Mobile App Testing
Overview
Implement comprehensive testing strategies for mobile applications including unit tests, UI tests, integration tests, and performance testing.
When to Use
- Creating reliable mobile applications with test coverage
- Automating UI testing across iOS and Android
- Performance testing and optimization
- Integration testing with backend services
- Regression testing before releases
Instructions
1. React Native Testing with Jest & Detox
// Unit test with Jest
import { calculate } from "../utils/math";
describe("Math utilities", () => {
test("should add two numbers", () => {
expect(calculate.add(2, 3)).toBe(5);
});
test("should handle negative numbers", () => {
expect(calculate.add(-2, 3)).toBe(1);
});
});
// Component unit test
import React from "react";
import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react-native";
import { UserProfile } from "../components/UserProfile";
describe("UserProfile Component", () => {
test("renders user name correctly", () => {
const mockUser = { id: "1", name: "John Doe", email: "john@example.com" };
render(<UserProfile user={mockUser} />);
expect(screen.getByText("John Doe")).toBeTruthy();
});
test("handles missing user gracefully", () => {
render(<UserProfile user={null} />);
expect(screen.getByText(/no user data/i)).toBeTruthy();
});
});
// E2E Testing with Detox
describe("Login Flow E2E Test", () => {
beforeAll(async () => {
await device.launchApp();
});
beforeEach(async () => {
await device.reloadReactNative();
});
it("should login successfully with valid credentials", async () => {
await waitFor(element(by.id("emailInput")))
.toBeVisible()
.withTimeout(5000);
await element(by.id("emailInput")).typeText("user@example.com");
await element(by.id("passwordInput")).typeText("password123");
await element(by.id("loginButton")).multiTap();
await waitFor(element(by.text("Home Feed")))
.toBeVisible()
.withTimeout(5000);
});
it("should show error with invalid credentials", async () => {
await element(by.id("emailInput")).typeText("invalid@example.com");
await element(by.id("passwordInput")).typeText("wrongpass");
await element(by.id("loginButton")).multiTap();
await waitFor(element(by.text(/invalid credentials/i)))
.toBeVisible()
.withTimeout(5000);
});
it("should navigate between tabs", async () => {
await element(by.id("profileTab")).tap();
await waitFor(element(by.text("Profile")))
.toBeVisible()
.withTimeout(2000);
await element(by.id("homeTab")).tap();
await waitFor(element(by.text("Home Feed")))
.toBeVisible()
.withTimeout(2000);
});
});
2. iOS Testing with XCTest
import XCTest
@testable import MyApp
class UserViewModelTests: XCTestCase {
var viewModel: UserViewModel!
var mockNetworkService: MockNetworkService!
override func setUp() {
super.setUp()
mockNetworkService = MockNetworkService()
viewModel = UserViewModel(networkService: mockNetworkService)
}
func testFetchUserSuccess() async {
let expectedUser = User(id: UUID(), name: "John", email: "john@example.com")
mockNetworkService.mockUser = expectedUser
await viewModel.fetchUser(id: expectedUser.id)
XCTAssertEqual(viewModel.user?.name, "John")
XCTAssertNil(viewModel.errorMessage)
XCTAssertFalse(viewModel.isLoading)
}
func testFetchUserFailure() async {
mockNetworkService.shouldFail = true
await viewModel.fetchUser(id: UUID())
XCTAssertNil(viewModel.user)
XCTAssertNotNil(viewModel.errorMessage)
XCTAssertFalse(viewModel.isLoading)
}
}
class MockNetworkService: NetworkService {
var mockUser: User?
var shouldFail = false
override func fetch<T: Decodable>(
_: T.Type,
from endpoint: String
) async throws -> T {
if shouldFail {
throw NetworkError.unknown
}
return mockUser as! T
}
}
// UI Test
class LoginUITests: XCTestCase {
override func setUp() {
super.setUp()
continueAfterFailure = false
XCUIApplication().launch()
}
func testLoginFlow() {
let app = XCUIApplication()
let emailTextField = app.textFields["emailInput"]
let passwordTextField = app.secureTextFields["passwordInput"]
let loginButton = app.buttons["loginButton"]
emailTextField.tap()
emailTextField.typeText("user@example.com")
passwordTextField.tap()
passwordTextField.typeText("password123")
loginButton.tap()
let homeText = app.staticTexts["Home Feed"]
XCTAssertTrue(homeText.waitForExistence(timeout: 5))
}
func testNavigationBetweenTabs() {
let app = XCUIApplication()
let profileTab = app.tabBars.buttons["Profile"]
let homeTab = app.tabBars.buttons["Home"]
profileTab.tap()
XCTAssertTrue(app.staticTexts["Profile"].exists)
homeTab.tap()
XCTAssertTrue(app.staticTexts["Home"].exists)
}
}
3. Android Testing with Espresso
@RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
class UserViewModelTest {
private lateinit var viewModel: UserViewModel
private val mockApiService = mock<ApiService>()
@Before
fun setUp() {
viewModel = UserViewModel(mockApiService)
}
@Test
fun fetchUserSuccess() = runTest {
val expectedUser = User("1", "John", "john@example.com")
`when`(mockApiService.getUser("1")).thenReturn(expectedUser)
viewModel.fetchUser("1")
assertEquals(expectedUser.name, viewModel.user.value?.name)
assertEquals(null, viewModel.errorMessage.value)
}
@Test
fun fetchUserFailure() = runTest {
`when`(mockApiService.getUser("1"))
.thenThrow(IOException("Network error"))
viewModel.fetchUser("1")
assertEquals(null, viewModel.user.value)
assertNotNull(viewModel.errorMessage.value)
}
}
// UI Test with Espresso
@RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
class LoginActivityTest {
@get:Rule
val activityRule = ActivityScenarioRule(LoginActivity::class.java)
@Test
fun testLoginWithValidCredentials() {
onView(withId(R.id.emailInput))
.perform(typeText("user@example.com"))
onView(withId(R.id.passwordInput))
.perform(typeText("password123"))
onView(withId(R.id.loginButton))
.perform(click())
onView(withText("Home"))
.check(matches(isDisplayed()))
}
@Test
fun testLoginWithInvalidCredentials() {
onView(withId(R.id.emailInput))
.perform(typeText("invalid@example.com"))
onView(withId(R.id.passwordInput))
.perform(typeText("wrongpassword"))
onView(withId(R.id.loginButton))
.perform(click())
onView(withText(containsString("Invalid credentials")))
.check(matches(isDisplayed()))
}
@Test
fun testNavigationBetweenTabs() {
onView(withId(R.id.profileTab)).perform(click())
onView(withText("Profile")).check(matches(isDisplayed()))
onView(withId(R.id.homeTab)).perform(click())
onView(withText("Home")).check(matches(isDisplayed()))
}
}
4. Performance Testing
import XCTest
class PerformanceTests: XCTestCase {
func testListRenderingPerformance() {
let viewModel = ItemsViewModel()
viewModel.items = (0..<1000).map { i in
Item(id: UUID(), title: "Item \(i)", price: Double(i))
}
measure {
_ = viewModel.items.filter { $0.price > 50 }
}
}
func testNetworkResponseTime() {
let networkService = NetworkService()
measure {
let expectation = XCTestExpectation(description: "Fetch user")
Task {
do {
_ = try await networkService.fetch(User.self, from: "/users/test")
expectation.fulfill()
} catch {
XCTFail("Network request failed")
}
}
wait(for: [expectation], timeout: 10)
}
}
}
Best Practices
✅ DO
- Write tests for business logic first
- Use dependency injection for testability
- Mock external API calls
- Test both success and failure paths
- Automate UI testing for critical flows
- Run tests on real devices
- Measure performance on target devices
- Keep tests isolated and independent
- Use meaningful test names
- Maintain >80% code coverage
❌ DON'T
- Skip testing UI-critical flows
- Use hardcoded test data
- Ignore performance regressions
- Test implementation details
- Make tests flaky or unreliable
- Skip testing on actual devices
- Ignore accessibility testing
- Create interdependent tests
- Test without mocking APIs
- Deploy untested code