UAT for Mobile Apps: Meeting Expectations in the Age of On-the-Go Technology

When user acceptance testing is implemented for testing mobile applications, then it means the usability, user experience and functionality of the mobile application are in line with the business- specific requirements.

A group of testers known as users will test and verify the mobile application and then provide their valuable feedback in terms of where the application stands in terms of value.

In this article, you will get to know the strategic role of user acceptance testing in improving the overall user experience and functionality of the mobile application.

The strategic role of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) in enhancing the performance and user experience of mobile applications:

There are over a billion mobile users all across the globe. Upon that, the number of mobile applications that are being released is also huge catering to different needs of customers.

Hence, mobile app companies should take great care while developing mobile applications. As per research, if an app crashes, then there will be approximately 71% uninstalls that will take place. Upon that, the usability of an application is also considered to be highly important.

Mobile users would go for those applications that provide a seamless user experience, wherein the app provides a user-friendly platform. For this purpose, it becomes crucial for the mobile app testing team to effectively carry out the UAT process.

In this manner, the ongoing maintenance costs can be reduced and usability-related issues can also be fixed accordingly.

Following are the steps involved in conducting UAT for mobile apps:

1. Begin with preparing a well-defined plan: The scope and objective of the testing process should be properly defined. The functionalities and features of the app need to be identified and make sure that it meets the expected user requirements. The stakeholders involved in the UAT process should also be identified and if needed should be involved in user acceptance testing.

2. Setting up the environment: For obtaining appropriate UAT results, there is a need to select the right operating systems and devices. The team should test the mobile app on a range of operating systems and devices so that variations in software, hardware and user preferences can be analyzed. The UAT tools and the test environment should be configured appropriately so that accurate testing can be facilitated.

This includes setting up databases, testing servers and also third-party integrations if there is a specific need. The compatibility and connectivity between the app and various operating systems, devices and network configurations should be ensured.

3. Executing tests: Predefined test cases are used to conduct tests, which include usability testing for mobile apps. This step makes sure that the mobile app is in line with user requirements and hence should be able to provide a seamless user experience.

4. Resolving issues: Once the test execution has been carried out properly, the team will address and prioritize the reported issues. This basically involves updating features based on user feedback, improving UI/UX and fixing bugs. Once the issues have been resolved, the app needs to be re-tested in order to check whether the fixes have been correctly solved or not and also ensure that no new issues crop up.

5. Final evaluation: The final stage is the evaluation stage wherein the overall UAT results are assessed against the predefined criteria. This assessment helps in ascertaining if the app requires further requirements and is ready for release or not. Stakeholder approval and sign-off are obtained, once the established criteria are met by the app. This step ensures that all those involved with the product are content with the app's functionality and performance.

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing UAT for your mobile apps, then do get connected with a devoted software testing services company that will provide you with a tactical testing roadmap that is in line with your project specific requirements.

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.