Mobile Testing Tours

There are a few different ways of doing exploratory testing:

1. test the application using end-to-end scripted user scenarios and do exploratory testing along the way; the exploratory testing adds variation to the end-to-end scenarios
2. do exploratory testing on the application components
3. use testing tours

These 3 different approaches are not excluding each other and offer different perspectives to the tester.

For the testing tours, the focus is not so much on the structure of the application but on the intention of the tester. 

The tester will choose a mix of application features and then combine them in a way that matches his testing intention.

The following tours are applicable for testing mobile applications:

Gesture tour

• On every screen of the application and every object, try each of the possible gestures

1. Double Tap
2. Tap
3. Press
4. Press and Drag
5. Swipe
6. Flick
7. Shake
8. Rotate
9. Pinch
10. Spread

Orientation tour

• Work through each screen in portrait, then turn the device on its side and try to repeat in landscape mode. 
• Change orientation on each screen. Try in portrait, rotate, try in landscape, then rotate back to portrait, move to the next screen.

Change Your Mind tour

• Go Back a Screen - use the app back functionality or the back button of the device (if any)
• Get Me Out - try to go to the beginning of the app in the middle of a user flow
• Cancel! - Try to cancel the current user flow
• Close The App and Re-open
• Force App to Background, Reopen - After being re-opened, the app should be in the same state as before being put in the background

Accessories tour

• Connect physical accessories while using the app (headphones, connect device to pc, keyboard, use a stylus, etc)
• Use wireless accessories while using the app

Motion tour

• Move the arm holding the device in different ways during testing the app

Light tour

• Use the app with different light conditions, both inside and outside

Location tour

• Use the app while moving around
• Use the app close to tall buildings
• Use the app in different weather conditions
• Use the app inside different building types

Connectivity tour

• Use the app with different types of connections;  move from one type of connection to another:

• Strong wifi (3 or 4 bars) to weaker (1 bar)
• Move from Wifi to a cellular network
• Move from a cellular network to wifi
• From one wifi source to another
• From connected to no connection (moving into a dead spot)
• Move from a dead spot to a wireless network connection

Weather tour

• Try the application outside, in different weather conditions.

Comparison tour

• Compare the app between 2 different devices with the same operating system
• Compare the app between devices with different operating systems

Sound tour


Combination tour

• Cause multiple technologies to work together on the device:

• Move the device while interacting with the application using gestures or inputting text, causing touch screen sensors, gesture interpretation and movement sensors to work together.
• Repeat the above, such as gestures or text inputs or web requests while moving between network connection types.
• Use the device while doing something else (watching TV, walking)

Consistency tour

• Check if all screens and app features are consistent with the recommended design practices for that particular OS

User tour

• Use the app from the perspective of different types of users

Lounge tour

• Try the application while lying down on a couch, or a comfortable chair.
• Use the application while lying in bed.

Low battery tour

• Use the app when the battery is low
• Use the app while the battery is being charged

Temperature tour

• Use the app both in high temperature and low temperature

Multi Screen tour


Pressed For Resources tour

• Use the app when the device doesnt have sufficient resources:
• weak wifi
• bad wifi
• low battery
• with lots of apps in the background
• low space on the storage card
• when the cpu is high

Emotions tour


I am in a rush tour

• Use the app as fast as possible; 
• Complete user flows as quickly as you can

Slow As A Snail tour

• Use the app at a very slow pace; take a few seconds breaks between actions; let the device lock, then unlock it and continue; dont use the device for a few minutes and then continue

More details for these tours can be found in TAP INTO MOBILE TESTING book of Jonathan Kohl that inspired this post.

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