What are bugs in apps? As an app development company, this is one of the most common questions we often get. There are many different types of bugs, and although many of them are harmless, some of them do deserve critical attention.
Some bugs are found in an app’s design, while others are directly related to the software code. Whatever the case is, it is always best to identify them before a user does.
Identifying and addressing bugs through testing is a critical part of any software development project. After all, bugs can potentially break your web or mobile application, damaging your User Experience, and ultimately, your brand.
In this post, we share with you some important mobile application quality assurance lessons we have learned throughout our years of experience in the app development industry. These will help you safeguard your app against potential bugs.
What Are App Bugs?
The term ‘bug’ refers to mistakes in software or other aspects of a program. These mistakes may produce an error in the form of unexpected results or erratic behavior.
In the best case, a bug may only affect software performance. In the worst case, it may make the software crash. Bugs commonly originate in the source code or in a program’s design, but they can also occur in the compiler or the operating system.
You are probably aware that, like regular computer programs, mobile apps also have bugs. App development teams need to make sure that bugs are fixed before a mobile application goes to production, or otherwise, users may come into contact with them.
Understanding some of the most common types of bugs is key to addressing them. So is being familiar with the best practices and tools used to fix them. Guaranteeing software quality is a specialized field that requires state-of-the-art technology.
The Importance of Addressing Bugs
There are different types of bugs. Some of them are harmless, while others may seriously compromise your mobile application. Having bugs is never acceptable, but depending on the industry you are in, the severity of bugs may vary.
It is not the same to have a bug in a Retail app as in a MedTech one. The former may be frustrating for a customer who is trying to perform a transaction, but the latter may compromise a patient’s health. A similar case occurs with security issues when it comes to FinTech apps that manage sensitive data or assets.
The aviation and automotive industries also require that software quality is guaranteed. Not doing so may put lives at risk. This becomes especially important as more components in vehicles are going digital.
Many industries will have to adapt their processes so that they implement software development best practices that guarantee adequate performance. The recent cases of flaws in the software of Tesla cars and the Boeing 737 Max are examples of why it is important to guarantee the quality of software.
Addressing Bugs in Mobile Apps
Like other types of software, mobile applications are susceptible to bugs. As a result, it is necessary that apps undergo a meticulous Quality Assurance process that guarantees bugs are addressed through testing.
The best app developers make sure to implement industry best practices when it comes to identifying and addressing bugs. This requires not only looking at the code in detail but also testing to monitor an app’s performance under certain conditions.
There is a lot of serious engineering going on throughout this process. That is why the best app quality tests are performed by QA Engineers. They have the necessary engineering skills and knowledge to guarantee that your app is ready to hit the market.
If you are thinking about hiring someone to test your mobile application, make sure they are on the engineering side.
Common Bugs in Mobile Applications
Mobile devices rule the world. Yet, it is common to find many mistakes in mobile apps. These are a few of the most common bugs:
- Poor UX Writing practices that send a confusing message to users. This commonly occurs in buttons, text fields, and error messages.
- Security glitches can compromise data. They can potentially leave the door open to malicious hackers who may access users’ information.
- App crashes that make it impossible to use your app. This is a very common bug that may occur for various reasons.
- Visualization problems can occur due to different screen sizes as well as the inadequate configuration of portrait and horizontal views of an app.
- Notifications that sometimes result in all sorts of bugs and an annoying experience.
Common bugs occur even on the world’s most popular mobile apps. To avoid all the bugs, it is necessary to have a team of developers that is able to find and solve them easily.
How to Find Bugs in Apps
The best way to find bugs in a mobile app is through app testing. The continuous testing philosophy can help identify bugs by testing small pieces of code rather than the bulk of it.
By doing continuous software testing, developers can fix mistakes right away rather than waiting for big pieces of code to be deployed. When this last happens, it is very hard to spot where the mistake is in the code. This makes it more time-consuming and expensive to fix bugs in mobile apps.
Software testing requires using some of the best QA tools available. Because these tools are very specialized, they are not always available to all companies. As a result, it might be best for your company to find someone who has them and knows how to use them.
Software project management experts know how to test for a specific error in the different stages of an app’s development, making sure that its quality is assured.
Being meticulous about your app’s documentation is also important. This guarantees that your code can be easily understood by any of your developers. It also makes it easier to find bugs.
Quality Assurance: 3 Lessons for Testing Mobile Applications
When it comes to guaranteeing software quality, our years of experience have taught us three valuable lessons:
- Software testing is the best way to find and fix a particular error. To do so, it is good to look at the code, but more importantly, to use the right quality testing tools.
- Don’t just focus on the technical aspects of your mobile app. Look at the big picture of the User Experience and how potential bugs might be affecting it.
- Looking out for bugs might seem expensive, but it is nothing compared to the costs of doing nothing.
If you want your users to love your app, make sure to find a qualified and experienced app development company that can help you find bugs and fix them before your users spot them. Bugs in apps are no fun.
