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Why do so many teams struggle with quality assurance (QA) testing for mobile apps? We explore challenges associated with mobile testing and provide specific strategies and tools to help teams improve. If you want a more streamlined and cost effective testing process, read on!

Mobile App QA Testing: Strategies and Tools to Improve Your Process

Over the last decade, the mobile industry has exploded with more than 5 billion mobile device users worldwide. Companies today need to ensure not only that they can deliver beautiful, intuitive experiences on mobile, but also that they can deliver them on every operating system (OS) and device.

For cross-platform development, many have turned to 

 to build and scale mobile apps on multiple OSs from a single codebase. However, this still presents the challenge of testing the app on the wide variety of devices available in the market to ensure consistency and usability.

In this article, we examine why quality assurance (QA) testing is so challenging for mobile apps in particular and provide guidance for organizations looking to improve their testing process. We discuss both automated and manual testing to help companies find the testing strategy that is right for them. We also call out the specific tools that we recommend for testing teams.

What is mobile testing and why is it so difficult?

To start, let's define mobile testing to set a baseline for understanding. Mobile app testing is the process of assessing functionalities of mobile apps. The purpose of mobile app testing is to ensure the quality of the app, meet specified requirements, reduce the risk or errors, and improve user satisfaction.

To understand why mobile app testing is so challenging, it's easiest to think of it in comparison with web app testing. Web apps run in the browser, which means that tests are limited by the types of browsers and different versions of those browsers. Most engineers will test on the top 7-10 browsers in use today, and for cross-platform browsers like Chrome and Firefox, will test additionally on Windows and Mac OS.

Mobile app testing is more complex because of the sheer number of different OSs and different models of devices that exist. Over time, more and more OSs are being built up independently, beyond the traditional OSs like Apple iOS, Android, and Windows. In addition, each OS supports a wide variety of different devices that range in size and capability.

Of the traditional OSs, Android poses the most significant challenge because there are many different original equipment manufacturers (OEM) that develop Android phones and often modify aspects of the Android OS based on their specific needs. As a result, engineers have struggled to determine how to set best practices for ensuring mobile apps work properly on all devices.

Having a strong testing process is instrumental to overcoming these challenges and ensuring your mobile app is of high quality. We have outlined our process below in hopes that it will help organizations find clarity in how to meet best practices for mobile app testing.

List all of the relevant tests for your mobile app

In order to create a comprehensive testing plan, we start by documenting all of the tests that need to be evaluated to ensure the quality of the app. Documenting tests allows the team to track, understand, and resolve any quality issues that may arise. We use 

 for test case management, as it helps to organize the QA process and ensure every case is properly tracked and resolved.

When listing all of our test cases, we always consider the overall goal and experience of the app itself. Be sure to review all requirements and key benchmarks to determine what tests need to be covered.

Determine which test cases should be automated

Once a comprehensive list of tests has been determined, each test should be evaluated to determine which can be automated and which should be performed manually.

In most cases, automated testing is the best way to improve test efficiency and receive instant feedback. However, there are some cases where it is not technically feasible to automate the tests or it may cost a lot of resources to automate a single step. In these cases, we review whether automating the scenario would return a greater ROI compared to manual testing. If there is concern that time and resources would be wasted when automating a complex test, we always choose to perform it manually.

 makes it easy for us to automate a variety common tests. Some examples include:

We highly recommend Appium as an automation testing tool because its open-source, simple to execute, and able to test cross-platform. You can find some examples of Appium tests 

Research what devices you will need to test

As mentioned earlier, the sheer number of different devices available on the market presents a significant challenge for mobile testing. While it would be extremely time-consuming and expensive to test every device on the market, it is possible to research and understand which devices need to be tested.

For Apple iOS, testing is a bit more straightforward because it is closed ecosystem with the same OS for phone and tablet. With some research, it is easy to identify the most popular and most recent models that will need to be tested. We typically test on the latest 6 versions, checking both phone and tablet.

Android is much tricker because there are so many manufacturers that modify the Android OS code. To cover this broad range, we pick the most popular devices from each manufacturer to test. 

 is a great source of data we use to determine which devices are most popular. We also consider devices with different screen resolutions, memory size, and connectivity to ensure we are able to check a wide variety of devices.

For all other OSs, we also recommend performing research to determine the most popular devices to test, as well as testing on latest 6 versions. Again, it is important to check a variety of screen resolutions as well to make sure the mobile app will display correctly for users on all different screens.

Create a testing plan for testing different models

Once we have determined our list of tests and devices to test, we are able to structure our testing plan.

Testing on real devices is always preferred when possible for the highest accuracy of results. However, procuring mobile devices for testing can be expensive and often impractical depending on the distribution of the team. Instead, we often utilize cloud-based tools and emulators for testing like 

To test all models efficiently, we group devices based on their screen resolution and cycle through the needed tests on each group. We typically create testing plans based on the number of groups we will test each week. Depending on the app, we plan for about 3-8 weeks of QA testing prior to launch or new feature release. Most testing is performed concurrently with development to maximize efficiency and ensure features are complete upon release.

With more and more technology innovations appearing on mobile, mobile app testing is more critical than ever. Having the right process in place is instrumental to ensuring your app will delight users and run smoothly.

To learn more about how you can develop and test your mobile app, feel free to 

 and we would be happy to answer any of your questions.

Just as the spread of COVID-19 was gaining momentum, Anthem launched a virtual care app, Sydney Care. Find out how Foxbox Digital collaborated with the Sydney Care team as the lead mobile app development partner.

How We Helped Anthem Launch a Mobile Telehealth Product During a Pandemic

On January 1st, 2020, just as the spread of COVID-19 was gaining momentum, 

, Inc., a leading health benefits company that serves over 110 million people through their affiliated companies, launched a virtual care app, 

Foxbox Digital collaborated with the Sydney Care team as the lead mobile app development partner, because of Foxbox’s experience and deep knowledge of 

Sydney Care, available on iOS and Android, utilizes AI-driven guidance to empower users to assess their symptoms and then choose the virtual care option that’s best for them. Additionally, through its COVID-19 Resource Center, Sydney Care provides an end-to-end solution that helps employees more safely return to the workplace.

“We built a solution that some of our customers have reviewed as being ‘life-changing.’ The ability to address health issues without physically going to a doctor, and in the comfort of their own home, is a rewarding experience to be part of, and we continue to see the growing impact of our telehealth platform.”

- Plamen Petrov, Ph.D., Vice President, Exponential Technologies, Anthem, Inc.

In 2020, Sydney Care was downloaded over 260,000 times, while thousands of users continue to utilize the application daily to diagnose symptoms and seek guidance for their health conditions from a device that lives in their pockets. Additionally, over 41,000 people have assessed their COVID-19 symptoms using Sydney Care.

The pandemic has forced many professionals to work from home and prevented critical care for many non-COVID patients. Sydney Care became a desired application for many people who needed preventative care, and also consumers with chronic illnesses.

“I was able to quickly chat with a doctor this afternoon about allergies and pick up my prescription within an hour. This beat taking 3-hours out of my workday, fighting traffic, and sitting in a waiting room (especially right now during a pandemic) to see a doctor. I found a new way to do health care,”

- jscrmil1, 04/14/2020 iOS App Store

A Delightful Mobile Experience (Built in React Native)

As the React Native mobile development experts, we interacted with Anthem’s Product, UX, Business, Integration, Authentication, Backend Development, and Security teams to build both iOS and Android native applications, using a single React Native codebase.

React Native allowed us to develop one app that works natively on iOS and Android instead of building two separate apps with disconnected codebases. Using React Native as the programming language enabled Anthem to streamline development and maintenance costs while still creating a stellar mobile consumer experience.

Through our collaboration and contributions, we delivered these core features and benefits:

Integrated Video and Chat for Virtual Doctor Visits

: Chat in real-time over video and text with healthcare providers.

:This triage functionality in the app allows a seamless experience for consumers to check their symptoms and get personalized guidance.

:A login-less experience for existing customers, as well as integration with other insurance providers.

: All of the technical enterprise security protocols needed without sacrificing the experience for the consumer.

: The ability to pay via credit, debit, or via insurance provider, all within the app.

A COVID-19 Return to Workplace Solution Built in 10 days

As Covid-19 started growing, we quickly pivoted along with Anthem’s product and design teams to develop an AI-powered Covid-19 daily-check in solution that helps protect workers by keeping potentially infected employees away from the workplace.

We developed the front-end and back-end of this new functionality and published on both app stores (iOS and Android) within 10 days—in addition to a previously-created COVID-19 assessment solution. This service is currently being used by many large organizations, some with 30,000+ employees, and more partnerships to come.

Better Healthcare Experiences Start with a Seamless Digital Experience

Together, with the partnership of Anthem’s robust global design, product, and integrated teams, we assisted in the development of an easy-to-use, direct-to-consumer mobile telehealth solution. With the added complexity of working within an enterprise environment, we continued to be flexible and agile in our approach of acting like a startup within an enterprise.

We’re honored to work alongside a leader in healthcare and innovation.

“They are professionals, talented, smart. They are committed, with a very strong core team. They owned the problem."

- Elliott Torres, Staff VP, AI and Architecture

Agile empowers businesses to rapidly identify and respond to new ideas. Living through a pandemic has proved these innovation techniques to be more important than ever. Learn how you can support this vital process.

How You Can Empower Innovation by Becoming an Advocate for Your Agile Development Team

Living through a pandemic has shown us that businesses need to be flexible and resilient to thrive in this new era of business. In a time when so much is uncertain, businesses must be willing and able to constantly adapt to changing circumstances.

Agile provides an execution framework for accomplishing exactly that. By taking people out of their functional silos and placing them in customer-focused multidisciplinary teams, the agile approach allows businesses to rapidly identify and respond to new ideas.

Even those outside of the agile development team have an important role to play in supporting agile at their organization. We will examine how leadership can act as advocates to the agile development team, and therefore empower growth and innovation.

To start, let's review the difference between agile and traditional (waterfall) methodologies for project management.

Waterfall works well for linear projects where the team knows exactly what they need to do to get the job done. The traditional command and control, sequential “do this then that” approach.

On the other hand, agile works well for dynamic projects focused on new ideas and innovation, where multidisciplinary teams uncover unknowns and need to learn and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances to create the best possible outcome.

 It is the practice that enables organizations to act on their new ideas.
- Tim Brown, IDEO CEO

What Makes Agile Adoption So Challenging?

Moving from a more traditional waterfall, command and control approach, to agile isn’t an easy task. The most common reason why agile adoption fails is because company leadership is not fully bought into the process.

Successful agile software development requires an openness to address unknowns via an interactive process of 

 Leadership must understand the importance of innovation as it pertains to company growth, and learn to overcome their fear of change so the business can progress and evolve.

If the organization does not support the team in experimentation, the team will not be empowered to practice true agile.

Empowering Growth and Innovation Through Agile Development

For agile to be truly successful, it is essential that business leaders become agile advocates. This means they are not only bought into the idea that agile will provide better outcomes, but they actively support their team to by paving the way for them to succeed.

Here are ways that business leaders can support their agile development team, and therefore empower growth and innovation.

Recognizing problems help us improve and grow. The best agile teams take failures and turn them into learning experiences and successes.

While “fail fast” is a philosophy commonly associated with agile, what agile really allows teams to do is “learn fast.”

 Without making missteps, the team will not have the opportunity to learn where they can improve.

This can be scary for leaders that are not used to an agile environment. However, when agile teams are able to overcome small failures, they learn how to prevent larger ones in the long run.

Trust the Team to Make Their Own Decisions

Agile teams need the ability to work quickly and address unknowns when they arise. Long bureaucratic approval processes can become significant roadblocks in allowing teams to access the tools that they need to innovate.

In order for teams to capture opportunities, they need to be able to act autonomously.

 This requires full trust from the organization that teams are experts in their own domain. With this trust, teams will be empowered to optimize processes as well as ask for, modify, and use the tools they need to create the best possible work.

Understand the Difference Between Capacity and Throughput

Focusing on throughput means that the emphasis is put on how much a team is producing, and not how much each individual member is working.

By not forcing each team member to constantly perform at their maximum capacity, they have more time available to support each other and solve problems when they arise.

Efficiency is often lost when trying to do too much.

 The most important thing should always be the outcomes the team is delivering as a whole.

Commit to Stability to Achieve Innovation

In order for the team to focus on impact and delivery, the organization should prevent them from experiencing instability or shock. 

Distractions are a threat to the productiveness of the team and can prompt counterproductive coping behaviors and poor decisions.

The organization as a whole needs to be educated on agile so that they also understand when their own actions can be detrimental to company innovation.

Successful agile development is contingent on 

 from all levels of an organization. When an agile team is empowered to explore unknowns, the product becomes more innovative and 

better serves the user and the organization as a whole.

If you want to learn more, here are some helpful resources:

Leading agile transformation: The new capabilities leaders need to build 21st-century organizations

New Requirements For Agile Leadership: How To Lead Differently For Agile Success

To Build an Agile Team, Commit to Organizational Stability

We have some exciting news: Foxbox Digital has a new website. But most importantly, we’ve upgraded our service offerings to better communicate how we help clients in 2021 and beyond. Read on to learn more.

Introducing the New Foxbox Digital — It’s All About Impact

When visiting family during the holidays, you know how you get the question: “So, what do you do for a living?” It’s like clockwork, the same question every year.

But I don’t blame families for asking that question since, for startup founders or anyone building a business, that answer can drastically change every year. And with the 2020 we all just had, it’s a valid question.

So, to get to our news: Foxbox Digital has a new website. But most importantly, we’re upgrading and communicating how we’re helping our clients in 2021 and beyond.

And now it’s time for us to answer the question my family asks me every year:

What Does Foxbox Actually Do for a Living?

We're no longer just a React Native/Engineering shop.

When we started in 2018, our value proposition was simple: We are 

 who can do it for less. And at that time, that was exactly what we did. If you needed React Native programmers, you called Foxbox.

As we grew, we started to acquire more clients up the value chain, including clients who had bigger problems than needing a few engineers to build something. Through this evolution, our team and the diversity of our skillsets evolved as well. Also, it changed how we work and the value proposition for our clients. 

We are now aligned on the impact we make on the client, not just the software built.

We hired more engineers that aren’t React Native experts, and we hired Solution Architects with experience in a wide variety of technologies. Lastly, we hired Senior Product Managers that had experience navigating the complexities of the enterprise and mid-market companies, as well as experience with different types of technologies.

We are integral partners on digital transformation initiatives.

While trying not to fall into the buzzword trap like many others, we are part of our clients' digital transformation efforts. This recent 

 was exactly that: Digital Transformation. And we were an integral part of that initiative.

Our team has really stepped up to be critical members of companies accelerating their Digital efforts. We’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work on initiatives that drive real change within organizations. We are proud of that.

We’ve Expanded and Clearly Defined Our Service Areas

After a LOT of internal debate, here is how we are breaking up our core services. We believe these skillsets represents who we are and give us the best chance to help our clients succeed.

Our three core service areas (simplified) are:

 Product Design and Engineering across Mobile, Web, and eCommerce with React Native, Elixir, and more.

 Product Strategy and Technical Advisory.

 Cloud Computing, Infrastructure, Data, and AI.

In addition to product & engineering, we’ve always done strategy & advisory work too, but we never really called it out on any of our marketing materials or sales decks. It’s just something we did naturally.

Also, we are placing more skillset emphasis on cloud computing. At one point, I thought cloud was simply another buzzword. I was wrong. It’s becoming the core foundation of growing companies and legacy incumbents.

Utilizing cloud infrastructures along with native data and analytics tools makes sense for many companies. It’s all about impact, and investing in the cloud is the best way toward building long-term impact.

Our last redesign was actually 18 months ago. This honestly feels like it happened many years ago. When I looked up our last post, I couldn’t believe it was published in June 2019.

Coming up with a message at the top was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I wanted it to be bold and differentiated. We went through several variations, and in the end, we thought 

 best represents who we are and how we can help our clients.

And to be honest with you, it’s the truth. We know how to get it done at critical times on complex projects. There is no one better than us at it.

More focus on client case studies and testimonials. 

Great things happen when you acquire more clients and do more projects: You have more ways of showing your work :)

We picked the select projects we thought created the biggest impact in 2020, and we showcased them.

We moved our core beliefs to the front page. 

It’s who we are, and we thought it was important for that to be on the front page.

As always, thank you for reading. I genuinely appreciate it. 2020 was one of the craziest years by far, and here is to hoping that 2021 is one of the best years for all of us!

With the need and adoption of cloud solutions continuing to increase, we created a helpful guide for businesses to help them understand the questions they will need to answer to find the right cloud solution.

4 Critical Questions Every Business Needs to Answer Before Moving to the Cloud

Over the last two decades, cloud solutions have become an integral part of modern IT strategy — and for good reason. The cloud offers businesses greater flexibility, scalability, and efficiency compared to hosting on a local server.

The Covid-19 pandemic has only increased the need and adoption of cloud solutions. Between school closures, social distancing, and work-from-home, data center are experiencing massive surges in the usage of compute resources. Shifting societal norms have resulted in greater dependence on technology that makes data accessible from any location.

With 94% of enterprises already using a cloud service, companies that are not embracing the cloud are sure to be left behind in 2021. Not only are customers demanding it, employees need it to effectively work remote.

When selecting and implementing cloud solutions, there are many different options available depending on an organization's unique needs.

: computing infrastructure is located on the premises of a third-party provider that offers a cloud service to a variety of users. Public clouds can be free services, or require that customers purchase a certain amount of usage (CPU cycles, storage, or bandwidth).

: a cloud computing model whose resources are provisioned over a dedicated, private infrastructure that is solely used by one organization.

: a combination of private and public cloud to meet an organization's needs. For example, public cloud can be used to interact with customers, while sensitive data is secured on a private cloud.

: a form of cloud computing that hosts its resources over the Internet. Examples of IaaS companies include Amazon, Rackspace, Flexiscale.

: a service that provides a platform for consumers to develop, run, and manage applications in the cloud without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure needed.

: a software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet.

 a custom built software designed to meet the unique needs of an organization delivered over the Internet in a subscription-based model.

Selecting the right solution for your business

 based on your needs and budget can be a difficult task. To help organizations select the right solution, we have compiled 4 questions to help you calibrate your mindset in order to determine which solution is right for you.

1. What are my business goals for the cloud?

It is important to first understand how the right cloud solution will align with your business needs. For example, some organizations may be looking for a solution that will be revenue generating. Others might be looking to support their business from an operations perspective. Some businesses will want a solution that will help them to scale and grow, while some are more focused on cutting costs. With different goals in mind, each business would require a different solution to meet their needs.

2. How can my current network and infrastructure support cloud offerings?

While moving to the cloud might mean a smaller IT footprint in-house, it would likely demand additional network capacity. Understanding the current state of your network and infrastructure will allow you to set a baseline for what you may need to support cloud adoption.

3. What is the structure of your technical team?

What is the size of your technical team? Who is maintaining your technical resources? Is your team internal or external? These are all important questions to think about when selecting a cloud solution. Depending on the expertise you have in-house, you may require additional resources to manage your solution.

4. What problems can the cloud solve for your users?

This is the most important question of all. At Foxbox, we are always focused on first identifying your users and how we can meet their needs through cloud solutions.

Where do you users access the application? Is it in your office? Is it at home? Are they online or offline? Do they like the application? Would they prefer to use a public platform/known technology? These are some of the questions we may ask to dig deeper into how we can craft a solution that would be most beneficial to your users.

Taking a user-centric approach is what we at Foxbox Digital do best. If you would like to learn more about our 

. We would love to help you find the right solution to meet the needs of your users.

Striking the right balance between Agile methodologies and Human-Centered Design (HCD) principles can be a challenge for product development teams. We examine how to relieve healthy tension between the two strategies to find the right customer-market fit.

How to Build Better Digital Products By Embracing Human-Centered Design (HCD) + Agile

Striking the right balance between Agile methodologies and Human-Centered Design (HCD) principles paves the way for product development teams to find the right customer-market fit. At the risk of oversimplifying, HCD provides a framework for "thinking" about product development, while Agile provides the framework for "doing". Calibrating the “thinking” vs “doing” is critical to developing great digital products.

When combining these strategies, it is important to note that some of their basic tenets are at odds with one another. Agile methods focus on eliminating inefficiencies found in the Waterfall model of project management (“doing”). They encourage design and development to happen concurrently to foster increased collaboration and teamwork. On the other hand, HCD principles highlight the importance of user research to discover and solve real user-facing problems (“thinking”). They suggest a discovery phase at the beginning of the project with limited or no developer involvement.

To better understand each method and how to resolve this tension tension between them, let's review the basic tenets of each strategy.

The Manifesto for Agile Software Development

Agile methodologies are best explained by the Agile Manifesto, which was penned by a group of seventeen leaders from the software community while on a ski trip in Utah in early 2001.

We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a plan

Although the technology landscape has changed significantly since the Agile Manifesto was written, Agile Coaches, enthusiasts and avid practitioners agree that these principles are still key to guiding successful Agile development. While different frameworks may interpret them differently, they remain a core component of both conversation and study around this strategy.

The Top 4 Principles of Human-Centered Design

One of the top scholars of HCD is Don Norman, an accomplished researcher and professor who serves as the director of The Design Lab at University of California, San Diego. He is best known for his books on design, especially 

Much of Norman's work involves his advocacy of HCD. His talk 

 is considered by many to cover the fundamental teachings of the theory.

1. Focus upon the people
2. Find the right problem
3. Think of everything as a system
4. Always validate your design decisions

In his talk, Norman identifies two types of problems — fundamental problems and symptoms of the problem. He argues that it’s essential to solve a fundamental problem first because by doing that you’ll solve a root cause of other problems. He contends that no matter how much time it takes, development cannot begin until the right problem to solve has been identified. Failure to do this could lead to an ineffective product that does not meet the needs of users.

Bridging the Gap Between Conflicting Strategies

In essence, both strategies are trying to achieve the same goals of fostering collaboration, solving real problems, and keeping customer satisfaction at the forefront. The main difference between HCD and Agile is how various staff roles are applied to a project and at what stages they are involved.

To remedy this healthy tension between the strategies, we assert the following practices that allow HCD and Agile to work together effectively.

Although developers may not participate in user research, they can still be part of the design process early on. Design sessions would ideally include developers, the people who will use the services, and designers who are experts at engaging users and interpreting qualitative feedback.

As the software is developed, designers would review changes regularly and the whole team would participate in validating the service with real users. This fosters greater collaboration and communication, as well as ensures that proper user research is performed throughout the project timeline to ensure that the right problems are being focused on by the team.

Some challenges, such as making a high-demand software component perform faster, require little user research, yet can deliver high impact results. While user research is certainly important, it should not be trusted over performance metrics. When a team can get something testable in front of real users, they will be able to make more informed decisions about their product roadmap.

Reserve very in-depth user research for user-facing functionality that is new or different. The more innovative your project, the more it justifies the amount of time spent on research.

Add More Customer Facing People to Your Team

In commercial technology industry, there is often a tendency to have too high a ratio of engineers compared to other roles on the team. This is often due to a focus on rapid development rather than customer-centricity.

When in doubt, always refer to the people in your organization who interface with the people that experience the problems that the team is trying to solve. A balanced team should involve the same number of user-facing people as software engineers. This includes product managers and user experience experts. In some cases, members from other teams such as sales, customer experience, and support should also be referred to in order to better understand the voice of the customer.

Measure Productivity by Value, Not Volume

More lines of code do not directly translate into a product that better meets user needs and business goals. In Agile, many teams try to measure their velocity to understand their progress. However, this practice can fall short as it is only important to a specific team in the context of its own achievements.

The only measure of productivity that matters is user satisfaction. Craft KPIs related to your users experience and the value it provides.

Above All, Act in the Best Interest of the User

In conclusion, Agile and HCD are best combined when they are utilized with the common goal of creating happy customers. This will calibrate the "thinking" and the "doing" in the best interest of the user.

 and development processes will become more effective and more resilient. Resilience enables teams to focus exclusively on generating user value, rather than getting locked into a specific plan that does not result in meeting user needs.

By following the suggestions above and keeping users first, product development teams can work together to resolve the healthy tension between Agile and HCD in order to generate the most value for their users.