Introduction
From a user perspective, mobile applications can be categorized as educational, informational, gaming, entertainment, communication, e-commerce, and other types of apps. From a developer’s point of view, mobile applications can be classified based on the technologies that power them:
- Mobile Web Apps: Responsive versions of websites that work on any mobile device or operating system.
- Native Applications: Apps developed specifically for a particular operating system or platform, such as Android or iOS.
- Hybrid Applications: A combination of native and web applications—essentially, a web page embedded within an app shell.
- Progressive Web Applications (PWA): Modern web applications that function like a native app while still being accessed through a browser.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at mobile web applications. We’ll explore their advantages, disadvantages, and the key considerations involved in testing them.
What Are Mobile Web Applications?
Web applications are typically hosted on remote servers and accessed through browsers on users’ devices (e.g., phones or tablets). Their major advantage is usability: anyone can launch a website quickly and with minimal resources—yet potentially gain global reach.
A high-quality web application is fast, efficient, and visually accurate. For instance, 47% of users expect a web app to load within two seconds, making performance a top priority for both developers and testers.
Advantages of Web Applications
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Web apps run on any device with a browser, increasing scalability and making them suitable for a wide range of industries.
- Ease of Use: Testing environments can be centralized on a single server. End users are not involved in technical processes, simplifying maintenance and management.
- Simple Installation: Web apps don’t need to be pre-installed. Users only need a web address, a browser, and an internet connection. They often function well even with limited bandwidth.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Web apps are generally cheaper to develop and maintain compared to native or hybrid apps, due to simpler workflows and reduced complexity.
Disadvantages of Web Applications
- Performance Limitations: Larger web apps may suffer from slower loading times. If a web app doesn’t fully load within 10 seconds, users may abandon it, leading to a loss of potential customers.
- Security Risks: Web apps are vulnerable to hacking. Studies show that 9 out of 10 web applications can be exploited, and 68% are at risk of data breaches. Alarmingly, 82% of these vulnerabilities stem from issues in the application’s code.
- Lack of Offline Support: Web apps cannot function without an internet connection.
- Limited Functionality: Compared to native or hybrid apps, web apps lack access to device features like file systems or local resources.
- No Resale Options: Web apps cannot be sold through app stores like Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Mobile Web Application Testing
Responsive Design
Web applications must display properly across a wide range of mobile screen sizes and orientations (portrait vs. landscape). Simply shrinking a desktop site is not a sufficient solution.
Touchscreen Interaction
Interactive elements must be optimized for touchscreens. For example, sliders that work well with a mouse might be difficult to use on a mobile touchscreen.
Cross-Browser and Compatibility Testing
It’s essential to ensure that the web application renders correctly across all supported browsers and operating system combinations, especially on lower-resolution devices.
Security and Link Verification
Session handling and broken links must be tested thoroughly. There are many open-source tools available to identify vulnerabilities or poor-quality code.
Cookie Testing
Cookies are temporary files used to maintain session states. Testing should be conducted with browser cookies both enabled and disabled to verify correct functionality
Summary
The testing and operation of mobile web applications are, in many ways, similar to those of standard desktop web applications. However, key differences arise due to screen size and the behavior of mobile browsers. In the next section, we will explore native applications from a testing perspective.
