Web applications must operate smoothly across devices and popular browsers as the spirit of the digital world increases. Cross-browser testing ensures that no matter the browser used by a specific user, from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, to Edge, the user experience is seamless and without a hitch. However, manually testing every possible combination of devices and browsers might not be easy and may lead to various mistakes.
The development of cloud-based technologies has transformed cross-browser testing by offering a quicker, more effective method. These tools help developers quickly access a variety of devices and browsers from a centralized, one-platform platform.
Overview of Cross-Browser Testing
Testing across browsers is an essential phase in web development that ensures a website or web application performs consistently across various web browsers, operating systems, and devices.
Cross-browser testing finds problems such as layout distortions, functional differences, or slower performance that could significantly affect the user experience because different browsers, like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and others, read HTML, CSS, and JavaScript slightly differently.
Developers may make sure that essential components like forms, interactive elements, and navigation function properly no matter how a user accesses the website by fixing these discrepancies. Ignoring cross-browser testing might result in poorly rendered designs or broken functions, which will eventually lower user engagement and undermine the trust of the brand.
It becomes rather difficult to test the application because the users are spread over numerous desktop, tablet, and smartphone gadgets, all of which are functioning in various browsers. While using manual testing is highly effective, it is time-consuming and costly, as well as very sensitive to human errors.
To avoid this, developers rely on using automated testing tools and cloud platforms that enable them to test multiple environments within a browser in a short amount of time. These systems offer access to a wide variety of browser settings and screen sizes in addition to expediting the testing process. It guarantees that compatibility problems are identified early on, giving users a flawless, excellent experience on all systems.
How to Perform Cross-Browser Testing on Cloud Platforms
Cross-browser testing on cloud platforms is a useful tool for making sure your application or website functions properly on a range of devices and browsers. Cloud solutions provide rapid access to a variety of testing settings and do away with the need to maintain local configurations. Here’s how you can use these platforms for cross-browser testing:
Choose a Cloud-Based Testing Platform
First, choose a reliable cloud-based platform with wide browser and device coverage. When making your decision, take into account capabilities like automation assistance, real-time testing, and connection with development tools. Thanks to platforms like LambdaTest, you may access a variety of devices and browsers (including legacy ones) without having to set up several physical systems.
An AI-powered test execution platform allows testers to run both manual and automated tests at scale across 3000+ browsers and OS combinations.
This platform allows you to do browser compatibility testing with features like responsive testing and geo-location testing capabilities.
Upload or Integrate Your Web Application
After selecting a platform, you must use technologies like Git, Jenkins, or other CI/CD pipelines to either upload your web application or integrate it directly with the platform. With this connection, you can automate cross-browser tests at critical development stages, such as code contributions or deployments, which can expedite your testing process. It guarantees continuous testing that runs smoothly as part of your development process.
Select Browsers and Devices to Test
Next, select the specific operating systems, browsers, and devices on which you want to test your application. Cloud platforms typically offer many browsers and versions, including older, less popular ones that you would need more access to locally. To simulate real-world scenarios, you can also select various screen sizes, resolutions, and operating systems. By doing this, you can ensure that your application is usable by as many people as possible.
Run Automated or Manual Tests
You can perform automated tests using frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, or Appium, or you can run manual tests in real time by interacting with the application through the platform’s interface, depending on your testing requirements. Automated testing is very helpful for repeated tasks because it can rapidly examine how your website behaves in various contexts, saving you time and reducing human error. Manual testing, on the other hand, allows for exploratory testing, where you can intuitively navigate the application.
Analyze Test Results
The platform will produce thorough reports after the tests are completed, along with detailed logs, screenshots, and even videos of the test sessions. It enables you to observe the precise location and method of the application’s failure on a particular device or browser. Rich diagnostic tools, such as error reports and network activity logs, are frequently offered by cloud platforms. These tools enable you to troubleshoot and fix any problems that may come up quickly.
Iterate and Optimize
After testing is finished, use the information gathered from the test results to address any browser-specific defects, layout problems, or performance snags. Once the required adjustments have been made, you can rerun the tests to ensure that all issues have been resolved. Throughout the development process, this iterative method helps preserve cross-browser compatibility, guaranteeing that your application stays optimal for every user, irrespective of their browser or device.
Best Practices for Cloud-based Cross-Browser Testing
Cross-browser testing is essential for smooth operations across numerous browsers and other devices as well. Using cloud platforms for testing can assist in expediting the process while guaranteeing compatibility as web applications grow more complex. But in order to get the most out of cross-browser testing, it’s critical to adhere to recommended practices that enhance accuracy and efficiency. Here are some key best practices to keep in mind when performing cross-browser testing using cloud platforms:
Define Testing Objectives
Testing objectives and focus areas should be clearly defined before the testing starts. It requires determining which devices and browsers are popular among the audience and which aspects or functions should be tested thoroughly. Also, it will allow you to allocate resources and plan your testing more effectively, making sure that those components of the application that are considered most important will be tested.
Create a Test Plan
Create a thorough test strategy that includes cases, test scenarios, and success criteria. A proper test plan can drive your testing process and assist in ensuring that all of the application features and functionality have been tested. Inform the team members about their roles, task schedules, and the extent of testing to be done. A test plan also offers a clear framework for tracking progress and measuring the effectiveness of your testing efforts.
Utilize Automated Testing
Automated technologies are used to reduce human error and speed up testing. With automated testing frameworks like Playwright, Cypress, or Selenium, you can efficiently execute repetitive tests in a variety of browser scenarios. In addition to speeding up the testing process, automation promotes consistency in test execution. You can rapidly confirm that current functionality continues to perform as intended, even after new additions or modifications are made by automating regression tests.
Incorporate Manual Testing
Even though automated testing is incredibly effective, it cannot detect usability issues, inconsistent designs, or edge cases that automated scripts may overlook. For these reasons, manual testing is crucial. Manual testers can assess the complete user experience by rating features, including visual appeal, responsiveness, and navigation. Furthermore, manual testing can assist in identifying problems connected to real-world user interactions, which is crucial for delivering a polished product that meets user expectations.
Prioritize Mobile Testing
It should also be considered important for testing on different types of smartphones and tablets since the use of mobile devices is on the rise. Mobile devices are used for accessing websites, and a large percentage of your application is accessed from mobile devices, so you have to ensure that your application supports various resolutions and orientations. Test features like touch interactions, screen resolution, and device-specific functionality (such as GPS or camera access) to give mobile consumers a seamless experience. Think about using responsive design principles if you want to make your application more mobile-friendly.
Take Advantage of Real-Time Testing
Utilize cloud platforms’ real-time testing features to test your application in real-world settings. When you test in real-time, you can see how your application performs in different browsers and devices and deal with issues as and when they occur. This is one good feedback loop method that will ensure that the application is of high quality before launching, with the user interface meeting their expectations.
Document and Analyze Results
Maintain thorough records of all test results, including any errors or problems that came up. You can effectively track progress, prioritize bug repairs, and share findings with team members by documenting results. By examining the data, you can find trends and recurring problems, which can help you debug and improve your application more effectively. This procedure informs future testing attempts as well as enhances the existing edition of the application.
Stay Updated with Browser Changes
Keep an eye out for new web standards, user behavior shifts, and browser updates. Changes brought about by new browser versions may alter the functionality of your application, so being informed about these changes is critical for maintaining compatibility. To ensure your testing strategy keeps up with changing requirements, follow industry news, participate in web development communities, and subscribe to browser release notes.
Collaborate with Development Teams
Encourage effective communication and teamwork between the development and testing teams to enable prompt resolution of issues that are found. They help to ensure that all the people in the team have the information on what the project aims to achieve and can collaborate to deliver quality results. Slack, Trello, and Jira are some of the collaboration technologies that ease communication and processes to make it easier to deal with issues as soon as they occur.
Review and Iterate
Review and improve your testing procedures on a regular basis in response to comments, test findings, and changing project requirements. By using an iterative process, you can modify your testing strategy in response to evolving needs and improve the effectiveness of your cross-browser testing efforts. Make sure you continuously improve your testing procedures over time by holding regular retrospectives with your team to talk about what went well and what may be better.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cross-browser testing is an essential procedure that guarantees websites and applications provide a dependable and consistent user experience on a variety of browsers and devices. The complexity of testing increases as users demand more and more flawless interactions.
With the revolutionary ability to test applications in real-time across many settings and without the logistical burden of maintaining several physical devices, cloud-based testing platforms provide developers with an effective option. Teams can reduce errors, expedite their testing processes, and swiftly adjust to new technologies by utilizing automation and following best practices.
The importance of thorough cross-browser testing cannot be emphasized as the web continues to change. Adopting a proactive strategy for compatibility testing improves digital products’ quality and increases user satisfaction and loyalty. Through the implementation of cloud platforms and efficient testing methodologies, enterprises can guarantee that their online apps maintain their resilience and adaptability, offering a captivating user experience to every user, irrespective of their preferred browser or device.
Caroline is doing her graduation in IT from the University of South California but keens to work as a freelance blogger. She loves to write on the latest information about IoT, technology, and business. She has innovative ideas and shares her experience with her readers.
