Automation of Regression Testing with Appium for a Secure Mobile App

Customer

The Customer is a European company providing secure mobile apps to governments and numerous enterprises for over 10 years.

Challenge

The Customer introduced changes to the basic functions of their secure mobile messenger developed for both iOS and Android. They needed regression testing to verify the app’s main functionality after the introduction of new features.

Being an experienced provider of mobile app services, the Customer had a manual testing team employed. Still, regression testing became an issue of concern as, with only manual resources available, it required too much time and effort. So, the Customer commissioned ScienceSoft to perform regression testing automation to check the stability of the basic messenger functions (11 test cases). The time limit to complete testing automation was set at 8 working days.

Solution

The Customer provided the test cases, and ScienceSoft’s automation test engineer scripted them in Java. The test cases were aimed at tracing the possible defects in such crucial messaging app functions as message creation and deletion, call initiation and ending, attachment dispatch, adding a new contact, creating a chat, redirecting a message.

To automate the test cases, ScienceSoft’s test engineer used the Appium framework. The framework was chosen as it provided the Customer with an opportunity to launch the testing process for both iOS and Android app versions, saving time and finance otherwise needed to develop and implement separate automated regression testing for the two platforms.

Before delivering the automated regression testing to the Customer, it was run on several real devices to verify testing in real-life conditions and to make the testing check faster than in case of using virtual models. The relevant Appium functionality provided for the synchronization of different real devices. So, for example, the messages were created on one mobile device and received by another one automatically. During this process, several defects (e.g., improper message deletion and redirection) were recorded. ScienceSoft’s test engineer enumerated them in a final report to the Customer.

Results

The Customer got smoothly operating regression testing automation to check the messenger’s basic functionality. They appreciated ScienceSoft’s competency in providing reliable test automation meeting both their requirements and the rigid deadline. The Customer managed to lessen human and financial resources on testing of their updated mobile messaging app due to the delivered regression testing automation applicable for both iOS and Android platforms.

Technologies and Tools

Appium, Java 8, iOS 11, Android 8.0.