Mobile App Automation Testing With Real Devices On The Cloud

If you've been in the testing space for a while, one thing is clear. While simulators and emulators have a crucial role to play in test automation, they're not a 100% replacement for real device testing.

Real device cloud refers to a testing environment hosted on the cloud that allows you to test your websites and native mobile applications using real (or actual) Android and iOS devices. Many organizations are now adopting mobile app automation testing on cloud devices as it helps streamline their testing processes, increase test coverage, and reduce costs. Numerous cloud platforms offer the capability to automate tests on devices.

In this post, we will look at mobile app automation testing with real devices on the cloud.

What is Mobile App Automation on Real Device Cloud?

Real device cloud is an environment for mobile app testing that provides access to real Android and iOS hosted on the cloud servers. '

Instead of relying on emulators or simulators, real devices are used for automated app testing to test the functionality of mobile apps in real-user conditions to get accurate testing results. This approach allows testers and developers to execute tests on a wide range of actual smartphones and tablets remotely, regardless of their physical location.

It offers benefits such as device diversity, scalability, and accessibility, making it an efficient and cost-effective way to ensure the functionality and compatibility of mobile applications across various devices and platforms.

Why Automate Apps on a Real Device Cloud?

Automating applications on a real device cloud offers numerous significant software development and testing advantages. Let's see why this approach is so valuable:

• Diverse Device Coverage: The market boasts an extensive array of mobile devices, each with unique screen sizes, operating systems, and hardware setups. Testing on a real device cloud allows you to efficiently cover this diversity without physically purchasing and managing these devices.

• Accurate Testing: While emulators and simulators serve their purpose, they may not replicate real device behavior perfectly. Automating on real devices offers a more accurate representation of how your app will perform in the hands of actual users, ensuring a realistic testing environment.

• Ensuring Compatibility: Mobile apps need to function seamlessly on various devices and operating system versions. Automated testing on a real device cloud helps you confirm compatibility across various device configurations, reducing the risk of issues on specific devices.

• Scalability: Your testing requirements can expand, and a real device cloud can seamlessly grow with you. You can access a vast selection of devices as needed, making it suitable for both small and large testing projects, all without the complexities of acquiring and maintaining physical devices.

• Remote Accessibility: One of the most significant advantages is accessing devices remotely. Testers and developers can conduct testing from anywhere, a particularly valuable feature in today's distributed work environments.

One such cloud-based platform that offers real device testing is LambdaTest. It is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform that lets you perform mobile app automation at scale on a real device cloud of Android and iOS devices.

With LambdaTest real device cloud, you don't have to worry about building or managing a device lab anymore. A real device cloud by LambdaTest can save time and cost that would otherwise be spent on purchasing devices and setting up and maintaining labs.

How to Perform Mobile App Automation on Real Device Cloud?

LambdaTests cloud platform is widely used to automate mobile app testing. It can also be utilized for mobile app testing with frameworks like Appium, Espresso, and XCUITest. By leveraging LambdaTest cloud infrastructure, developers and testers can execute automated test scripts on real devices hosted in the cloud. This eliminates the need for devices and enables efficient and comprehensive testing of mobile apps.

Here are some key advantages of using LambdaTest specifically for mobile app automation. Check them out!

• Cross-Platform Testing: LambdaTest provides a cloud-based infrastructure that allows you to perform mobile app automation testing across various Android and iOS devices. This ensures your mobile app functions correctly on operating systems and device configurations.

• Diverse Device Library: LambdaTest offers access to a collection of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, with various screen sizes, resolutions, and hardware specifications. This extensive device library facilitates testing to ensure your app compatibility, even with numerous types of devices.

• Parallel Test Execution: LambdaTest allows you to perform tests simultaneously on devices. This feature helps save time and speeds up the testing process, resulting in feedback and faster releases.

• Testing in Real-World Scenarios: You can simulate real-world conditions like gestures, app profiling, and geographical locations. Testing your app under these conditions helps identify performance issues. You can also rest assured of a seamless user experience across various scenarios.

• Integrations with CI/CD Tools: You can effortlessly integrate LambdaTest into your existing CI/CD pipeline, track test results, and collaborate with team members to efficiently address any identified issues.

Now, let's look at how to perform mobile app automation on a real device cloud like LambdaTest.

1. Register for free on LambdaTest and login to your account.

2. Make sure you have a LambdaTest username and access key. To get these credentials, navigate to your Profile avatar on the top-right and then go to Account Settings > Password & Security tab.

3. For demonstration, let's use the Appium framework. Install the Appium Java client library and ensure you have access to either an Android app in .apk or .aab format or an iOS app in .ipa format.

4. The next step is to upload your mobile application on the LambdaTest servers via REST API. Below is the cURL request for uploading your mobile app using LambdaTest REST API:

Using App File from System:

Using App URL:

5. Configure the mobile automation capabilities in your test scripts. Shown below are the sample desired capabilities. Here, we set capabilities such as platformName, platformVersion, deviceName, etc

To perform mobile app automation on a real device cloud, set the isRealMobile to true.

The following is the sample Appium test script in Java that is configured with the above capabilities.

6. Run the test and head to the LambdaTest App Automation Dashboard to view your test results.

Best Practices for Mobile App Automation on Real Device Cloud

It's not an understatement to say that automated testing on real devices in the cloud can significantly enhance the quality and dependability of all your applications. To ensure mobile app automation testing on devices in the cloud, you should always follow these highly recommended practices. Check them out.

• Device Selection Strategy: Prioritize devices based on market share and user demographics to ensure you test on devices most commonly used by your target audience. Consider using a device farm service that offers a wide range of devices for testing.

• Test Automation Framework: Choose a robust test automation framework that supports mobile app testing, such as Appium, Espresso, or XCUITest. Ensure your framework supports parallel testing to maximize efficiency.

• Test Data Management: Use realistic test data that simulate real user interactions and scenarios. Implement data parameterization to vary test inputs and cover different test cases.

• Test Environment Configuration: Set up your testing environment to closely mimic real-world conditions, including network conditions, device orientation, and screen resolutions. Leverage cloud services that allow you to customize test environments.

• Continuous Integration (CI) Integration: Incorporate your mobile app automation tests into your CI/CD pipeline for automated, regular testing. Use CI tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, or CircleCI to trigger tests on cloud devices.

Conclusion

Mobile app automation testing on real devices in the cloud not only streamlines the testing process but also helps identify issues in a real testing environment, leading to a better user experience.

This approach aligns with the ever-evolving needs of mobile app development, ensuring that applications perform seamlessly across various devices and configurations, resulting in improved user experiences and higher customer satisfaction.