Mobile Testing Interview Questions and Answers 2024

The importance of mobile testing is steadily increasing, and it is essential to have the right strategy and tools for each type of mobile testing. Knowing mobile device testing and mobile device application testing is important if you want to work in the mobile testing domain, and this blog will help. The blog will cover mobile testing interview questions for basic level, advanced level, and appium interview questions, and more.

These questions cover all the fundamentals of mobile testing and demonstrate your expertise in the subject. You can also take up free mobile app development courses and enhance your knowledge about the same. The mobile testing interview questions and answers are as follows:

Mobile Testing Interview Questions

1. What are the various types of mobile operating systems?

• Android OS – Developed by Google Inc.
• iOS – Developed by Apple Inc. 
• Series 40 [S40] OS – Developed by Nokia Inc.
• BlackBerry OS – Developed by BlackBerry Limited

2. What is the latest version of the Android mobile operating system?

Android 11 is the eleventh major release and the 18th version of Android, a mobile operating system developed by the Google-led Open Handset Alliance. It was released on September 8, 2020, and is the latest Android version to date.

3. List of earlier versions of the Android operating system?

• Android 1.0
• Android 1.1
• Android 1.5 Cupcake
• Android 1.6 Donut
• Android power 2.0
• Android 2.2 Froyo
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• Android 3.0 Honeycomb
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• Android Nougat 7.0
• Android 8.0 Oreo
• Android 9 Pie
• Android 10

4. What is the latest version of iOS and iPadOS?

iOS 14/14 iPadOS 14

The latest versions of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 have been announced at its annual WWDC 2020 event on June 22, 2020, with iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 released on September 16, 2020. All devices that support iOS 13 also support iOS 14.

5. What are the different types of mobile devices?

Mobile devices are usually handheld computers. They have many types depending on their characteristics such as physical dimensions, hardware and software capabilities, what they mean, and more.

• Tablets
• Mobile

6. Distinguishes tablets and smartphones based on their features.

Tablets: What it is, tablets are portable computer devices. Unlike traditional computers, they do not have a keyboard or mouse, however, the entire screen is touch-sensitive.

Smartphone: A smartphone is a powerful mobile phone designed to run a wide variety of applications in addition to providing phone service.

7. What are the types of mobile testing?

There are 2 types of mobile testing:

• Automated testing
• Manual test

Check out the software testing course to learn more in detail about software testing and the strategic methods for building applications

8. When are manual testing and automation testing done?

Manual testing is performed when new functionality is developed for the application and only a few times testing is required.

Automatic testing is used on applications in critical scenarios where regression tests have to be repeated.

9. What are the 2 types of automation devices?

The 2 types of automation tools are image-recognition-based automation tools and object-recognition-based automation tools.

10. What are the various types of mobile applications?

There are three types of mobile applications: mobile web, native app, and hybrid app. The classification is based on development efforts and app redistribution strategy. Let us understand each of them in detail.

11. Difference between a web app, native app, and hybrid app?

Web Apps:

Web applications are not real applications; They are websites that open on your smartphone with the help of a web browser. Mobile websites have a wide audience of all primary types of applications.

• Example – Great Education
• Benefits – Easy access.
• Easy development.
• Easy update
• Downside – Access to file systems and local resources is not available on websites.
• Many existing websites do not support offline capabilities.
• The website only needs to be opened in a web browser.

While native and hybrid apps appear on the App Store and Google Play, web apps will not. Therefore, redistribution is not so sensible.

Native Apps:

A native app has been developed specifically for one platform. It can be installed through an application store (such as the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store).

Examples – Whatsapp, Facebook.

• Benefits – Can be accessed via the original application icon.
• They can take full advantage of all device features – camera, GPS, accelerometer, compass, list of contacts, and so on.
• Can use the device’s notification system and work offline.
• The best user experience.
• As it is found in the App Store, redistribution is easy.

Downsides:

• High cost for the creation of the app.
• Maintenance is high.

Hybrid App:

These apps are a way of exposing content from existing websites in an app format. They can be described as a mixture of web apps and native apps.

Examples – Instagram, Wikipedia.

• Benefit –
• It is cheaper to develop a hybrid app than to develop a native app. It can be built for cross-platform use.
• Maintenance is simple, as there are not many versions to maintain.
• It can take advantage of some features available on the device.
• It can be found in the App Store, making delivery easier.
• It only has a browser embedded within the app.

Downside:

• Graphics are less accustomed to operating systems than native apps.
• Hybrid apps are slower than native apps.

12. What is Mobile Device Testing?

This type of testing is usually being done to ensure the quality of the mobile device. Testing includes hardware and software testing for mobile. We will discuss here the different types of tests that are typically being done on mobile devices.

• unit-testing
• Factory testing
• Mobile app testing
• Hardware testing
• Battery (charging) test
• Receiving signal
• network test
• Protocol test
• Mobile game testing
• Mobile software compatibility test
• Certification testing before going into the mobile device market.

13. What is Mobile App Testing?

Mobile application testing is a process by which application software developed for handheld mobile devices is tested for its functionality, usability, and stability. The different types of tests performed on mobile devices are as follows:

• functional testing
• laboratory testing
• Performance test
• Memory leak test
• Trial interruption
• Usability test
• Installation test
• Certification test
• Security test
• main point

14. What is the difference between device testing and application testing?

While device testing is typically being done to test mobile devices, mobile app testing will include testing an app that will be running on the selected device.

When we call it instrument testing, hardware becomes a part of testing. In the case of mobile application testing, it depends, that is, if hardware integration is required for the application under test, then hardware testing will be involved.

Automation is possible for mobile device testing as well as mobile application testing.

15. What are a simulator and an emulator?

Simulator: It is an electronic network simulation tool or base station tool for CDMA / CMA mobile phones. It can and does help with home network latching without roaming services; Data call, SMS,

Emulator: This is software for testing mobile apps without a live handset

16. Why do we need an emulator/simulator?

If we are developing an application. Once the product is fully developed, as a part of mobile testing, we need to see if the application works with all major devices such as Android phones, iOS, Blackberry phones, and other different types of tablets and iPads. Is working as expected. To perform this type of investigation, we need to obtain each device which is very expensive to purchase and test such a large number of mobile devices. To solve this problem, we need a simulator/emulator.

17. How is testing done on an emulator/simulator different from testing on a real device?

Real Device:

• You have to spend a lot to get a real device
• It has a fast processing speed
• Network latency may be normal
• Debugging is not so easy
• Web applications can be tested in the usual way
• It always gives accurate results

Emulator / Emulation:

• It is almost free
• It is slower than real devices
• It has lower latency than actual devices
• It provides step-by-step debugging of the application
• Web applications are very easy to test
• It cannot simulate all types of user interactions; So it can sometimes give wrong results.
• It scores low when it comes to reliability.

18. What features cannot we test on a simulator/emulator?

A simulator/emulator cannot mimic the following features –

• Mobile device battery
• Mobile device camera
• Interruptions such as incoming calls and SMS
• Not so realistic simulation for mobile device memory usage.

19. What is cloud-based mobile testing?

Testing mobile applications with cloud-based devices seem to be the optimal option. This can help you overcome the disadvantages of real devices and simulators.

What are the benefits of using cloud-based devices?

1. Easy Availability
2. Ability to run mobile devices on multiple systems and networks
3. Not only does the cloud have the ability to test apps, but also the ability to update and manage
4. effective cost
5. High scalability
6. The same script can be run on multiple devices in parallel.

20. What are the disadvantages of cloud-based devices?

• Less Control
• There is no high level of protection
• Internet connection dependency

Some useful cloud-based tools – Zamarin Test Cloud, Perfecto Mobile Continuous Quality Laboratory, Core Mobile Testing.

21. What is an interruption test?

An application, while working, may face many interruptions such as incoming calls or network coverage outages and recovery. For this, it can be distinguished again –

• Incoming and outgoing SMS and MMS
• Incoming and outgoing calls
• Incoming notifications
• Battery drain
• Cable Entry and Removal for Data Transfer

22. What is a usability test?

Usability testing evaluates the application based on the following criteria for the efficiency of the target audience.:

1. Effectiveness
2. Satisfaction

It is very important to get usability testing in place from the initial stage of application design, and this should not be done only when the application is completed. Usability testing requires excessive involvement of users, and output can affect application design, which is very difficult to change in later stages of the project.

23. What are installation tests and uninstall tests?

Installation testing verifies that the installation process goes smoothly without the user experiencing any difficulty. The uninstall test can be summarized in one line because “uninstalling should sweep the app-related data only once”.

24. What is an update test?

We need to be very cautious about mobile app updates. People often complain about applications not working satisfactorily after an update. Therefore, it is very important that under update testing, we ensure that the app was working before. In short, it should not break anything. Mobile application updates can occur in two ways – automatic update and manual update.

25. What is a certification test?

To obtain a certificate of compliance, each mobile device needs to be tested against the guidelines set by various mobile platforms.

26. What is a UI test?

In this type of testing, we check the user experience to ensure that we provide an excellent experience to our users, mobile UI testing is highly recommended.

It is your job as a tester to confirm that your application meets certain expectations, such as –

• Overall color scheme/theme of the device
• Style and color of the mouse
• The progress indicator on page loading
• Menus and how they are implemented and are specific items
• The overall response of applications on this device
• Screen orientation / resolution.

27. What are the different types of UI verification tools?

The script:

Screenfly is a free and easy-to-use tool. To use it, you have to type in Quirktools in your web browser. You will see the following screen.

Enter the website under Test and click Go. Select the mobile device on which you want to view the website.

Browserstack:

This is another great tool for testing the mobile UI. It provides amazing results. Although it is a payment tool, you can take advantage of the free trial by registering on BrowserStack with a valid email address.

28. Difference between multi-touch and single touch screen?

If your devices and applications support multi-touch features, such as pinch-to-zoom effects on iPhones, be sure to include plenty of test cases involving touching the screen in multiple locations simultaneously, especially when using a soft Typing on the keyboard.

29. Differentiate between long touch and short touch?

While there is no concept of double-clicking on touch screen devices (although your application can be implemented specifically), some devices such as Android smartphones distinguish between long touch and short touch. Pressing and holding an item will bring up a context menu in the middle of the screen while clicking on the same item will automatically perform the first task in that context menu.

30. What is test planning?

Preparing to test mobile devices.

Methods and tools continue to be developed to facilitate usability testing on phones and tablets. When planning a mobile device test, you should keep the following points in mind-

• Your deadline and budget
• The physical setup of the space and how you are going 
• Your target audience and device.

Another important aspect after test planning is test equipment management.

31. What is a device management tool?

MDM i.e. Mobile device management is a type of security software that is used in IT to manage, monitor and secure employees’ mobile devices across multiple mobile operating systems being used by many mobile service providers and in the organization. Are posted.

MDM is usually combined with additional security services and devices such as mobile application management to create complete mobile device and secure enterprise mobility management solutions.

32. What are the hardware components of mobile devices?

If you take any cellphone, it will mostly contain the following parts:

• Circuit board / CPU
• Touch screen display
• Memory card
• Sim Card
• The battery

33. How different is a capacitive touchscreen?

Resistive touchscreen – It consists of two layers that form an overlay on the screen. When the finger is placed at any point on the screen, the two forms receive contact and coordination. These are relatively inexpensive and are found right on most budget phones. The downside is that a certain amount of pressure is required to enter the touch. As time passes, there is some degree of damage to the screen.

Capacitive touchscreen – The entire screen is coated with a capacitive material that carries a certain amount of electric charge. When an operating object is placed on the screen like a finger, the capacitance changes at that point, and thus the coordinates are obtained.

34. What are the other ways to test mobile devices?

Some tests are available as apps for both iOS and Android platforms. To use them you have to download the desired app. Then follow the instructions to run the exam and save your result.

Test speed equipment

Speed ​​Test SpeedSmart WiFi and Mobile Network SpeedTest – It is compatible with Apple iPhone and iPad. It is a paid application. SpeedSmart is the ultimate iOS speed test utility to evaluate your cellular (3G, 4G, and LTE) and Wi-Fi connections on all your iOS devices. A smart speed test and a global server network method ensure accurate results.

35. List of some automated mobile testing devices?

There are two types of automation tools available for testing mobile applications for mobile testing.

Object-based mobile testing tools: JAMA Solutions, Radorex,

Image-based mobile testing equipment: Rutinbot, Eggplant, Sikkli

36. What are the parts of the Android test Framework?

Android test framework includes three sections

Application Package: This is the target application that needs testing

Instrumentation tester: This is a test case runner that runs a test case on-target application. It includes an SDK tool and a tool for building tests that provide apes for writing programs that control Android devices, for example, Monkey Runner

Test package: It consists of two classes, test case class, and mock objects. Test case classes include test methods for performing an on-target application, while a mock object contains mock data, which will be used as sample input for test cases.

37. Mention what should be the selection criteria for test automation tools for mobile testing?

1. Multi-platform support
2. Script utility
3. Need to run
4. Source code changes
5. Lead time for new OS version

38. What is the most common problem testers face when testing mobile in cloud computing?

The tester faces challenges while doing mobile testing are as follows:

1. Membership model
2. High cost
3. Too close
4. Internet connectivity issues
5. Automation is image-based and time-consuming
6. Automation cannot be used outside the framework

39. Tell us what is involved in mobile security testing?

Mobile security tests include:

1. Check for multi-user support between them without interfering with the data
2. Check access to files stored in the app by any unexpected users
3. Encryption or encryption method used for sensitive data communication
4. Find sensitive areas in the tested application so that they do not receive any malicious content

40. What is port testing?

This test is done to test the same functionality on different devices with different platforms. It is classified into two categories:

• Device testing
• Platform testing

41. List some iPhone and iPad test devices?

iPhone tester: Test your web interface in iPhone size frame

Appium: This is a test automation tool used with native and hybrid iOS apps

iPad Peek: Test your web app using the iPad interface

Test Studio: It enables you to record, create and run automated tests for your iPad and iPhone applications.

42. How can we install an SD card in the emulator?

To install the SD card in the emulator, you need to use the command:

MKsdcrd-I mySDCard 1024M mySdCardFile.img

43. What is a test case runner?

It is commonly called an instrumentation test runner and is a runner responsible for running test cases smoothly on the application package. Tools that provide APIs and SDK tools are present in this runner and are responsible for writing programs that control Android gadgets.

44. What features should you have in a mobile application?

All of them have some quite necessary features. This includes:

• Reliability
• Compatibility with other technologies
• Scalability
• Fragrance
• Mode of operation
• Open-source technology
• Wide adaptability
• Fast operation

45. What are the tests normally performed in standard Android strategy?

These are integration testing, unit testing, system testing, and operations testing. There is also another test based on the usage and features of the mobile application which is usually done in this environment.

46. What do you mean by the word compatibility and compatibility test?

There is widespread use and scope of the term compatibility when it comes to application testing. It simply means the ability to survive together with something similar. Compatibility testing is quite common and is a type of test that assures the ability of an application to run on different operating systems, platforms, networks as well as hardware. It is also considered non-functional testing.

47. Name some defect tracking tools in mobile application testing?

Mobile App Trial Tracking Tool:

1. Cumin
2. Qc
3. Rancid
4. The rally

48. Encountered issues with cross-platform testing?

Generally, the issue depends on different OS/device versions, it can do the same thing while working on one OS, while it may not work on another version. For example, we encountered a problem that our application was working fine on iOS 6.x version devices, but some modules were exploited when the application crashed on iOS 5.x devices and the same happened with 2.3.5

49. What are common bugs found during the mobile testing process?

In general, some mobile testers classify the most frequently found insects into four types:

Critical bug: The operating system of the device crashes while testing a particular feature of the application.

Block bug: Non-equalization of the display occurs even when the state of the device is still on.

Major bug: A distinguishing feature of the application is its inability to demonstrate its functionality.

Minor bugs: GUI bugs are usually the main case of falling into a minor bug list.

Additionally, some other types of bugs are also found during the mobile application testing process, for example:

• Slow performance of an application
• Battery consumption by an application
• Completely unresponsive behavior of an application

50. When should the QA team choose manual tests or automation tests for their mobile testing projects?

Automation testing has greatly increased the speed and quality of testers over the past decades. Understanding when to make such a transition is the first step to maximize the efficiency of your team, from manual testing to automated testing. For a comprehensive guideline, see the article A Complete Guide to Choosing Test Cases for Automation. Here are some key points:

Manual test

The application has new functionality.

The application requires testing once or twice.

Automated testing

Release cycle regression requires a large amount of testing.

The test application requires complex scenarios.

Recommended: Enroll in our automated testing courses to acquire automation testing skills & build a rewarding career in it.

51. What problems do testers encounter when testing mobile on cloud computing?

Cloud computing poses various challenges for both beginner and advanced testers of mobile testing.

Membership Model:

Although the cloud solution offers some advantages to testers, there is a continuing concern about the membership model.

High-Cost:

While cloud services have been sold as cost-saving solutions, the reality is that these services may be more expensive. The challenge may arise from the cost of the required talent, the migration process for the team’s mobile testing project.

52. Difficulties in mobile automated testing?

For some projects that implement automated testing, cloud computing may come with a pain point for each tester involved. Because mobile automation testing is image-based, executing test cases on cloud computing will become more challenging and time-consuming. Also, automation testing cannot be used outside the framework.

53. Is automation testing a complete replacement for manual software testing?

Any proper automation does not require as little interference from humans as possible since the equipment used is built to install the test once.

54. What is Mobile Testing Framework?

A test framework or more specifically a test automation framework is an execution environment for automated testing. This is the overall system in which tests will be automated. It is defined as a set of beliefs, concepts, and practices that constitute a working platform or support for automated testing.

A test framework is responsible for this –

• Defining the format to express expectations
• Creating a mechanism to hook or drive in the application under test
• Test and report results

55. How do you test CPU usage on mobile?

To test CPU usage on mobile, I will use advanced applications like CPU Monitor, CPU-Z, CPU Statistics, etc. as they can record all the details about the processes running on mobile devices.

56. Can you name some automation devices that are compatible with both Android and iOS mobiles?

Animaam, Calabasa, and Mankitlak are the most effective automation tools that are compatible with both Android and iOS mobile devices.

57. What is the Android test framework?

The Android Testing Framework is an open-source framework that is used by developers to record user interface (UI) tests for unit devices and Android devices.

The 5 commonly used Android test frameworks are:

1. Poppy
2. Detox
3. Express
4. Calabash
5. UI Automator

58. What is iOS Testing Framework?

The iOS testing framework assesses the performance of iOS applications on Apple devices to record and trigger user tasks based on interactions with the user interface.

The 5 commonly used iOS test frameworks are:

1. Poppy
2. XCTest / XCUITest
3. Detox
4. Calabash
5. Earl grey

59. How can you do A/B testing on the iOS application?

A/B testing on iOS app can be done using the following 4 steps:

Configuration: Create 2 versions of the iOS app, namely A and B.

Define Success Metrics: Identify the objectives and metrics against which app success will be measured.

Execution: Test both versions simultaneously.

Analysis: Evaluate and identify a better version to issue.

60. What is the extension of Android and iOS application files?

The Android file is .apk extended and an iOS file is .ipa.

61. What do you understand by MT and MO?

MT and MO are part of the SMS life cycle.

MO stands for Message Origin, which refers to sending messages and MT stands for termination of messages, referring to receiving messages.

62. What is WAP?

WAP stands for Wireless App Protocol. Used in network applications, this communication protocol enables data access through wireless networks.

It facilitates easy connectivity between mobile and the Internet and enhances wireless inter-operability.

63. What is the major difference between a WAP test and a web test?

WAP testing is used to test network applications, while web testing is mainly concerned with testing websites and portals.

64. How would you define AVD?

AVD stands for Android Virtual Device. It is an Android emulator for testing applications on PCs.

65. How do you tell an app crash to a developer?

Interviewers ask this mobile test interview question to understand your method of communicating with developers in case of discrepancies.

66. Can you name 2 apps for each Android and iOS to record the crash log?

To record the crash log, you can use Android Studio and Eclipse for Android devices and the iOS logo and Xcode iOS devices.

67. What do you know about mobile API testing?

The API stands for Application Programming Interface.

Mobile API testing assesses a set of APIs to analyze its performance, performance, and security to determine if it matches the set expectations.

68. What do you know about PRC and ADB?

PRC stands for Palm Resource Compiler. It has a file format similar to archives and stores processing data.

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a client-server program that enables the development of Android apps. It consists of 3 components – a client, a daemon, and a server.

Appium Questions

69. What do you know about Appium?

Appium is an open-source mobile-application test framework that can be used with web, native and hybrid apps. It enables UI testing for mobile applications and is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

70. How to install Appium?

1. Go to http://appium.io/ and click on Download Appium.
2. For Windows, select the exe file and download
3. Click on the downloaded exe.
4. Install appium exe file
5. Next, you will see the Server Start Window. It populates the default host and port option which you can change. It also mentions the version of Appium being used.
6. On clicking the Start Server Button, a new server is launched on the specified host and port. Server log output is shown.
7. Click New Session Window.
8. You can enter the Desired Capabilities and start a session

71. What are the benefits of Appium over other test settings?

1. It is free and (mostly) open-source.
2. It has a very well-supported and active Google Group.
3. It supports both Android and iOS.
4. There is no need to do anything to install it on the device – no server or code change is required.

72. What are the major drawbacks of Appium?

There is no support for intelligent waiting.

On iOS, you can only do one test at a time per Mac.

Limited support for gestures.

Limited support for Android 4.1

73. Is Appium different from other devices?

Appium as it is out of other devices:

• Enables effective web testing.
• Test in native, web, and hybrid apps.
• Supports automation tests on both emulator and device.
• Does not depend on the mobile device.

74. What is Appium Inspector?

Apium Inspector is a visual tool used to analyze the elements of an application and its ability to interact with them to obtain basic information.

It is used to record and play application behavior by inspecting the DOM and evaluating test scripts in the desired language.

75. Which programming languages ​​does Appium support?

Appium stands out from other mobile automation devices with the ability to perform regardless of languages.

It supports all languages ​​that support HTTP requests. Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Ruby, etc. are some of them.

76. What would you need to write an Appium test?

The basic requirements for writing an APAM test are:

Driver Commands – Write tests using a collection of appium commands.

Appium session- Since appium is done in a test session, it is important to start an Appium session to run the test.

Desired Capabilities: Parameters that establish the type of automation test expected of an Appium server. Platform versions, devices, network environments are some of the desired capabilities.

Driver Client Library – Client library helps to write APOM test and include HTTP server to forward using HTTP.

77. What is required to run a server machine test on Appium?

The server machine is not required to run tests on APAM because it has a 2-tier structure, which enables the connection of the test machine and test server by automating the device.

78. What are the pre-requisites for running Appium?

The prerequisites for running a test on Appium are:

• Install eclipse
• Android SDK
• JDK (Java Development Kit)
• TestNg for Eclipse
• Selenium server jar
• Appium Client Library
• APK app information – Google Play
• JS (included in current Appium versions)
• Appium for Windows

79. Can you run tests in a multi-threaded environment using Appium?

Yes, it is possible to run tests in a multi-thread environment using Appium provided that only one test runs at a time on the same Appium server.

What type of file is required to test automation in Android using Appium?

.Apk files are required to test automation in Android using Apium.

80. What are the two major approaches to test automation?

There are two approaches to testing automation:

Image-based approach – This technique is based on processing the characteristics of images in Auto (application under test).

It is easy to automate and can accurately test applications and rendering of GUIs.

Object-based approach: It is a fast and accurate way to identify lists, buttons, and other objects in an application.

This technique is much faster than an image-based approach and is compatible with many languages.

Also, read Machine Learning and Python and picking the right programming language.

This brings us to the end of the blog on mobile test interview questions. We hope that you will now be well equipped with the questions asked during an interview. Wondering where to learn highly reputable in-demand skills for free? Check out the Great Learning Academy.