Are you a new software developer struggling to implement Android automation in your daily workflow? We have got you covered! Our blog will dig out the major challenges that you will face in Android automation. We will also propose practical solutions to overcome these obstacles and improve the quality of your application development.
The implementation of automated software testing is very important for the modern generation. This advanced approach allows the developers and testers to test the functioning of their apps very quickly and efficiently. The complexity of automation testing can give rise to various common challenges during the implementation process.
Without the proper knowledge of the challenges and how to tackle them, the testers will find themselves in a situation that will delay the overall deployment process and also seriously hamper the quality of the application that is being developed.
Introducing Android Automation
So, what is Android automation at its core? It is nothing but a process of using software tools and frameworks to conduct automated testing on modern Android applications. Let us divert our attention towards the major goals of implementing Android automation:
- The first goal is to verify the app is behaving according to the tester’s expectations, irrespective of different usage conditions and scenarios.
- Automation testing also aims to reduce the overall manual effort required to execute the testing processes. By freeing up these resources, the testers and developers can focus on other creative and innovative areas of the development project.
- Finally, automation testing helps the testers execute extensive test suites on various device configurations and operating systems. The main goal of this implementation is to broaden the compatibility and reach of the testing scenario.
Some of the common frameworks used for Andriod automation
- Appium is a very popular open-source tool that allows developers to automate mobile apps on multiple platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows.
- Espresso is also a very popular framework for implementing Android user interface testing. The most unique feature of this framework is that it is natively developed, updated, and supported by Google.
- UI Automator is another dedicated user interface Automation Testing tool that Google develops. This allows the testers to verify the functioning of the application across multiple devices and operating systems.
Challenges of Android Automation
Now that we have sharpened our knowledge regarding the basics of Android automation, let us go to our primary discussion, the challenges of Android automation:
Challenge 1: Device Fragmentation
If we look at the current Android market, we will see that thousands of devices are available. Moreover, all of these devices are unique in terms of display resolution, screen size, and other hardware and software configurations. This makes it almost impossible for the developers to generalize the test suites while working on Android automation.
On the other hand, it is also not advisable to set up a highly extensive device lab with physical copies of every Android device that is currently available.
Solution:
To perform the basic test cases, you can use emulators or simulators. In the current market, such emulation software is easily available and can run on both Windows and Mac operating systems. However, this software cannot replicate the physical parameters of the device. Thus, the testers cannot understand the influence of factors such as low battery, user errors, or maybe a broken display.
The most effective solution to this problem is the inclusion of cloud-based device farms like LambdaTest. It is an AI-powered manual and automation testing platform that allows you to run tests across 3000+ different combinations of real devices, operating systems, and browser versions using various automation testing tools.
It also supports the integration of Appium for automated Android app testing. The use of this device farm ensures higher test accuracy compared to Android Emulator Windows or Android emulator Mac.
Challenge 2: OS Version Compatibility
Currently, the Android operating system has various functional operating system versions. So, your target users must be using any one of the hundreds of available options. So, it becomes a very complex process to guarantee the compatibility of an application, starting from the latest version and moving all the way to the older versions.
Solution:
- To solve this issue, we advise the testers to implement backward compatibility testing, which ensures regular testing of the application on older operating systems to identify compatibility issues at the earlier stages.
- The testers can also use feature flags to disable or enable features depending on the operating system. This implementation will ensure that newer features don’t break the functioning of the older versions that do not support them.
- Finally, we advise the testers to implement a model that promotes the gradual rollout of application updates. This approach will help the testers monitor the user feedback and address operating system-specific issues promptly.
Challenge 3: UI Inconsistencies
All Android devices are unique in terms of aspect ratios, screen sizes, and resolutions. These variations can give rise to user interface elements not behaving as per the requirements or predictions. Ensuring the stability in UI on all of these variations can be a challenging task for the new testers and developers.
Solution:
- To solve this issue, testers can implement responsive design principles that ensure that the user interface of the application automatically realigns depending on screen sizes and other software variations.
- We also advise the implementation of automated user interface testing using tools like Appium. Using this process, the testers can automate the UI test cases, which will, in turn, help them verify that all the elements are correctly displayed and interactable across multiple Android devices.
- Finally, the testers must deploy visual regression testing using tools like AppliTools. The implementation of this process will allow the testers to find unexpected errors in the user interface appearances across different device configurations.
Challenge 4: Flaky Tests
Flaky tests are those test instances that can pass or fail randomly without any change in the source code of the application. Due to flaky test cases, the stability of the test suite becomes highly inaccurate, and the dependability of the Android automation test results is reduced.
Solution:
- To solve this issue, we advise the testers to implement a stable test environment, which will ensure an isolated testing approach to reduce the effect of external factors on the test results.
- We also advise the testers to design the test cases in an idempotent format. This means that the primary test cases must be able to run multiple times without causing any side effects on the other elements of the application architecture.
- Finally, it is crucial to implement a retry logic for those test cases that can turn into flaky test results. However, it is also important for the testers to investigate and address the root causes of these errors to improve the overall stability of the application.
Challenge 5: Performance Testing
Application developers and testers need to ensure that their app performs well under different conditions. Some of the most important conditions include varying network speeds and device loads. However, automating the test cases on all of these variations can be a very challenging task, especially for the new testers.
Solution:
- To solve this issue, the testers can primarily use network simulation tools like Network Link Conditioner or Charles Proxy. These tools will allow the testers to simulate various network conditions during the automation testing process.
- We also advise the testers to use tools like Gatling or Jmeter to perform load testing. This approach will ensure that the application can handle unusual traffic or high user interactions.
- It is also useful to implement Android Studio’s native profiling tools for monitoring the memory, CPU, and network usage. The implementation of all these parameters will allow the testers to identify the crucial bottleneck issues and address them appropriately.
Challenge 6: Security Testing
Automating the security test suites can be complicated, especially for newcomers. These test suites ensure that the core infrastructure of the application is secure against various threats, even in a complex environment.
Solution:
- We suggest the use of static analysis tools like SonarQube, which will help them detect security vulnerabilities in the application source code.
- The developers can also employ dynamic analysis tools like OWASP ZAP to verify the application’s security while it is being executed.
- The testers can also consider implementing penetration testing within their agile methodologies. This implementation will regularly check the application infrastructure for vulnerabilities.
Best Practices for Android Automation
Finally, let us go through some of the best practices that we highly recommend the testers integrate into their Android Automation test cases:
- It is advisable to design the tests in a modular format to promote maintainability and reusability. The tester should also break down the test cases into small and independent units that can be combined and reused across various scenarios.
- The testers should consider implementing a Page Object pattern to separate the test logic from the user interface interaction logic. This approach will make the test cases easy to maintain and read.
- We advise the testers to create and implement a feedback loop where the test cases are reviewed regularly and any issues are promptly addressed. By implementing this approach, the testers can elevate the effectiveness and reliability of the test suite.
- We also advise the testers to implement comprehensive reporting to track the test results, identify trends, and detect crucial errors early. The testers can implement this process by including screenshots, detailed test activity logs, and other metrics.
- Finally, the testers must create an environment that promotes communication and collaboration between all the team members. This implementation will ensure that everyone is aligned with the scope, goals, and expectations of the Android automation efforts.
The Bottom Line
Based on all the points that we analyzed, we can safely conclude that it is pretty common for the testers to come across multiple challenges. However, if you have the right tools and strategies, you can easily manage these obstacles. By addressing all the challenges that we discussed in this article, you can successfully achieve reliable and robust automation for your Android apps.
Moreover, by adopting the best practices and continuously improving the automation process. You can create a higher-quality app with a more efficient development cycle. Finally, by embracing these solutions and best practices, you can easily glide through the complexities of Android Automation while delivering a seamless and reliable user experience to all your customers.
