The mobile market grows every year. According to studies, it is estimated that users will spend $133 billion playing mobile apps and games by 2021. That’s a rise of nearly 20 percent over last year’s. In the App Store as well as Google Play rankings are dominated by social messages, services, games, and messaging apps. The total amount of downloads in the previous calendar year stood at 143.6 billion.

This suggests that despite the slight slowdown in the mobile market because of a shortage in components, consumers are inclined to download apps and pay a greater amount of money.

This is evident in the development of new applications. A lot of investors have recognized the potential of mobile technology and are more willing to invest money into it, in turn, is the most sought-after type of IT employee, which includes the mobile QA technicians, is on the rise.

The market for mobile apps is booming but which are Mobile QA engineers?

In spite of the fact, that all indications out there suggest the increasing growth of the mobile market, it is still difficult to locate a tester who is specialized in the field. The reason behind this isn’t difficult. Today, there are many myths (you can learn more about them in the article “Facts and Myths About the Quality Assurance Industry”) which are propagated in different courses and articles deceiving many testers, those who are new and advanced.

If you are planning to invest a significant amount of money in different classes check out this article. I’m sure it’ll assist you in planning your growth and starting the process of becoming a Mobile QA Engineer.

What would a Mobile QA Engineer job look like?

Along with maintaining the quality of your product, and making sure that processes are documented and maintained the work will be done using smartphones, i.e. smartwatches, tablets, smartphones, and tablets.

Knowing these terms is vital as you have to learn how to use the device you’re using frequently in a way that you’ve not used before. What are the specifics? It could include, for instance, the device’s developer options which can help simplify our work.

They let us develop and install applications using Android Studio or Xcode, monitor movements, restrict internet speed, and various other settings to simplify testing. If you know how to run these choices on your smartphone, that’s already a huge advantage in an interview for employment. You should also begin to become well-acquainted with the specifics of mobile applications so you will, for example, be able to answer questions such as what is a load balancer and, in a load balancers comparison, which option will be best for your application. All this will help you to stand out from the crowd as you move into the mobile application industry.

Your desk could be stocked with several devices that run different operating software.

You may already know, that there are two major operating systems for mobile devices: Android as well as iOS. Additionally, these systems have numerous versions. You should be aware that, in order to ensure that your app covers as many test cases as possible, you must be able to test your application on both platforms as well as on various versions of these platforms. Sometimes, a minor change on Android or iOS could break your app as well. Your team will need to solve the issues.

It is uncommon for an application to be designed for just one system version because of the fact that, in the current device marketplace, not everyone has the latest smartphones. Your team should ensure that the application functions properly on Android versions 9, 10, and 11. However, it must also be compatible with version 12.

These are the essential details you must agree to with the client. Furthermore, you, as a tester, are among those who ensure that those using version 9 of the system work similarly to the user on version 11 of the system.

Test mobile apps are not only about sitting at the computer.

There’s a high chance that the term “mobile app” will take the literal sense as the app will eventually be necessary to take a ride in your car, bike, or the bus and ensure that the navigation on the app is working effectively. It’s a great break from your desk, except when the conditions are bad or there’s lots of traffic.

Testing for non-functionality when testing a mobile application is among the most important tests we conduct.

The way an app is supposed to react when we get an inbound call, become disconnected from the web, close the app, lock the screen of the app, or get out of memory is essential. Certain of these situations (of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list) are beyond our control of us as consumers, and so it’s an excellent idea to verify whether the app isn’t crashing when somebody calls us.

Being up-to-date on technological advances related to the different versions of software and devices, lets you stay just one step ahead in the latest technology in your application. This will give you a valuable library of information and market information.

Creating lists of devices that are accessible to your client.

It is also one of the tasks you will be able to complete in the future. Everything I’ve written earlier will be useful here. Naturally, nobody is going to require you to know which gadgets are in use to make a difference in Japan, Canada, or Finland however, it’s important to be aware of how to verify the information and how to utilize the data you have gathered.

Sales rankings for devices within the region of interest as well as rankings of versions of the system employed and sales forecasts for the next month are all extremely useful in this situation. It’s obvious that in those in the U.S. market, it is not a good idea to test Huawei devices because of the ban, however, devices that bear the logos of apple that has been bitten should be inspected. This will enable you to build a complete checklist of all devices and devices that be compatible with the market in which they are.

The information also highlights the major differences between the mobile testing of products and, for instance, the popular online product testing. It’s important to keep this in mind since it’s sure to be useful in the future.

Tips you must be aware of

• Jira This tool for managing projects will be the foundation of your job. You’ll be in contact with it daily and will be able to report every improvement, bug, and acceptance criteria, as well as the task description and much more. To do all of this, you will require Jira or any other tool similar to this one.
• Proxyman/Charles are useful tools to monitor the network traffic of applications. They permit us to determine whether the communication between the frontend and the backend is working correctly. You can also alter queries and responses in order to obtain the desired results.
• Postman is primarily used to test the backend. A complex tool that requires a thorough comprehension of how the backends of the application function. It’s worth the effort to master Postman. Knowing basic concepts is always a major advantage during interviews, particularly for junior roles.
• Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a useful tool to debug Android devices. In addition, it lets you quickly install apps “over the wire” and verify the device’s ID with specific commands. It is worthwhile to learn these commands because there aren’t many of them.
• Android Studio / Xcode – one of the most used environments to develop mobile apps on both operating systems. It is important to know the fundamentals of these environments.
• GIT is the Version Control System. It’s important to know the fundamentals.
• Github is a common term, and we could call this tool the base of our application it is on Github that we keep the entire code and the transfer of code across the world to Github is supported through GIT (Version Control System). It is worth learning about at a fundamental level.

Summary

Before you invest a lot of money in various kinds of classes, you should follow the 10 steps I mentioned in the previous paragraphs. Make a list of the most crucial information on your CV, and then do it yourself. I’m certain that most employers will appreciate a well-written presentation more than just a couple of certifications that the majority of applicants have.

This article was created to assist those looking to begin their journey as Junior Mobile Quality engineers. It’s an outline of the steps to take to enter the field of mobile application testing. Everything I’ve included can be helpful to you during your job. There aren’t any redundant tools, unneeded definitions, or other methods of obstruction. The theory is crucial however only experience and practice will make you an actual test-taker.