Who is this article for?

Administrators and Users who want to know about mobile beta feature testing

An active Mobile application is required

The testing of desktop applications is performed in each customer's User Acceptance Testing (UAT) area. However, when it comes to testing the mobile app, there is no such thing as a mobile-UAT area.

Testing of the mobile app must be performed using a preproduction-release version of the application, on the same device (phone or tablet) that the user already uses.

In addition to Ideagen employees, customer admins are also encouraged to participate in mobile testing. Customers can perform tests that include all components of their environment:

• Mobile device management (MDM) tools
• Single-sign-on (SSO)
• Different device makes and models, devices of various ages, and different OS versions
• Custom-built applications

Each mobile device operating system manufacturer has its own application for testing. The installation instructions for each are covered later in this document.

• iOS (Apple)
• Android
• Windows

Testing Basics

The purpose of beta testing is to find issues before they make it production. As issues are found, the needed information is conveyed to the developers.

There are two main types of testing that can be performed.

Structured - In structured testing, specific test scripts are followed. This involves users clicking certain buttons, entering data in designated fields, and so on. These test scripts can be created by Ideagen or the customers. Writing these scripts also helps the application owner understand how they expect the mobile application to function.

Unstructured - In unstructured testing, users carry out tasks as they normally would in their everyday activities.

It's also essential that testing includes tasks that are deliberately incorrect or might not make sense. In other words, try to break the application. Some examples are:

• Attempt to submit new records without completing all required fields
• Partly complete a record, switch to another mobile application, then return to the app to complete and submit the record
• Include actual sized photos, or don't include any photos (attachments)
• Enter more characters in a field that would typically be entered
• Include special characters in a field

You can also help test beta features in the platform
In addition to being a mobile app tester, any user can be a beta tester for upcoming platform features. See Beta Features for additional information.

Testing FAQs (frequently asked questions)

Anyone can be a tester, and the process is quite simple. If the following FAQs do not answer all your questions, please request support  or contact your account manager.

• Who should be a beta tester? - Ideagen encourages all mobile customers to nominate a few admins for mobile testing. If you are a frequent mobile app user and are interested in being a tester.
• How do I get access to the beta testing app?  See the Enrolling and Unenrolling section below for specific information that must be supplied with the request.
• Should I tell my company's IT and security teams about me being a tester? - Yes. Inform IT and security as they may be required to make modifications to their systems to accommodate the testing.
• How do I know when a new beta version is available for testing? -The Technical Blog is used to inform testers when beta testing commences for the latest version of the mobile app. Ideagen recommends all testers subscribe to the blog. Testing will typically be performed 30 days prior to the production release of the next version of the app.
• Will the beta app automatically update on my device? - Automatic app updates can be enabled (or not) in the settings of everyone's device. This applies to all apps on a device. Ideagen recommends that devices be set to automatically update and install the latest version.
• Do I perform the tests in the UAT or production environment? - All testing should be performed in UAT (User Acceptance Testing). Please note, however, that beta testing apps can connect to production areas.
• Is it okay to use the beta testing application in production? - Yes. Testers can use the beta testing app to perform their day-to-day activities typically completed using the standard mobile app.
• Can I have both the beta testing version and the standard version of the mobile app on the same device? - No.
• How do I stop being a tester - See the Enrolling and Unenrolling section below.
• How do I report any issues that I encounter? Submit a ticket. Be sure to include the following in the ticket:
  • A description of the issue
  • Steps to reproduce the issue
  • The beta app version
  • The make, model, and OS version of the device
  • Logs from the device

Mobile App Logs

When troubleshooting issues, it is helpful for Ideagen to review the mobile app logs generated on the mobile user's device. Mobile testers can easily access these logs and send them to support.

The mobile app logs can be viewed after enabling debug mode. Debug mode is enabled by quickly clicking seven times on the Ideagen logo in one of the following locations:

• The first step of the welcome page
• The login page
• The left navigation sidebar

A confirmation message will appear when debug mode is enabled. A blue bug icon also appears at the bottom of the screen.

Tapping the bug icon opens the console log window; this window offers the ability to clear the log or share the log (iOS and Android) or save the log (Windows). On Windows, the log file is saved to C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Packages\com.devonway.MobileObsWay100_[some hash]\LocalState\log.txt.

Testing tips 

• Please include the most recent log when submitting a ticket.
• Debug mode doesn't have any impact on application functionality, or the data or records created.
• You can exit debug mode by clicking the logo seven times again.

Enrolling and Unenrolling

iOS (Apple)

Apple's beta testing application is called TestFlight. It is used to test the Mobile App on both iOS smartphones and tablet devices.

Requesting Access

Request support or contact your account manager. Include the tester's Apple ID. After processing, Apple will send an invite email to the beta testing user. Warning: these emails often end up in spam folders.

TestFlight Installation

1. Open the email from Apple on the device that will be used for testing.
2. Click View in TestFlight to start the installation process.
3. Open TestFlight and tap Redeem
4. Enter invitation code
5. DevonWay 2 will be added to the list of managed apps.
6. Tap Install to install DevonWay 2.
7. DevonWay 2 is downloaded and installed on the user’s device.
8. Tap Open to open the app and proceed with testing.

The testing app icon looks just like the DevonWay 2 app icon 
The TestFlight version of the mobile app looks almost IDENTICAL to the production version of the app, with the only difference being a small yellow dot to the left of the "DevonWay 2" text.

A tester can confirm they are using the TestFlight version by comparing the app version number against the latest version listed on the Navigating the mobile release roadmap and release notes article.

If your listed version is greater than the version on the doc page, you are using the TestFlight version. You could also be using the TestFlight version if your version is the same as the published version, but Ideagen has not yet published a new beta version. 

For additional information visit Beta testing made simple with TestFlight.

Unenrolling

At any time, simply uninstall the TestFlight version of the mobile app, and then install the standard DevonWay 2 app from the app store.

Android

The Android beta testing application is used to test the mobile App on both Android smartphones and tablet devices.

Ideagen highly recommends that Android beta testers create a new Google account specific for beta testing. Using a separate Google account simplifies the process if the tester decides to no longer be a tester.

Requesting Access

Request support or contact your account manager. Include the testers Google Account username. After processing, Android will send an invite email to the beta testing user.

Once enrolled, users will be able to install the mobile app using the Google Play Store app. The Play Store app will include prominent indicators of their beta test enrollment, for example:

Sometime the app is not visible to some users, please try the below steps to resolve the issue

• Force quit or stop the Google Play app

• Clear cache and app data for Google Play app

Unenrolling

Unenroll from the beta program by signing into the Google Play store with a different account. If a test Google account was used when enrolling in beta testing, then the tester simply needs to log into the Google Play store with their normal Google account.

Windows

Ideagen periodically distributes beta test builds for manual installation via side-loading. These releases are made available to customers on a case-by-case basis.