Automated test on a smartphone.

[dhurshowy]

We're interested in doing some automated testing but on a smartphone. It seems that as things are, the automated testing does not work on a smartphone. Would it be possible to get it working with more development or is there some technical roadblock?

 

Are there any alternatives or other tools you can recommend using?

[CA3LE]

Yeah, there is a technical roadblock.  It would only work if the browser is left visibly open.  No problem on desktops but no something that could be asked of a mobile user.

 

I'm looking into iOS and Android app development which should open up more possibilities.  

 

I have an array of new features that mobile users will find useful coming out in my next version.  Opening up a whole new world of possibilities in the next release.  I'm already using many of the hidden features myself right now and it's providing me a much deeper insight.  It will take me time to build systems to display all the additional information in useful ways but once it's ready for prime time I think you'll find it useful.

[Sean]

I have wondered about this myself and ran into this thread after a quick search.

 

This would certainly be handy for benchmarking a 3G/4G connection. 

 

The following are a few workarounds, #1 which I've used:

1. Set a repeating timer, then manually run the test each time it goes off. Obviously the user must be present throughout the test schedule.
2. Set the phone screen to permanently stay awake, plug it in and run the automated test on this site's desktop version.  If a call is made or answered, the user will need to remember to bring the browser back to the foreground.
3. Tether a laptop with the phone and use the computer's web browser to run the automated test.  Very risky on a capped data plan.  Most operators don't allow tethering on unlimited plans and others may give a lower priority to tethered traffic.

An example for #1, which I did on an hourly interval while at work (graph done in Excel):

 

 

For #2, I might check if there are any mobile browsers that remain active in the background or provide the ability to do so. 

 

Obviously one catch with automated testing on 3G/4G is that most mobile providers have ridiculously low data allowances, such as 1GB a month.  My provider Three has 'All you can eat', although they say they may throttle over 15GB of usage, so automated testing is not an issue with me.  For 4G, a test typically requires 50MB to 100MB per interval depending on the throughput, so potentially 1GB for 10 intervals.