Testing iOS Apps? Try These 11 Tools for Mobile QA

The saturated mobile app market makes businesses constantly reimagine the definition of quality. This never-ending race to become the number one created a new standard for iOS applications. Today, any hiccup in an Apple program means an almost instant demise. That’s why teams keep seeking strategies and tools that help bring their products to unseen heights.

In this article, we’ve handpicked 11 testing tools to support your work on iPhone applications.

Xcode

Xcode is an all-in-one tool for iOS app development, testing, and distribution. For mobile app testing specifically, you can rely on its simulator for working with various iOS devices. The program also has comprehensive performance analysis tools and debugging with breakpoints and LLDB. And Xcode’s TestFlight and integration with XCTest allow for easy unit, UI, and beta testing.

Pros

• It’s completely free.
• Top-notch control over your testing with advanced collaboration functions.
• You can test your apps on both virtual and real devices.
• Users’ most frequent praise targets Xcode’s ease of use.

Cons

• Xcode can be resource-intensive and slow down older or less powerful computers.
• Consumers often cite performance troubles.
• It only works on Apple’s OS. Paired with performance troubles, getting a good testing setup can get expensive.
• Has a smaller community compared to, say, Appium.

BrowserStack

BrowserStack is a web-based platform that doesn’t need intricate configurations. It offers live interactive testing and access to developer tools for debugging. You can even beta test an app on a secure environment across 31 iOS versions. And its cloud-based infrastructure ensures efficient and scalable testing.

Pros

• Works for legacy iOS versions (iOS 7-14).
• Provides devices and network logs, browser console, video recordings, and screenshots for every test you run.
• Lets you test iOS apps on real devices and simulate natural gestures, battery consumption, and GPS and IP geolocation.
• Integrates with Appium and Selenium.

Cons

• Can be relatively expensive, especially for smaller teams.
• Freezes and lags are rather common.
• Requires high network speed.
• May be difficult to learn for a novel user.

Charles Proxy

With Charles Proxy, you can intercept and inspect network traffic to analyze API calls and data exchanges. It provides SSL proxying for secure connections, aiding in debugging and monitoring app behavior. Charles Proxy also enables response manipulation, providing insight into how an app interacts with servers.

Pros

• Records all traffic between the app and the internet, revealing the contents of all requests, responses, cookies, and headers.
• Can decrypt encrypted connections, aiding in identifying potential vulnerabilities.
• Supports the creation of custom rules and configurations.

Cons

• Can be difficult to set up and use for beginners.
• Primarily focuses on network testing, not UI or functional tests.
• Users report occasional crashes.

Burp Suite

Burp Suite centers on security and quality assurance. You can intercept and analyze traffic for security and functionality assessment. You can also use its SSL/TLS decryption to investigate encrypted communication. Plus, Burp Suite supports automated testing and scanning to uncover potential security flaws.

Pros

• Offers robust security testing capabilities, including automated scanning, manual testing, and crawling.
• Provides detailed reports and findings, facilitating remediation.
• Supports various third-party tools and extensions to enhance testing.
• Works on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Cons

• Can be complex and may require training to fully utilize its features.
• Running intensive scans can be a bit much for system resources.
• The full version may be costly for some users.
• The sheer number of features and options can overwhelm new consumers.

Mobile Flow Analyzer

Mobile Flow Analyzer is a cross-platform tool for mobile app accessibility testing. It connects to mobile devices from a desktop, scans native apps for accessibility issues, and offers real-time metrics and screen flow insights. It generates shareable reports to improve communication with developers.

Pros

• Doesn’t require SDK installation or code-level access.
• You can test iOS apps for accessibility issues on any device or simulator and generate actionable reports.
• Has a very straightforward interface with accessibility issues categorization.

Cons

• May not be as comprehensive as other tools for iPhone app testing.
• Comparatively limited variety of devices and OSs.
• It’s relatively new to the market.

GTXiLib

GTXiLib is an iOS accessibility testing framework that enhances your tests by integrating accessibility checks. It works with XCTest-based frameworks, executing accessibility checks during test teardown. Supported checks include verifying label presence on buttons, unpunctuated labels, minimum tappable area, and text contrast.

Pros

• Is open source.
• Allows incremental installation on single test cases, classes, or specific test subsets.
• Offers a straightforward API to create custom checks tailored to app requirements.

Cons

• Doesn’t support SwfitUI.
• Limited documentation.
• Users note infrequent integration issues.

Appium

Appium is a famed and versatile testing tool. It offers cross-platform compatibility for iOS and Android, supporting multiple programming languages. You can also test apps on real iOS devices and simulators. And your issue identification and debugging will be much easier with Appium’s real-time reporting.

Pros

• Is a well-documented open course tool with a strong community.
• Integrates with popular automation frameworks like Selenium and supports Appium’s own client libraries.
• Can be used with cloud-based testing services to run tests on a wide range of real devices.

Cons

• Has troubles locating elements and recognizing images.
• As the tool is very developed, it has a shallow learning curve.
• Users often cite long loading times and casual bugs during automation setup.

iOS Driver

iOS Driver is known for its native app and Safari web app automation. It’s an open source test automation framework that supports a wide range of iOS devices and versions. With it, you can simulate real user interactions and take advantage of its detailed reporting structures.

Pros

• Fully integrated with Selenium/WebDriver.
• You can use it as a Selenium grid node and run the tests in parallel on the web architecture.

Cons

• Requires a good understanding of the WebDriver protocol and the Appium server.
• At this time, the iOS Driver project on GitHub seems to be inactive.

XCUITest

XCUITest is a testing framework integrated into Xcode and XCTest. It offers precise interaction testing, performance profiling, and comprehensive debugging. XCUITest also simplifies test automation. In fact, it is considered the quickest automation testing framework for iOS.

Pros

• Easy to learn and use.
• XCUITest’s recorder documents every action on the simulator.
• Better performance due to the dedication to iOS apps.
• Can easily become a part of your CI/CD pipeline.

Cons

• You can write XCUITest code only in Objective-C or Swift.
• You can’t run XCUITest code separately from the XCTest framework.
• Doesn’t execute well on real devices.

EarlGrey

EarlGrey is Google’s automation framework that simplifies test writing. It supports synchronization and synchronization wait strategies, offering reliability in test execution. EarlGrey’s clear and expressive syntax facilitates test scripting, and its built-in synchronization ensures stable and efficient UI testing. Also, it integrates with Xcode and is now open source.

Pros

• You don’t have to manually input waits or sleep commands. EarlGrey’s tests automatically wait for events like animations and network requests.
• The tool prevents interactions with obscured items, ensuring immediate test failure.
• You can customize the framework’s components for element selection, interaction, assertion, and synchronization.

Cons

• EarlGrey’s UI interactions simulate real-user behavior, so the tests may be slower.
• Setup can be challenging for users with no developer experience.
• May need additional code when working with some APIs.

Kobiton

Kobiton’s strongest feature is real-device testing on a broad range of iOS devices and OS versions. It supports automated and manual testing, providing flexibility for different testing approaches. With cloud-based infrastructure and detailed reporting, the tool also streamlines the testing process.

Pros

• Kobiton’s AI-enhanced platform offers automatic Appium script creation, self-healing, and no-code test automation.
• You can run many parallel sessions, speeding up testing.
• High-quality official support.

Cons

• Users often experience issues when testing on real devices.
• May be pricy for smaller teams.
• Automated tests sometimes fail because of connection timeouts.

To Sum Up

No one dares underestimate the value of good iOS app testing tools. But it’s important to remember that they’re only one piece of the puzzle. What matters most is the skills. After all, even a “god-tier” program won’t be of much use with no proper expertise or strategy.

So, take your time, learn as much as you can, and explore each tool at a comfortable pace. And don’t forget that the tools are only as good as the hands that wield them.