Mobile App API Testing | How to Use Testsigma For it?

Are you ready to make your mobile app work perfectly with easy API testing? Imagine your app running smoothly on all devices, handling every user request easily. That’s what good API testing can do for you. However, manual testing can take a lot of time and effort. How can you make this easier? 

Introducing Testsigma – an automated testing tool that needs no coding. It offers real-device testing in the cloud and gives detailed performance insights.

In this blog, we explore mobile app API testing and share the best ways to make your mobile app more reliable. Learn how Testsigma can help in mobile API testing, giving you an advantage in today’s fast digital world. 

Let’s Get Started!

What is Mobile App API Testing?

Mobile App API Testing is the process of checking if the parts of a mobile app that communicate with each other are working correctly. APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, act like messengers that allow different parts of the app to share information and work together. Testing these APIs ensures that the app functions properly, is reliable, and provides a good user experience.

Types of Mobile App API Testing

Different mobile app API testing types are used to ensure they work correctly. Each type of testing checks a different aspect of the API to ensure it functions well and provides a good user experience.

Functional Testing

Functional Testing checks if the API does what it is supposed to do. It verifies that the API endpoints respond correctly to different inputs. For example, if you send a request to get user data, functional testing ensures that you receive the correct data in response.

Performance Testing

Performance Testing checks how well the API performs under different conditions. It tests the speed and reliability of the API when handling a large number of requests. This type of testing helps ensure that the API can handle high traffic without slowing down or crashing.

Security Testing

Security Testing ensures that the API is safe from attacks. It checks for vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. For example, it tests if unauthorized users can access sensitive data or if it is transmitted securely.

Load Testing

Load Testing measures how the API performs under heavy usage. It simulates a high number of users accessing the API at the same time. This helps to identify any weaknesses that could cause the API to fail or slow down during peak usage times.

Usability Testing

Usability Testing checks how easy it is to use the API. It ensures that the API is user-friendly and that developers can integrate it easily into their apps. This type of testing helps improve the overall experience for those who use the API.

Ways to Perform Mobile App API Testing

Several methods exist for mobile app API testing to ensure they work properly. Each method helps you check different API aspects, ensuring reliability and performance.

Manual Testing

Manual Testing involves checking the API by hand. You send requests to the API and check the responses to see if they are correct. While it can be time-consuming, manual testing helps you understand how the API works and can catch simple errors.

Automated Testing

Automated Testing uses tools to run tests on the API automatically. Tools like Testsigma can run many tests quickly and without human error. This method saves time and ensures consistent testing, especially for repetitive tasks.

Load Testing

Load Testing checks how the API performs under heavy usage. You simulate many users accessing the API simultaneously to see if it can handle the load. This helps identify any issues that might occur during peak usage times.

Functional Testing

Functional Testing checks if the API does what it is supposed to do. You test different API functions to ensure they work as expected. This ensures that all parts of the API are functioning correctly.

Security Testing

Security Testing ensures the API is safe from attacks. It checks for vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. This type of testing helps protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access.

Usability Testing

Usability Testing checks how easy it is to use the API. It ensures that developers can integrate the API into their apps without problems. This testing improves the overall user experience for those using the API.

Are you planning to automate your API Testing?

Are you planning to automate your API testing? Automation can save you a lot of time and effort. With tools like Testsigma, you can easily set up and run tests without writing any code. This ensures consistent and thorough testing, helping you catch errors early and improve the quality of your mobile app.

Automating your API testing also allows you to run tests frequently, ensuring that any changes or updates to your app do not break existing functionality. It provides detailed performance insights and helps maintain the reliability and security of your app. Make the smart choice and automate your API testing for a smoother and more efficient development process.

Tools to Perform Mobile App API Testing

The right mobile testing API tool can make testing for mobile apps easier and more efficient. These tools help you automate tests, save time, and ensure your app works perfectly.

Testsigma

Testsigma is an automated testing tool that requires no coding. It offers real-device testing in the cloud and provides detailed performance insights. With Testsigma, you can quickly set up and run tests, ensuring your mobile app’s APIs are reliable and secure.

Postman

Postman is a popular tool for API testing. It allows you to test APIs by sending requests and checking responses manually. Postman also supports automated testing through its scripting feature, making it a versatile choice for developers.

SoapUI

SoapUI is a tool designed to test SOAP and REST APIs. It offers both manual and automated testing capabilities. SoapUI provides comprehensive testing features, including security and load testing, making it ideal for thorough API evaluations.

JMeter

JMeter is an open-source tool primarily used for performance and load testing. It can simulate multiple users accessing the API simultaneously, helping you identify performance bottlenecks. JMeter is especially useful for stress-testing your APIs to ensure they can handle high traffic.

Postwoman (Hoppscotch)

Hoppscotch, formerly known as Postwoman, is an open-source API testing tool that provides a user-friendly interface for sending requests and inspecting responses. It supports real-time WebSocket, SSE, and GraphQL testing, making it a versatile choice for modern API testing.

A Step-by-step flow to perform Mobile App API Testing

We will perform mobile app API testing using Testsigma with an example API for creating a user. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Set Up Testsigma

1. Sign in to Testsigma: Create an account and log in to the Testsigma platform.
2. Create a New Project: If you don’t already have a project, create one for your mobile app testing.
3. Set the Project type to REST APIs.

Creating New project:

Step 2: Understand the API

• API Endpoint: /api/users
• HTTP Method: POST

Request Body:
{

    “name”: “morpheus”,

    “job”: “leader”

}

• Purpose: To create a new user with a specified name and job.
• Expected Response:
  • Status Code: 201 (Created)

Response Body:
{

    “name”: “morpheus”,

    “job”: “leader”,

    “id”: “292”,

    “createdAt”: “2024-05-21T13:58:42.278Z”

}

Step 3: Create a New Test Case

1. Navigate to Test Cases: Go to the test cases section in Testsigma.
2. Create a New Test Case: Click on the option to create a new one.

Step 4: Configure the API Request

1. Set the HTTP Method: Select POST as the HTTP method.
2. Set the API Endpoint: Enter /api/users as the endpoint.
3. Headers and Body:
   • Headers: Configure any necessary headers (e.g., Content-Type: application/json).

Request Body:
{

    “name”: “morpheus”,

    “job”: “leader”

}

Step 5: Define the Test Steps

1. Add a New Step: Click to add a new step to the test case.
2. Configure API Request: Use the built-in functionalities of Testsigma to configure the API request. You may need to:
   • Input the URL: https://fakestoreapi.com/products/1
   • Set Method: POST
   • Headers: Add any required headers.
   • Request Body: Usually, an array of data is sent into the database.
3. Check Status Code: Ensure the status code is 200 (OK).
4. Validate Response Body:
   1. Verify that the response body contains the expected product information.
   2. You can use JSON path or similar expressions to validate specific fields (e.g., id, title, price).

Step 6: Execute the Test Case

1. Run the Test Case: Execute the test case in Test Sigma.

2. Review the Results: Check the output to ensure the API returned the expected response and all validations passed.

Benefits Mobile App API Testing

Testing the APIs in your mobile app ensures that the app functions correctly and provides a good user experience. It helps catch issues early and makes the development process more efficient. Here are some key benefits of mobile app API testing:

1. Improved Functionality: API testing ensures that all parts of the app work as expected. Verifying each function lets you catch and fix issues before they affect users.
2. Better Performance: Testing APIs under different conditions helps ensure they perform well. This includes checking response times and how the API handles multiple requests.
3. Enhanced Security: API testing identifies security vulnerabilities, protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access. This helps keep user data safe and secure.
4. Increased Reliability: Regular testing ensures the app’s APIs are reliable and stable. This reduces the chances of the app crashing or having errors.
5. Faster Development: Automated API testing speeds up the development process. It lets developers quickly identify and fix issues, leading to faster releases.
6. Cost Savings: Finding and fixing issues early in development is cheaper than after the app is released. API testing helps avoid costly fixes later on.
7. Improved User Experience: A well-tested API ensures users have a smooth and error-free experience. This leads to higher user satisfaction and retention.
8. Better Integration: API testing ensures the app integrates well with other services and systems. This is crucial for apps that rely on external APIs for data and functionality.

Challenges in Mobile App API Testing

While API testing is essential for ensuring the quality of mobile apps, it comes with its challenges. These challenges can make the testing process complex and require careful planning and execution.

1. Handling Different Data Formats: APIs often handle various data formats like JSON, XML, etc. Ensuring that the API correctly processes and returns these formats can be challenging.
2. Authentication and Authorization: Testing APIs that require authentication and authorization can be difficult. Ensuring these security measures are correctly implemented and tested is crucial to protect user data.
3. Managing Dependencies: APIs often depend on other services or components. Testing these dependencies and ensuring they do not break the API’s functionality can be complex.
4. Ensuring Scalability: APIs need to handle increasing requests as the app grows. Testing the scalability of the API to ensure it can handle high traffic without performance issues is essential.
5. Handling Different Environments: APIs may behave differently in development, staging, and production environments. Ensuring consistent performance and functionality across all environments can be challenging.
6. Debugging Issues: Finding and fixing issues in APIs can be difficult, especially when dealing with complex interactions between different components. Effective debugging tools and techniques are necessary.
7. Ensuring Compatibility: APIs must work with various devices, operating systems, and versions. Ensuring compatibility across all these variations requires extensive testing.
8. Keeping Up with Changes: APIs are often updated and improved. Updating the tests with these changes can be time-consuming and requires ongoing maintenance.

Conclusion

Mobile app API testing ensures your application’s reliability, security, and performance. Using the right mobile app testing tools and techniques can streamline the testing process, catch issues early, and provide a smooth user experience. While there are challenges, the benefits of thorough API testing far outweigh them, leading to a higher-quality app that meets user expectations. Invest in effective API testing to enhance your app’s success and stay competitive in the digital landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an API for mobile apps?

An API, or Application Programming Interface, for mobile apps, is a set of rules allowing different software components to communicate. APIs enable mobile apps to interact with servers, databases, and other services to exchange data and perform functions. For example, a weather app uses an API to fetch weather data from a remote server and display it to the user.

How to test API for mobile applications?

You can use tools like Testsigma, Postman, or SoapUI for mobile API testing. Start by setting up your test environment and defining the API endpoints you want to test. Send requests to these endpoints and verify the responses to ensure they are correct and meet the expected outcomes. You can automate this process with testing tools to save time and ensure thorough coverage.