In today’s digital era, the number of devices available in the market is constantly changing, with new devices being introduced and older devices being phased out. This growing diversity of devices makes it crucial for developers to ensure their apps work with all the different browser and device combinations. Cross-browser testing is essential to ensure a web application functions uniformly across various platforms and browsers.
However, the existing methods used for testing web apps have certain limitations. Manual testing takes time and is more prone to mistakes, while automation testing can cover an extensive range of scenarios but requires significant resources and expertise. To address these issues, new technologies are emerging in the market that are set to completely alter the way developers test their applications.
This blog examines how emerging technologies will shape the future of cross-browser testing, including cloud-based cross-browser testing, automated cross-browser testing, and AI-enabled cross-browser testing.
Importance of Cross-Browser Testing
Cross-browser testing is an essential procedure to ensure the compatibility and quality of the web application. It’s critical for web applications to be quick, dependable, user-friendly, offer seamless user experiences, and can be accessed on various platforms. The growing demand for these features has increased the need for cross-browser testing.
Limitations of Existing Testing Methods
Manual testing is time-consuming, more prone to mistakes, and cannot cover every scenario, while automated testing requires significant resources and expertise. These limitations have led to the development of new emerging technologies that address these issues.
Latest Trend in Cross-Browser Testing
Cloud-Based Cross-Browser Testing
Customers now want web applications to be quick, dependable, and straightforward. At the same time, they want it to be user-friendly, offer seamless user experiences, and can be accessed on various platforms. All this has raised the demand for cloud-based cross-browser testing. Platforms like pCloudy enable testers to test their applications concurrently across multiple devices and browsers. Which increases their testing process’s efficiency and reduces their time to market. As a result, they are able to serve their customers with error-free and user-friendly applications. Cloud-based cross browser testing provides teams with scalable, reliable, and secure infrastructure. And also reduce their operation costs by eliminating the need for setting up and maintaining expensive hardwares and softwares.
Automated Cross Browser Testing
The method of automatically testing web applications across several browsers and devices is known as automated cross-browser testing. It involves the creation of scripts that may imitate user interactions and actions, enabling testers to check how the program behaves under the practical scenarios. It increases testing effectiveness and accuracy, allows testers to perform tests more frequently and quickly, and minimizes the possibility of human error. Automated cross-browser testing is expected to completely change the testing process in 2023, especially for web app testing.
AI and ML powered Cross Browser Testing
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has opened up new opportunities for QA specialists. AI and ML-powered cross-browser testing allow testers to analyze real-time data and reduce testing gaps, achieving scalability and producing high-quality software. They offer benefits such as better ROI, high execution speed, accuracy, compliance, and cost savings that can be achieved through intelligent automation. Several testing tools employ machine learning and AI to build, run, and manage automated Cross browser testing.
Testing on Real Time Devices
Cross-browser testing has advanced significantly, now allowing testers to test on real devices without the need for an internal device Lab. With many testing devices available on the cloud, a tester can simultaneously test their application on multiple devices, speeding up the entire testing process and saving operational costs. Cross-browser testing tools can evaluate websites for responsiveness and performance tests in real scenarios. Platforms like pCloudy offer an online device farm of 5000+ real devices running on real devices providing a cost-effective and efficient testing solution.
In-Sprint Test Automation
In-sprint testing, or in-sprint automation, is an agile testing methodology that allows testers to perform automated web app tests alongside developers during the same sprint. This approach shortens the time between the start and end of the test cycle, providing real-time feedback on any errors. In-sprint automation eliminates faults, saves time and money, and improves the overall quality of the software. Testers can leverage developers’ infrastructure and resources within a sprint window, allowing them to perform manual or scripted operations alongside automated testing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as we approach 2023, the need for rigorous testing has become paramount. With the increasing complexity of the software testing landscape, companies must develop and stay competitive by providing a seamless user experience on all devices and platforms. Platforms like pCloudy offer automated cross-browser testing, supporting several frameworks such as Selenium, Appium, Cypress, Puppeteer, XCUITest, and more.
By adopting such platforms, development and testing teams can accelerate release cycles, ensuring efficient and effective web application testing, while reducing operational costs. This way, companies can provide error-free, user-friendly, and high-quality applications to their customers, enhancing their brand reputation and increasing customer loyalty.
