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The final step before releasing any new software should be a review by a sample of users. User acceptance testing (UAT) for a mobile app is a crucial last step in development for mobile apps as well. The reasoning is a bit different. Mobile app developers have to account for different screen types, various operating systems, and devices with varying capabilities. In such a complex technological environment, formal user acceptance testing is crucial. Testing reduces business risks related to poor performance or failure to satisfy the app's business requirements.

UAT Confirms Business Requirements are Met

This is the most important and potentially most complex part of mobile app testing. At this point, all of the business requirements should have been fulfilled. In UAT you can find out if the way you met those requirements will satisfy the vast majority of users. UAT also helps the product owner understand how well the app is explained to the user, so they can fully understand what it does and why it exists.

Testing Ensures High Performance

No piece of software is 100% ready unless it performs well in the sense of being fast enough and stable enough to satisfy end users. Many app users become former users because of instability. According to AppSamurai, 71% of app uninstalls are a result of crashes. Don’t find out that your device is prone to crashing after launch. You won’t truly know if your app is stable enough until you have a 100% complete version ready to run on standard mobile devices and in different network environments.

Testing Ensures Acceptable Download Speeds

UAT for a mobile app includes ensuring that downloads are reasonably fast and rarely fail. The only way to know if your target audience will accept a big app is to let them download and install it. If half of a test group complains about the download speed, the app may not be 100% ready for market. Testing for performance over wi-fi, 5G, 4G, and 3G connections is a good idea too. Getting user feedback is essential for optimizing the app’s performance.

Proper Testing Enhances the Company’s Reputation

If you want people to interact with your company and recommend your app to friends, it better be fast, stable, and user-friendly. Launching a new app that works, but not all that well can damage your reputation. With so many people using mobile devices to shop, do research, play games, and order things, your app cannot be unstable or slow. Users complain on social media and post negative reviews. A poor user experience can also lead to complaints.

UAT can detect usability issues by checking users’ experiences. UAT ensures that your app lives up to end-users expectations. User expectations can come in various forms, e.g., placements of UI elements, getting things done in fewer steps, or reachability of various screen elements.  Checking for usability is the only way to be sure the interface delivers a satisfactory user experience. All these are very important for an app to succeed in the competitive market.

Testing Saves Maintenance and Development Costs

Updates that fix problems are an extra business expense. A final test will reveal bugs and user experience problems that slipped by earlier testing. Fixing those things before your product launch will be cheaper than doing individual updates. If those updates affect the app's function, not just design, you end up paying for more regression testing and more user acceptance testing.

UAT is “more than just testing” in the words of our Head of Mobile Development Rahul Servaia. Adequate testing ensures good performance, reliable downloading, and a good overall user experience. Those factors enhance the company’s online reputation and DevDigital has created dozens of apps for Android and iOS, so our team has handled everything from brainstorming to UAT for a mobile app. Do you have an idea for the next greatest app? Give us a call today!