Most common bugs in UI Testing 

The different kinds of mobile app automation testing are essential for the launch of perfect software. Brands nowadays focus on User Interaction. UI testing is necessary for a UI that offers a seamless experience for potential customers.

As per the Test Automation Pyramid, UI tests are done at the end

The meaning of UI testing

Also known as Graphical Mobile User Interface Testing, UI testing is done to ensure that all UI elements function. These may include menus, forms, images, fonts and colors, and videos.

UI elements generally don’t affect the website’s overall functioning. The aim is to:

  • Avoid any errors in the system UI
  • Make the website as user-friendly as possible.
  • Simplifying the website design
  • To ensure that the minor deviations post new iterations are fixed.

Companies generally have a Quality Assurance (QA) team which helps them meet the requirements desired by visitors and clients. The lack of smooth navigation and interaction can be very discouraging for customers. Hence, enhanced performance fosters brand loyalty.

The problem with broken UI elements

UI elements, if broken, can lead to several issues when dysfunctions in interactive elements like fields and buttons remain undiscovered till the very end. This can crash the whole application.

If the buttons don’t work well, users click multiple times and compromise the experience. These bugs are critical and should not be ignored. QA teams must ensure that all components are tested thoroughly before the launch.

Let’s discuss some common bugs revealed in UI testing.

The five most common bugs faced during UI Testing

Cross-browser adaptability. In the absence of cross-browser compatibility, several bugs can arise. These bugs in the User Interaction elements develop in instances when the OS or the browser can’t render the website in the original form.

Content can be misaligned or missing when the website is accessed via a browser.

Over the years, many different browsers have risen in importance, making cross-browser adaptability of applications necessary

Cross-browser compatibility testing of the application can fix this issue. This test should be executed while keeping multiple browsers and previous versions in mind.

Some tools used for cross-browser compatibility testing are:

  • Lambda Test: it offers support from 2000+ browsers. It includes real-time testing on OS plus browser combinations. This test provides a one-stop solution for all cross-browser compatibility issues.
  • Screenshot testing: this test can be implemented by taking screenshots of different browsers and then saving these for future reference.

Cross Browser Adaptability testing can ensure that a particular website is accessible to users across different browsers and versions.

Responsive elements. A website needs to be responsive to appeal to a mass customer base. If a website doesn’t adjust itself to the screen automatically, viewers may have issues navigating it. Mobile app testing ensures responsiveness.

Responsiveness works upon:

  • Putting elements in a proper ratio
  • Ensuring the same experience for mobile phone and desktop users
  • Scaling up and down of images to not remove focus from the subject matter

Responsive bugs are the most common UI bugs and should be fixed before release. Responsive testing can be either online cross-browser testing tools or responsive testing specific browsers.

Such browsers would have pre-determined devices with specifications or may be available for testers themselves to define.

Usability Bugs. Broken UI elements can create usability bugs. When pressing buttons doesn’t lead to the screens or pop-ups they were supposed to, or fields refuse to register the information typed into them, usability issues occur.

These elements could even be visible on the screen but not function efficiently. Despite the importance of these interactive elements, it becomes difficult to test out each one owing to their sheer number.

The most common solutions therefore are:

  • To perform the testing while being used by beta users. The user journeys of a diverse pool of audiences get recorded for future reference. When these recordings are played back, testers can analyze how users with different requirements can interact with the UI elements.
  • Testers can perform surveys during or after the user test.
  • Testers can ask questions when the chosen people are operating the website.

A web application must be user-friendly for end-users to show interest in them. Two things are to ensure better usability for end-users:

  • Keep all main functionalities on the home page or the main menu for easy accessibility.
  • Providing tutorials for the users before they start using the application through a Help

Form Validation Bugs. A common element found on a webpage form. Bugs in these can lead to bad user experience and journeys. Forms are essential for the collection of user details which can later influence buying decisions.

However, if bugs keep popping up while the form is being filled, the user will probably not use it.

Form validation issues can arise while data is being validated, for instance:

  • When a value more than the database requires is entered in a field.
  • While saving a password.
  • While entering user credentials

A solution to form validation issues could be to code the form well. Some of the best practices include:

  • Limiting the no. of characters for specific fields like the following:
    • Ten digits for mobile numbers
    • Six digits for zip codes in India
    • Alpha-numeric zip codes for the UK
    • Minimum 6 and maximum 20 characters for passwords.
  • Pre defining if special characters are supported
  • Pre-defining requirements for a “strong” password

Cosmetic look-and-feel bugs. Cosmetic bugs are common and probably the most difficult to predict. They can appear at any point and for several different reasons. Sometimes wrong design choices are the issue.

Browser compatibility can also be a problem when some browsers don’t support particular design decisions. Mobile User Interface testing also takes care of cosmetic bugs.

Research reveals that companies investing in visual engagement see annual performance gains

Cosmetic errors can be of the following categories:

  • Content: Inaccuracies in upper and lower case usage, word or letter mismatch, font type and size mismatch, spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and textual mistakes on images are all defects that can leave the wrong impression on the end-users.
  • Image: Images may flicker in some browsers. It is due to the browser’s inability to cache the background image for it to load properly. This can annoy the visitors. Further, unclear, low-quality, mobile-device incompatible images are also UI bugs.
  • Layout: Misalignment issues like a floating margin, the staircase effect, or double margins are common. Overlapping of sections can also cause readability and usability problems. Spacing bugs of line width, height width, and gaps between list items also happen often.
  • Colors: A mismatch of colors in UI elements like the background, the buttons, fields, and textual content can be a problematic UI bug.

Cosmetic bugs can be dealt with during the website development process or while mobile app testing is underway. Developers can also perform cross-browser testing on the website to check if there are unsupported elements. These can then be replaced.

Rendering inconsistencies should be taken seriously since their presence can lead to a loss of potential customers.

Conclusion

Given that a bug-free UI is the best step toward a successful website design, maintaining a list of parameters that need to be tested during mobile app automation testing can be helpful. This list may contain buttons, icons, images, fields, and text.

They can be checked for positioning, sizing, coloring, character acceptance, and the like.

18% of people leave E-commerce sites when they find them difficult to use

Visuals are the most important for any online business to thrive. Hence, having flawless UI design can go a long way in ensuring a good overall customer experience.