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Mobile apps have become indispensable in our daily lives, serving as tools for everything from communication to entertainment. However, many apps come with a frustrating downside: battery drain. Users quickly uninstall apps that consume excessive power, making battery performance a top priority for developers and QA teams. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of battery drain testing, effective methods for testing battery consumption, and how platforms like Pcloudy can streamline the process. 

Why battery testing is Essential:

Battery life is one of the most critical factors influencing the user experience and overall app retention. In a world where smartphones act as a lifeline for everything—from communication and entertainment to navigation and health tracking—users expect their devices to last longer on a single charge. If an app is consuming excessive battery, users are quick to uninstall it and move to a competitor. 

Top 10 smart phone purchase drivers

The need for battery testing goes beyond just preventing app uninstalls. It also impacts brand perception, user engagement, and overall app performance. Here’s an in-depth look at why battery testing is essential for mobile apps: 

1. Prevents User Uninstalls and Negative Reviews

Mobile users are highly sensitive to resource-heavy apps. A poorly optimized app that drains the battery will likely result in negative app reviews, reduced ratings, and eventual uninstalls. Studies indicate that users uninstall apps that: 

    • Cause a noticeable drop in battery life. 
    • Overuse background processes. 
    • Trigger frequent notifications that wake the device unnecessarily. 

Why it matters: 

A single negative review highlighting excessive battery usage can deter hundreds of potential users. On the other hand, optimizing battery usage improves user satisfaction and encourages positive feedback. 

2. Improves App Performance and Responsiveness

Battery drain is often associated with excessive CPU and memory usage caused by inefficient processes, such as: 

    • Running frequent background tasks. 
    • Continuously accessing location services or sensors. 
    • Repeatedly syncing data with servers. 

By testing for battery consumption, developers can identify and resolve these inefficiencies, leading to a more responsive and lightweight app. 

Why it matters: 

When apps are optimized for resource consumption, they perform smoother, load faster, and are less prone to crashes—leading to a better user experience. 

3. Enhances Brand Reputation and Trust

Apps that are known to consume minimal battery build trust among users. A reputation for delivering resource-efficient apps can significantly enhance a brand’s credibility and increase user loyalty. 

Why it matters: 

Users are more likely to recommend apps that don’t compromise their device’s performance. Conversely, an app infamous for draining the battery can tarnish the brand’s reputation. 

4. Supports Compatibility Across Different Devices

There are thousands of different smartphone models with varying hardware capabilities, operating systems, and power optimizations. An app that performs well on a flagship device might behave differently on mid-range or budget devices. 

Why it matters: 

Battery testing ensures that the app behaves consistently across different devices, regardless of hardware limitations. Testing across multiple devices prevents issues that could disproportionately affect certain user segments. 

5. Ensures Efficient Use of Device Components

Apps often interact with device components such as GPS, Bluetooth, cameras, and sensors. These components are major contributors to battery consumption, especially when used inefficiently. 

Why it matters: 

By conducting battery tests, developers can identify areas where the app uses hardware unnecessarily (e.g., keeping GPS active even when not needed) and implement optimizations to reduce energy consumption. 

6. Improves Compatibility with Wearables and IoT Devices

With the rise of wearable technology, IoT devices, and connected ecosystems, mobile apps often communicate with external devices. These integrations can place additional demands on battery life. 

Why it matters: 

Battery testing ensures that apps remain power-efficient when interacting with wearables (e.g., smartwatches), Bluetooth devices, or smart home systems. This is crucial for providing a seamless, long-lasting user experience. 

7. Supports Compliance with App Store Guidelines

Both Google Play and the Apple App Store emphasize app performance, including battery efficiency. Apps that are flagged for excessive resource consumption may face penalties, such as removal from the app store or poor visibility. 

Why it matters: 

By proactively testing and optimizing battery usage, developers can ensure their apps comply with app store guidelines, maintaining app visibility and discoverability. 

8. Enhances Enterprise Applications and Workforce Productivity

For enterprise apps used by field teams, healthcare workers, or logistics personnel, battery consumption can directly impact productivity. If the app consumes too much power, it can limit the user’s ability to work efficiently throughout the day. 

Why it matters: 

Efficient battery usage in enterprise apps ensures that workers can rely on their mobile devices for an entire workday without constant recharging, improving operational efficiency. 

9. Boosts User Engagement and Retention

Apps with optimized power consumption are more likely to remain installed and used regularly. Battery efficiency can directly impact how frequently users interact with an app and whether they keep it installed. 

Why it matters: 

By addressing battery drain issues early in the development process, developers can create apps that users engage with more frequently, leading to higher retention rates. 

10. Addresses Evolving Consumer Expectations

As technology advances, consumers have grown more aware of resource consumption and expect their favorite apps to be optimized for performance and battery life. 

Why it matters: 

Regular battery testing ensures that your app keeps pace with user expectations, building trust and maintaining competitiveness in the app marketplace. 

Key Battery Testing Scenarios

Battery consumption can vary significantly depending on how the app is used. Here are some key scenarios to consider during testing: 

    • Active usage: Measure the battery drain when the app is in active use. 
    • Background operations: Track the battery usage when the app runs in the background. 
    • Idle state: Assess how much power the app consumes when idle with minimal interactions. 
    • Heavy feature use: Monitor battery drain during resource-intensive tasks like video playback, GPS navigation, or data syncing. 

How to Test Battery Consumption for Android Apps

Testing battery consumption requires both a systematic approach and the right tools. Below are steps to measure battery usage effectively: 

1. Battery Test Flow 

    • Record the battery level before starting the test. 
    • Enable features like location services, data syncing, and streaming, if applicable. 
    • Monitor battery consumption while performing these tasks. 
    • Observe how the app behaves in the background and whether it sends unnecessary analytics or data. 

2. Testing from a User Perspective 

Real-world conditions significantly impact battery performance. Test under: 

    • Diverse network conditions (Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, roaming). 
    • Different device types and operating systems. 
    • Varying battery health states to simulate real-life scenarios. 

3. Using Real Devices 

Android’s OS fragmentation across OEMs makes it crucial to test on multiple real devices. Device labs or cloud-based platforms, such as Pcloudy, can help simulate these environments efficiently. 

Tools for Battery Testing 

Several tools can assist in monitoring and analyzing battery consumption: 

1. Android Studio Profiler 

A built-in tool for real-time monitoring of CPU, memory, and battery usage. 

2. Battery Historian 

This tool provides detailed insights into battery consumption patterns, highlighting resource-heavy processes. 

3. Third-Party Tools 

    • GSam Battery Monitor: Tracks app power usage and resets testing cycles without draining the battery completely. 
    • Clean Master: Provides instant alerts for excessive CPU or battery usage. 

Why Use Pcloudy for Battery Drain Testing

Pcloudy offers a comprehensive platform for battery consumption testing on real devices. Here’s how it helps: 

    • Real-Time Monitoring: Track battery, CPU, memory, and data consumption in one place. 
    • Diverse Device Coverage: Access a vast range of Android devices to ensure compatibility and performance across different models. 
    • Comprehensive Functional Testing: Test all critical and non-critical app workflows while monitoring resource consumption. 

Conclusion

Battery drain testing is no longer optional; it’s a vital step in delivering apps that users trust and love. By focusing on optimizing battery consumption, developers can enhance user satisfaction, retention, and brand loyalty. Tools like Pcloudy make it easier to test across diverse devices, ensuring your app meets user expectations and marketplace standards. 

Ready to optimize your app’s battery performance? Discover how Pcloudy can help you deliver power-efficient apps. 

Automate with Selenium

Introduction to iOS TestFlight

TestFlight is an online service used to distribute and test beta iOS applications. Developers can use Test Flight to evade the Apple’s bitter binding procedure for testing new versions of their apps. It provides over-the-air installation, testing, tracking and managing of Beta apps. In simple words, TestFlight acts as a link between the developer, the tester, and the Apple Developer Center.

How is it useful?

  • Distribution of the app over-the- air to Testers
  • Tracking and managing testing using TestFlight’s dashboard
  • Receiving feedback from testers to improve the app
  • To obtain reports about the device models, OS version used while testing the App
  • Automatically records any crashes the testers encounter and sends it to the Developer

This tutorial will walk you through integrating TestFlight into your own apps.

What do you need to start?

You have to have your certificates, app ID, and provisioning profiles in place before distributing your apps using Test Flight. Here’s the list of items you need:

  • A Developer ID to login to your developer account.
  • A Certificate for Distribution to export builds and distribute apps
  • An App ID
  • A Device UDID
  • Ad Hoc Provisioning Profile to distribute your app on testers devices
  • Sign your app with a valid ad hoc provisioning profile

These items will help you obtain an .ipa file that can be distributed for testing in iOS devices with UDIDs mentioned in the provisioning profile of the app.

Uploading your app for Beta Testing

Open up your project in Xcode, make sure you have a correct Bundle Identifier and that you’ve chosen the correct Distribution Certificate:

Choose Product\Archive from the top toolbar:

Once Xcode finishes archiving your project, click the shiny blue Submit to App Store… button:

Choose your development team

Hit Submit

Wait for your build to upload. Once done you will receive a “Submission Successful message”

Inviting Testers

Test Apps on Real Devices

Using Eclipse or Android Studio to code your app? Now with just a few simple mouse clicks test apps directly and in parallel on multiple real mobile devices.

Eclipse and Android Studio are two popular IDEs for mobile app development. The reason behind their popularity is, these are open source tools and have a great community of developers whom you can turn to for any support. Anyway, if you are one of those mobile app developers using these popular IDEs then there’s good news for you!

What if you could extend the capability of your IDEs to improve the quality of your apps? What if you could test your app on hundreds of mobile devices right from your IDE? What if you could with the help of simple plugins take your mobile app development process to a whole new level?

Well, you can – with a simple yet salient solution from pCloudy.com. With a cloud based device lab, pCloudy is contributing to the cause of redefining mobile app testing by providing remarkably useful platform and plugins to test your apps on real mobile devices. As mentioned in our previous articles, it is not enough if mobile apps are tested on Emulators alone. We need to ensure that the apps are tested on Real Devices as well. It is also important to test your mobile apps on different devices based on a carefully analysed device matrix to hit maximum downloads. To continuously develop, integrate and release mobile apps in your DevOps environment such solutions are crucial.

Here’s how can our plugins benefit you

 

Description:

Our Plugins act as a wizard that allows you to:

  • extend the ability of Eclipse to use real devices over a cloud platform
  • select and install an app from a Cloud Drive or from local
  • select multiple real devices from a cloud (Public, Private, On-premise) to test your app
  • run test scripts in parallel on multiple devices
  • perform Automation or Manual Testing

How does it work?

If you have already created Test Scripts ready for Test execution, then all you need to do is to select some real devices over the cloud platform and run the execution to test your app. To help you out with this, the Plugin generates a pseudo-code that can simply be copied into your existing test scripts using Android Studio or Eclipse. With simple changes in the test script, the app will get installed and test execution is performed on the selected mobile devices. In the end, a detailed automation report will also be generated through our platform.

With these plugins app developers and testers can:

  • choose from hundreds of mobile devices to test your App
  • effortlessly test their apps directly on real mobile devices
  • can view or perform an activity on mobile screen from directly within on your IDE
  • perform automation runs in parallel on multiple mobile devices

Download and install the plugin:

Choose the Right Testing Platform

 
As a mobile app maker, how sure are you about the success of your app? A small failure to recognize bugs can cost you thousands of dollars! A small mistake can turn you into a big failure among the users. Now, the question is, how to choose the best platform for testing.

Every mobile application is created differently from the other and the right platform to test can be the most important reason for your app’s success.

Right Testing Platform for Your App

 

Choosing the right platform among the various competing ones require a set of clear evaluation.

  • The nature of the targeted audience for your app. This will define the device matrix you should be targeting for your App Testing. Does that platform provide right device matrix for your testing needs?
  • Cloud based vs in-house setup – Does you testing process allow Apps to be allowed on outside cloud? Does your App have functionalities which work with in a secured network?
  • Type of Testing required for your App – Whether your current testing is manual or automated? Does your App require non-functional Testing?
  • Reliability and Scalability of the platform- Can it scale with your needs? Can the platform integrate with your existing tools and frameworks?
  • Return on Investment

 

Criterion

Description

Device Fragmentation

Can the platform handle you need of devices?

Availability

How critical for you instant availability of devices. Is you testing planned?

Automation

How much of testing is done using Automated scripts? Does the platform support the Automation tool that you are using or planning to use.

Type of Testing

What all functional features that you need to test? Does your App require non-functional Testing?

Extensibility ( integration with in-house frameworks)

Can the platform integrate with your in-house frameworks ( Automation, Test Management , Bug Management etc..)

DevOps

Can the platform support DevOps? Can it integrate with your build systems/dev IDEs or continuous integration systems.

Security

Can you upload your app on an external cloud? Does you App require interaction with your internal server?
Usage level and Cost

What is the usage pattern of your test and developing team and what is your budget?

 

Market Share: Andriod VS iOS

 

pCloudy provides the necessary tools for convenient, effective and immediate mobile app testing. Our device is based on cloud and it enables continuous development and testing on real devices. Our unique debugging feature recognizes potential errors that will significantly reduce costs and time. Our platform provides single-click access to end numbers of real Android and Ios devices.

To experience the best with your app, we have developed three different types of cloud environments for you.

Public Cloud

With pCloudy’s publicly accessed cloud, you can perform tests directly from your browser. You won’t get confused to choose between manual or automated because both are available in our public cloud environment. We allow our users to test on a comprehensive list of real IOS and Android devices. You can also test your app over various network conditions like 2G, 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi. You can either configure your own browser or choose from our wide range of pre-installed browsers.

Private Cloud

This option is similar to our public cloud environment, except it comes with additional benefits of personalized security and dedicated access. Here, we would provide you a host of devices in our enterprise grade data center and you can choose your own device. If you have a geographically distributed team, then they will have secured devices over a browser. We make sure that your data is safe on our platform, as we allow only authorized team members to access.

On-premise cloud

In this option, we provide you with the necessary hardware and give you the freedom to set up your own secure device lab. You will have complete control of your own on-premise lab.

In addition to have exactly the same features of our public cloud, on-premise model contains supplementary benefits. On-premise cloud gives you the freedom of plug-in with your existing set of devices and provides you access to a geographically distributed team. Manual and automated- both the testing techniques can be used and with a simple plug-in, you can access it from any rack. Also, there is no limit for the number of devices which can be linked!

At the end of the day, the developer has to choose the best platform for his app. But choosing the right one saves so much of hassles.

 

Test Your Mobile App on Different Devices

The Technology involved in mobile devices is changing rapidly. Mobile phones have literally personalized the choices in our lives, experts forecast that the future devices will be the remote controls of our lives.  The services or functions are run by apps in specified platforms. And each platform has its own set of parameters to run an app. Mobile phone or device manufacturers are going through a breathtaking pace of change over the years and keeps on innovating new ways of doing things!

 

app

 

Why Apps fail?

 

Why Apps fail?

 

 

 

Why Apps fail?

Above data clearly show that handling Device fragmentation is one of the biggest challenges for App developers. Android has more fragmentation issue compared to iOS. Because the number of mobile vendors, is comparatively higher. However, even iOS faces certain amount of fragmentation issue. As there are different software versions and devices. And different devices run different iOS versions.

 

                            iOS versions                                           iOS versions

Mobile browsers can be challenging too! There are end numbers of browsers like Safari, Opera, Goggle Chrome and Dolphin. And each one of them has different versions for different platforms!

 

“So, what’s the right choice? Buying every device available in the market?”

Not necessarily, right device matrix is the key to success.

You can choose one of the two approaches to arrive at your device matrix

Device diversity Approach

  • Decide the device matrix based on key parameters like OS versions, screen size/resolution, manufacturer/device family (Android), operator, CPU, and input method
  • Objective is to maximize the variety of devices

Market segment + Device popularity approach

  •  Choose devices with the highest market share
  •  Objective is to maximize market coverage

Once you have the right device matrix, Device Cloud is the best option to get quick access to your device matrix.

 

 

 

As a tester, you must consider the ever increasing number of physical devices. The most important implementations should be automation, quality assurance, security and device compatibility. Also, ensure that the software scripts cover the core functionality of the application, so that it can run across all the platforms.