Did you know that over 80% of people use different devices and platforms to access websites and apps? However, about 70% of users stop using an app if it doesn’t work well on their device. This shows that many businesses are missing out on keeping their users happy because their apps don’t work consistently across all platforms.
The problem is simple: if your app or website doesn’t perform well on all devices and browsers, users get frustrated and leave. The solution is cross platform testing. By utilizing the right tools and strategies, businesses can ensure their app functions smoothly across all devices, including phones, tablets, and desktops.
Cross platform testing helps catch issues early, making sure your app runs well on any platform and providing a better experience for your users. Let’s see in detail about cross platform testing tools and strategies.
Table of Contents
What is Cross Platform Testing?
Cross platform testing is the process of ensuring that an application works properly on different devices, operating systems, and browsers. This type of testing helps verify that the app or website provides a consistent and seamless experience for users, whether they are accessing it on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer.
The goal is to identify any compatibility issues or bugs that could affect the app’s performance across various platforms, making sure it functions as expected on all of them.
Why Businesses Need Cross Platform Testing?
Nowadays, businesses prefer cross platform testing because it helps their apps perform consistently across different devices and platforms. Here are some key reasons why:
- Wider Audience Reach: Over 80% of users access apps on multiple devices (Statista), helping businesses reach a larger audience.
- Cost Efficiency: Companies using cross-platform tools save up to 30% on development costs.
- Consistent User Experience: 53% of users abandon apps if they take longer than 3 seconds to load (Google), highlighting the importance of a smooth experience.
- Faster Time-to-Market: 80% of companies that automate cross-platform testing report faster release cycles (CIO.com).
- Increased Revenue Potential: Well-tested apps experience 30% higher retention rates (Econsultancy), leading to greater revenue.
Cross platform testing is a smart investment that helps businesses build more reliable, user-friendly apps, driving growth and success.
5 Best Cross Platform Testing Tools You Need to Try
1. Selenium
Explanation: Selenium is a powerful open-source tool for automating web applications across different browsers and platforms. It supports multiple programming languages like Java, Python, and C#.
Features:
- Supports cross-browser testing on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and more.
- Works on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Can be integrated with testing frameworks like TestNG and JUnit.
Benefits: Selenium saves time and effort by automating repetitive testing tasks, allowing teams to focus on critical issues. It’s widely used for ensuring web application compatibility across different browsers.
2. Appium
Explanation: Appium is an open-source tool that allows automation of mobile apps for both Android and iOS. It supports native, hybrid, and mobile web apps.
Features:
- Supports both Android and iOS platforms.
- Allows testing of native, hybrid, and mobile web apps.
- Supports multiple programming languages, including Java, Ruby, and Python.
Benefits: Appium enables businesses to test mobile apps across devices and platforms with ease, improving app quality and performance on both Android and iOS.
3. BrowserStack
Explanation: BrowserStack is a cloud-based testing platform that offers real-device testing, enabling seamless cross-platform testing of web and mobile applications.
Features:
- Real-device testing for a variety of smartphones and tablets.
- Automated and manual testing for web and mobile applications.
- Supports cross-browser testing on all major browsers.
Benefits: BrowserStack provides a cost-effective solution for testing apps on real devices without requiring physical access to multiple devices. It helps detect issues early, ensuring smoother user experiences.
4. TestComplete
Explanation: TestComplete is a comprehensive automated testing tool that supports web, desktop, and mobile applications. It enables testing of both functional and non-functional requirements.
Features:
- Supports automated testing for web, desktop, and mobile applications.
- Offers easy-to-use script and keyword-driven test creation.
- Integrates with CI/CD tools for seamless testing.
Benefits: TestComplete improves productivity by offering powerful automation for different platforms, reducing manual testing efforts. It’s ideal for large-scale applications requiring extensive cross-platform validation.
5. Katalon Studio
Explanation: Katalon Studio is an all-in-one test automation tool for web, API, and mobile applications, providing an easy-to-use interface and robust integration capabilities.
Features:
- Supports automated testing for web, mobile, and API applications.
- Integrates with tools like Jenkins, Git, and Jira.
- Provides a built-in reporting dashboard for real-time insights.
Benefits: Katalon Studio simplifies cross-platform testing by offering a comprehensive solution that integrates well with CI/CD pipelines. It boosts productivity and streamlines the testing process for multiple platforms.
7 Effective Strategies for Successful Cross Platform Testing
To achieve optimal results in cross platform testing, businesses must implement strategic practices that maximize efficiency and accuracy. Here are some key strategies to follow:
1. Prioritize the Most Common Platforms
Why it matters: Focus your testing efforts on the platforms and devices most commonly used by your target audience.
How to implement: Identify the most popular operating systems, browsers, and devices used by your users. Use analytics tools to gather data on your customer’s preferences.
Benefit: This targeted approach helps optimize resources while ensuring that your app or website is compatible with the devices most used by your customers.
2. Test on Real Devices, Not Just Simulators
Why it matters: Simulators or emulators may not perfectly replicate how apps perform on real devices, especially for mobile apps.
How to implement: Use cloud-based platforms like BrowserStack or physical devices to run tests on real devices for a more accurate assessment.
Benefit: Testing on real devices helps uncover issues that may not be detected using simulators, ensuring a truly reliable user experience across platforms.
3. Leverage Cloud Testing Platforms
Why it matters: Cloud platforms provide access to a wide variety of devices and configurations without needing to maintain an extensive device lab.
How to implement: Adopt platforms like BrowserStack, Sauce Labs, or CrossBrowserTesting to conduct tests across multiple browsers, operating systems, and devices in a scalable manner.
Benefit: Cloud testing eliminates the need for costly physical hardware, offers flexible scalability, and provides access to diverse testing environments.
4. Integrate Cross Platform Testing into the CI/CD Pipeline
Why it matters: Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) ensure that your app or website is tested frequently and consistently throughout the development cycle.
How to implement: Integrate testing tools into your CI/CD pipeline using platforms like Jenkins or CircleCI, enabling automated tests to run after every code commit.
Benefit: This ensures that issues are detected and fixed early in the development process, reducing delays and enhancing the final product quality.
5. Test for Performance Across Platforms
Why it matters: Performance can vary significantly across different devices and platforms, impacting user experience.
How to implement: Use tools like JMeter or LoadRunner to simulate various user loads and test how your app performs under different conditions on multiple platforms.
Benefit: Testing for performance across platforms helps ensure that your app runs smoothly, regardless of device or environment, which is critical for user retention.
6. Conduct Regular Regression Testing
Why it matters: Each new update to your app could break existing functionality, especially when supporting multiple platforms.
How to implement: Schedule regular regression testing, particularly after updates or new feature releases. Use automated regression testing tools to check previously validated features across all platforms.
Benefit: This ensures that new changes don’t negatively affect your app’s performance or introduce compatibility issues across platforms.
7. Utilize Cross Platform Testing Reports and Analytics
Why it matters: Comprehensive testing reports give valuable insights into where and how your app fails across platforms.
How to implement: Use testing tools that provide detailed analytics and reporting dashboards, allowing you to track failures, bugs, and performance issues.
Benefit: With detailed analytics, teams can quickly address problem areas, improve app stability, and make data-driven decisions to enhance the user experience.
By implementing these strategies, businesses can ensure effective cross platform testing, reduce development time, and deliver a seamless user experience across all platforms.
Examples of Cross Platform Testing Success
Here are two real-world examples of companies that successfully implemented cross platform testing, leading to improved app performance and user satisfaction:
1. Airbnb
Challenge: Airbnb needed to ensure that their mobile and web applications provided a consistent user experience across a wide variety of devices and platforms, including iOS, Android, and multiple web browsers.
Solution: The company adopted Appium for automated mobile testing and Selenium for cross-browser testing. They tested their app across different operating systems, devices, and browsers to catch compatibility issues early.
Result: By implementing cross platform testing, Airbnb improved the overall user experience, reduced bugs, and ensured consistent performance across all devices. This contributed to higher user retention and positive reviews on app stores.
2. Spotify
Challenge: As a music streaming platform, Spotify had to provide a seamless experience for users on various devices such as smartphones, desktops, and smart TVs, while maintaining the app’s performance under different network conditions.
Solution: Spotify used BrowserStack for real-device testing across different platforms, including web browsers, iOS, and Android devices. They also integrated Selenium into their CI/CD pipeline for automated cross-browser testing.
Result: With effective cross platform testing, Spotify ensured that its app functioned flawlessly across multiple devices and platforms, leading to improved app performance and a stronger global user base.
These examples highlight how cross platform testing can lead to higher customer satisfaction, smoother user experiences, and improved overall app quality.
Final Words
Making sure your app works smoothly across different devices and platforms is crucial for reaching more users and keeping them happy. Cross platform testing helps you catch bugs early, improve performance, and offer a consistent experience for everyone, no matter what device they’re using.
At Helixbeat, we specialize in product development services that help you build and test apps that work well on all platforms. Our team uses the best cross platform testing tools to make sure your app performs flawlessly across devices.
If you want to take your app next level, contact Helixbeat now and let us help you create a top-quality, reliable app.
FAQ
1. What platforms should I focus on for cross platform testing?
The platforms you should focus on depend on your target audience. Typically, testing on popular operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and across major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari is essential.
2. How does cross platform testing affect the development timeline?
Cross platform testing can initially increase the development timeline, but it helps catch issues early, saving time in the long run by reducing post-release fixes and improving the app’s stability.
3. Is manual testing necessary if I use automated tools?
While automated tools speed up testing, manual testing is still important for evaluating user experience and identifying issues that may not be caught by automation, such as visual or UI/UX problems.
4. Can cross platform testing help with app performance?
Yes, cross platform testing ensures that your app performs well on all devices and platforms. It helps identify performance issues, such as slow load times or crashes, which can affect the user experience.
5. What is the difference between cross platform testing and compatibility testing?
Cross platform testing focuses on ensuring the app works across different platforms and devices, while compatibility testing checks if the app works on specific browsers or versions of operating systems.
