How To Get Started With Beta iOS Mobile App Testing

Once you have finished your app, it is time to start testing it. I'm sure that you have done your testing in the iOS Simulator and on your personal device, but what about testing it in real world conditions on all compatible devices?

That is where beta mobile app testing comes in. In this post we will show you the different options that are available, so you can be sure that your app works properly when you officially launch it.

Where The iOS Simulator Falls Short

The iOS Simulator does not run all of the same threads that run on devices and Xcode disables watchdog timers, so although it provides a good preliminary test, you need to test your app on multiple devices and with real users to get an accurate indication of how your app will work in the real world.

Send Your App To Beta Testers

To get the beta testing process started, you will need to create an ad hoc provisioning profile in your Developer Account. Here are the instructions on how to do it from the iOS Developer Library.

The instructions also show you how to install the test version of your app on iOS devices. You can send those instructions to your testers, to save yourself the time of explaining it to them. It does take a bit of skill on the part of the tester to install, however.

If you are on a budget, you could use Craigslist or TaskRabbit to find testers. Just be sure to screen your testers to make sure that they are the type of people that you want testing your app.

Buy Your Own Devices

If you want to do all the testing yourself, you could go on eBay and snipe a few auctions to get the devices that you do not have. While this is one way to go, doing all of the testing yourself may not help your app become the best it can be.

The reason is that you know your app very well and you might be used to certain characteristics of your app that other users may not be familiar with and will cause problems when they use it. Also, some users may not be as technically inclined as others, so you need to be sure that these users do not have difficulty with your app either.

Using Third Party Mobile App Testing Tools And Services

An easier way to get some help with your testing is to work with a third party service or implement a SDK. Here are a couple of the top solutions that you may want to check out.

These services provide a much more in-depth look at how beta testers are using your app, providing information on:

• Who actually installed the app

• How many testers passed the predetermined checkpoints that you set up

• Allows testers to leave feedback from within the app

• Crash reports

• And more!

TestFlight

This is a free SDK that helps you beta test your iOS app by providing easy distribution and analysis of your app. In this case, you will have to find your own beta testers, but once you do, TestFlight will provide detailed reports on how your users are interacting with your app and how you can improve it.

If you are on a budget, then this is the way to go. Just use the websites mentioned in the previous section to find testers.

uTest

The testing company uTest provides a similar product called Apphance that you can implement into your app to get detailed reports on how testers interact with your app. They also provide a service that matches testers with developers, providing a one-stop solution for doing your beta testing.

Of course, this comes at a price, but they do allow you try Apphance for free on one app. If you have some money to spend on testing, this solution could save you a lot of time.

Conclusion

There are other SDKs and services on the market, but hopefully these two will get you started. If you take a little time to test your app now, you can save yourself a lot of headache later.

What do you use to beta test your iOS App? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo Credit: iOS Devices by blakespot via Flickr CC