Security:
Security flaws in mobile apps can result in the theft of client information and reputational damage to enterprises. Security flaws in a mobile app can be easily spotted and fixed by using the right mobile app testing strategy and mobile automation framework.
Improved Application Performance:
Several performance tests are done during automated mobile app testing to make sure there are no performance holdups in an application and that it functions properly under all user loads.
Boosts App Loading Speed:
Mobile app developers must offer quicker loading times for both Android and iOS apps since slow mobile app loading speeds negatively affect user experience. By eradicating flaws from the app, automated mobile app testing provides a quicker download time.
App Multiple Platform Compatibility Verification:
This ensures that the mobile apps are compatible with multiple operating platforms and software to boost user experience. App integration tests are also run to ensure sufficient performance.
Boosts Cost and Time Efficiency: Test automation of mobile applications protects brands from abrupt app failures or crashes, saving enterprises a significant amount of money and preserving their good name. Automated testing also ensures that testers do not have to allocate their time towards tedious and repetitive duties. It also guarantees that tests are run faster.
3. How to Use Machine Learning to Automate Mobile App Testing
Here are a few things that you need to do when you are trying to automate the mobile app testing process with machine learning technology. You want to follow these steps carefully.
- Establish Automation Test Plan
This step is completed by developers by creating a plan on which devices will be used in the testing phase and what specifications the devices should have. This plan will also include the type of testing that will be conducted and will be detailed at a later stage in the testing process.
- Create Test Scripts and Test Cases
This is a crucial step as this will set out the exact functionalities and operations that the test should focus on. These scripts and cases can be used multiple times for different testing operations as it is a base followed by developers in the testing process.
- Establish Mobile App Test Setting
In this step developers need to install the application that needs to be tested on the right devices, and developers should ensure that testing data can be monitored and revisited for enhancement and amendment purposes.
- Proceed with Testing
In this step the developer will action the testing process through the automated testing framework. The mobile app test automation framework and tools will then perform the tests based on the type of testing required as stated in the first step. These types of tests can include Functional testing, Continues Testing, Usability testing, UI testing, User acceptance testing, Performance and load testing, Security testing, Accessibility testing, and Digital testing.
Use Machine Learning to Automate Mobile App Testing Strategically
There are many benefits of using machine learning in the mobile app development process. One of the top benefits is that it can help automate testing. Automated mobile application testing provides numerous benefits and if the testing done correctly and the right steps are followed, at the end of the automated mobile app testing process you should have an app that performs effectively and will therefore be ready for the big launch.
