3 Advanced Mobile Testing Automation Techniques with Appium
Tags: appium, testing, automation, mobile
Published: 2024-02-14 19:08:02

Mobile Testing Automation Techniques: The current number of smartphone subscribers exceeds six billion, and it is predicted to increase by several hundred millions over the following years. China, India, and the United States have the largest concentration of smartphone users.

Mobile applications must be high-performing and compatible with various market-available devices to meet rising customer expectations. App testing is the ideal option for meeting these objectives. This necessitates a testing procedure that is not only efficient but also provides more excellent coverage to fulfill the standards effectively. Companies thus spare no effort to assure cross-platform compatibility.

When the topic is about mobile testing, Appium is the industry leader’s top choice. Appium contributes to advanced automation. We are going to talk about that here.

## What is Appium
Appium is an open-source automated testing tool for mobile applications. It is used to test applications. Sauce Labs is designed and supported for automating native and hybrid mobile applications. It is a cross-platform mobile automation tool, allowing the same test to be executed on several platforms. Appium facilitates the concurrent testing of several devices.

The need for mobile apps is now high in the development industry. At present, individuals are transforming their websites into mobile applications. Therefore, it is essential to know about mobile software automation testing technologies and remain abreast of current developments in the field.

[Appium mobile testing](https://www.headspin.io/blog/appium-automation-testing-a-step-by-step-guide) can be executed on mobile devices, simulators, or emulators. A simulator is a representation of the state and execution of an application. Likewise, an emulator is a software or hardware that enables one computer system (the host) to run programs developed for another system (guest).

A mobile device’s operating system (OS) is irrelevant to Appium’s mobile testing automation. Due to its framework’s ability to transform driver commands into OS-independent Android or iOS commands, this is the case. These instructions are instead dependent on the type of mobile device.

The following are some of the most common types of mobile applications that can be evaluated with Appium automation testing:

- **Native Apps**: These applications are developed with iOS, Android, or Windows SDKs. These can only be accessible after being installed on the device. For instance, Skype is only usable after installation on the device. We cannot access the application via the browser
- **Web applications**: Mobile web Apps may be accessible with a mobile browser. Web applications can only be accessible using a web browser. For instance, softwaretestinghelp.com can only be viewed using a web browser. We do not provide a separate App for our website.
- **Hybrid Applications**: These applications feature a wrapper over a review, a native control that permits interaction with web content. These are both installable on the device and accessible through browser URLs. Amazon, for instance, can be installed as a separate app on a machine and accessible through a browser like Amazon.

## Why is Appium popular?
Mobile app developers extensively utilize Appium because of its unique capabilities and benefits. The primary reasons why developers choose Appium over competing mobile testing automation technologies are:

**The utilization of the standard API across all platforms**
Changing your codes is just not desired. Especially if it is necessary owing to your system’s testing tools. Appium is a good choice since it uses its standard API and can be modified to function to your liking.

**The flexibility of the cross-platform examination**
Imagine the sort of coverage that must be considered while [testing a mobile application](https://www.headspin.io/solutions/mobile-app-testing) that users may use worldwide if there are differences in mobile operating systems among five people in the same room.

Testing across several platforms is a need for all software testers. When it comes to mobile automation, it is a lifesaver to have a single test tool that can perform this task. Appium can test iOS and Android applications and may be installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

**Flexibility to utilize the test framework**
After Appium’s introduction to the market, the situation in which test cases were created in Javascript for iOS using the UI Automation of the Apple library or in Java for Android using the UI Automator of Google was radically altered. Today, with Appium, you are free to implement any framework you like for your project.

**Supports multiple languages**
Appium supports numerous programming languages, giving you an advantage over other testing solutions.

**Advanced functionality**
Appium offers advanced functionality such as interaction with CI tools and execution across many devices. As testing framework design progresses, CI tools and multi-device execution become essential. Appium is capable of integrating with the same. 

**Low memory utilization**
Appium’s architecture is a proxy between the automation toolkit and the test machine.

Testers and developers also select Appium due to the following additional advantages:

- It enables for simultaneous execution of test scripts.
- It includes a tool for recording test cases and replaying such recordings.
- Multiple components can be evaluated concurrently (i.e., emulators, real devices, and simulators).
- It allows testing on the cloud using testdroid.
- It is supported by an active community (Google group) that makes troubleshooting more accessible and faster.

## How does Appium work?
Appium utilizes its design’s three principal components (client, server, and end device). When this application is installed on a computer, it configures an HTTP server that produces a REST API to improve communication with the client.

The JSON Wire Protocol communicates between the server and the client. It facilitates the transmission of command requests. These command requests are then carried out on end devices (either on Android, Windows, or iOS).

**Appium on Android Device**
To automate the testing of apps on Android devices, Appium uses the UIAutomator framework (or Selendroid), which is designed for testing the Android user interface. The bootstrap.jar file is a TCP server that transmits test commands to an Android device using the UI Automator or Selendroid framework.

**Appium on iOS device**
Appium utilizes the JSON wire protocol for iOS devices, much as it does with Android devices. Apple’s UIAutomation API interacts with user interface components during automated iOS device testing. The bootstrap.js code functions as a TCP server that transmits the test command to the iOS device using the UIAutomation API framework from Apple.

## Advanced Mobile automation Testing with Appium
A. **Using API**
Appium utilizes the WebDriver agent to conduct mobile testing. It’s the most powerful Appium automation method currently available. The WebDriver agent is bundled as one of the actions and installed on a simulator or an actual device. Several events occur when the Appium script executes operations on a tested application. The “log timestamp” feature measures the time it takes to complete this task. Specific processes require a considerable amount of time to complete.

On test system A, it takes 2 seconds to start the system, whereas, on test system B, it takes five seconds at the very least. In any event, if we have many test systems running simultaneously, it won’t be easy.

**What are the benefits of using the Events API?**
Appium’s Events API will address this problem. As a result, we’ll be able to understand better how long each test system took to get up and run. With the Appium Events API, you may use preexisting events referred to as “worker occasions.” There is just one instance where a worker can escape a definitive recovery. Getting the test system up and running is another occasion for workers. Appium provides us with a few of these events as a matter of course.

In any case, there are also daily events. Here’s an example of a custom occasion: you’ll need to examine how an app navigates from screen A to screen B. If you use the Appium Events API, it’s possible to monitor how long it takes to get from screen A to screen B.’

It’s possible to identify this unique occasion by the merchant and its name. This is to provide for some separation between Appium zone worker events, such as the start time of the test system and custom events. One of the apps we’ll use as an example is VodQA. A characterized set merchant (see beneath). On top of that, the event is referred to as OnLoginScreen.

B. **Using Face-ID**
Face ID-based in-application verification is a newer version of Appium. Numerous applications employ facial ID for logging in or performing an installation. Therefore, face ID must perform flawlessly. Appium may continue testing in-application authentication on iOS test devices with face ID. Additionally, it supports contact ID verification on more mature iOS devices.

Face ID support is exclusive to iOS test platforms, not actual devices. Additionally, it has just three limited controls:

- Discordant with the face.
- Selecting the face corresponds to checking it during device configuration and enabling the feature entirely.
- Coordination of the facial features

Appium adheres to W3C principles, which is the WebDriver standard. In addition, several aspects of in-application validation using face ID are not specified in the W3C standard. Appium provides an alternative technique for using these platform-specific features: flexible supporting methods.

Appium defines its API and provides access to the outside world via portable supporting strategies.

One is “sendBiometricMatch,” which comprises two arguments:

- Face ID and its precise motivation may not be legitimate for a perfect match.
- Perform a non-coordinating face to determine how the application continues when a face mismatch occurs.

There is a further adaptable supporting technique specific to biometric selection. It supports the claim that ‘is empowered.’ It can either be evident or false. Furthermore, it is OK to enable this several times; the test systems are intelligent enough to understand. In a valid scenario, inserting once per test or once altogether is advisable. After that, we may use a “send biometric scramble.” Once enabled, the portable supporting approach dubbed “sendBiometricmismatch” may be used to transmit either authentic or fake facial ID validation. Face-ID has proven to be the most practical Appium automation solution due to its accessibility to non-technical users.

C. **Streaming App**
Appium provides two distinct APIs for initiating and terminating video recording. Despite this, there is a good attitude about this. When you begin recording your screen, you may select a port on your application that corresponds to the displayed screen. Suppose you progress from the first to the second screen. Regularly, you may observe the screen paths from your device onto the program. What is the significance of this incident?

It uses FFmpeg in the engine’s worker to stream the media into the application. Moreover, if you want this feature to work with your Appium version, you need to install FFmpeg on your workstation and ensure it’s accessible to Appium.

**Streaming Devices**
Appium starts this FFmpeg worker on port 9100 if it is a single device. Thus if you examine your Appium logs, you may find a great deal of information there. If you are performing tests across several devices, you may be considering how to organize the port numbers.

If you are running tests on many test systems or devices and need to view your screen on the application, you may use this feature. Ultimately, you must provide exceptional and original ports. You might accomplish this by using the end MJPEG worker URL. There are more than 280 capabilities for iOS and Android combined, which may be viewed in a list. You can see that there is a capability for this, in which you can set the port number to a random value, and it will stream the screen of a particular device to your software.

## Conclusion  
Mobile testing with Appium has gained acceptance with its comprehensive functionality in the mobile application business. Bitbar, Testbytes, and Intuz have also listed Appium among the best mobile testing tools, with a market share of over 35% for Android and over 40% for iOS applications.

Existing Appium tests may be connected with the HeadSpin Platform and executed on any available device. On the HeadSpin Platform, Appium drives the functional components of the trial, while HeadSpin data and insights power the non-functional aspects. The most recent version of the platform enables you to debug and build Appium scripts in the user interface without needing an app or desktop client.