Mobile QA Salaries and Rates in 2024

Mobile QA

What is Quality Assurance?

Mobile app quality assurance is a systematic process through which the quality of an application is evaluated against a set of pre-described standards and specifications. It involves a collection of testing and inspection activities aimed at detection and removal of errors, inconsistencies and anything that could potentially hinder the performance, utility, security and overall user satisfaction from the mobile application.

For example: Good quality assurance was essential in the launch of a large banking app, which users initially found complicated and unintuitive to log in to. Additionally, some experienced difficulty with the security process, which was too complicated for the average user. The quality assurance team addressed the issues identified through thorough testing, user feedback and checking the metrics of the app the team released the updates, enhance the UI and the login process flow, fine tuning the security levels to a secure level and be easy enough for users to log in to without a problem This app was widely adopted, with better ratings and more users downloading it.

Importance of Mobile App QA

• Improving User Experience: In an age where users’ experience can mean the difference between an app being a hit or a turkey, QA in mobile testing delivers a smooth, consistent, enjoyable experience to users.
• Ensuring Performance Under Strong Pressure: Passengers on trains usually lack patience for apps that get stuck or crash, which is why QA runs your app under as many different network conditions, accessories and devices as possible to see how it behaves under pressure.
• Ensuring Security and Privacy: Notwithstanding new threats from cybercriminals, and ever increasing regulations, an app’s security can’t be an afterthought. Mobile QA stress-tests the application for vulnerabilities that might expose user information.
• Helping Cross-Platform Usage: Since people use apps on myriad devices, operating systems and screen resolutions, mobile testing QA ensures the experience is the same on each.
• Minimising App Risks: Post-launch issues can cause negative reviews, a shrinking user base, and a damaged brand image. QA in mobile testing minimises this risk by spotting potential issues and preventing them before they occur.

In short, mobile QA is less a set of test processes than a user-focused philosophy. An app is a universe, and the user stands at its centre. A commitment to excellence is palpable in every swipe, tap, click, and page load. In a quest for perfection, great apps run far beyond bug-finding. They deliver something far more valuable: a higher quality experience. In the app store of our minds, quality stands as king.

Strategies for Mobile App QA Testing

1. Gathering Requirements: Go to the source! Get as much information as possible on what the user requires and what they expect; talk to stakeholders and create user personas.
2. Early Engagement: Include your QA teams early in the development cycle.
3. Automation: Increase speed through automated testing for some of your regression, monotonous stuff, e.g. automated smoke-tests.
4. Consider Cross-Platform Compatibility: Make sure that the app behaves on as many devices, operating system versions, screen sizes and orientations as possible.
5. Continuous Testing: Automated feedback on software performance can now be done whenever something is introduced in the Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline.
6. Performance and Security: Load test the app and ensure security measures are in place.
7. Actual Devices: Testing live on actual devices gives you an idea of how your app will run in the real world.
8. Using Agile Approach: Development occurs in iterative sprints, allowing for quick adaptation as changes come in.
9. Post-Release Monitoring: Monitoring the app after release offers a detailed view of how users are using the app in the real world.
10. Collaboration and Communication: Have strong communication between developers and testers, among developers themselves, between developers and product managers, etc.
11. Keeping Detailed Notes: Notes on the test cases, outcomes and changes allow the project team to work in concert and the QA process to be repeatable to anyone else.
12. Focus on User Experience (UX) Testing: Ensure that the process of the user using the app is enjoyable and well thought out.
13. Regulatory Compliance: Ensure the app complies with relevant laws and regulations.

On that note, here are 15 practices to keep your quality assurance (QA) strategy ahead of the curve:

1. Let QA Contribute to New Tech Piloting.
2. Check for Consistency.
3. Test More Than QA.
4. Balance Triage and Detail-Orientation.

Common Tools for Mobile App QA Testing

1. Automation Testing Tools: Selenium, Appium, Calabash
2. Performance Testing Tools: JMeter, LoadRunner
3. Security Testing Tools: OWASP ZAP, Fortify
4. Cross-Platform Testing Tools: Xamarin, TestComplete
5. Continuous Integration Tools: Jenkins, CircleCI