You have probably heard that it is very important to integrate your mobile app testing with the development of the app. This is because mobile apps need to be tested for their efficiency, (functionality), and usability and consistent during and after the mobile app development process. However, the industry, like any other, is plagued by myths that most people fall prey to. To solve this huge problem, many such myths need to be debunked. With this in mind, here are the top 5 must-know myths about mobile testing you should know.

1. Testing a prototype of your app is necessary

The next thing after picking an idea and clearly defining the core functionalities of an app is building a testable prototype of the app. The importance of testing your prototype cannot be overemphasized.

However, many naïve developers still build a fully functional mobile app through a carefully planned mobile app development process without first building a prototype and testing it. This is an epic mistake. And to help paint a clear picture of how important it is to build and test prototypes, and to show you clearly how mandatory this is, look at the core benefits of testing the prototype of your mobile app first. (Since a prototype is an interactive and functional model of your mobile app, it is definitely the version of your mobile app which allows developers to check and test the major functions of the app.)

That being said, here are some benefits of testing prototypes:

• It helps prevent the developers from making crucial usability errors earlier on. It would be a lot more expensive to correct if these errors are discovered down the line.
• It makes building mobile apps much easier.
• Improve and increase users’ involvement.
• Streamline the developmental time.
• Provide sufficient analysis of what users need and the areas you should focus on.
• It gives birth to great app ideas.

Now the question is, “why would developers skip this crucial part of the mobile app development process?” the simple answer? Naivety. So it is mandatory to run mobile testing on your prototypes earlier on to avoid a do-over.

2. Visuals are more important than features

The first thing you will notice when you open an app is its visuals, right? So it is not surprising if some developers think that visual is a more important thing to consider in the mobile app development process than the features of the app. But this is inaccurate. To drive home the point, here are some advantages of prioritizing the features of your app.

• A rich and personalized experience. An app that has well-built features offers users an experience that is not available anywhere else.
• Intuitive and easy navigation. The overall usability and intuitive navigation are key functions your customers will look for. (If users download your app but do not use it, the visuals won’t matter then.)

Besides, all users are different. Some of the users have poor eyesight and will not fully appreciate the visuals of the app. All they want is the functionality – what they can do with the app or what the app can do for them. So it is crucial to strip away all visual clutter and focus on the core of the message you are trying to communicate. However, this does not mean that you should not have a clear visual hierarchy.

3. Mobile security is not a top priority

It is true that mobile security is as important as great features. For one, mobile apps are more pervasive than any other medium in modern business. This is because an app’s component makes it vulnerable to any security breach, so they are extremely insecure. And if you may have heard real stories that tell tales of mobile applications that fall victim to a huge data breach that affected hundreds of millions of user’s accounts). The fact is, these things happen all the time. So it is very important to take mobile app security very seriously and put it into serious consideration in your mobile app development stage of the building process.

4. Testing always comes after the development

Many make this mistake by following this order – development first, testing the app for quality assurance comes later after the mobile app development process has been completed. This is also a huge mistake has you saw in the first myth discussed above. Usually, there are lots of things developers do not know about users, which determines the success of the project because the app is meant for them. So mobile app testing goes hand-in-hand with the mobile app development process. This is the only way to ensure the success of the project before the app is fully developed.

5. All you need is to run your test on a single device

More often than not, mobile apps are not built for single devices. So it would be another mistake to run your test on a single device. If you do, your app will be exposed to bugs. So to ensure the success of your application, you must test your app on multiple devices on real-time scenarios. And you should do it on different OS versions if it is going to be used on both iOS and Android platforms.

In all, a successful mobile app is all about versatility. And that cannot be achieved if testing is not integrated with the process. But that cannot be done if there are hindrances, some of which are discussed in this post. That is why your app needs interruption testing, over-the-air (OTA) testing, user interface testing, sound/vibration testing, performance testing, requirement testing among others.