Testing Bluetooth apps can be challenging, especially if you’re a beginner in the world of quality assurance — trust me, we’ve all been there. Bluetooth is one of those technologies that seem very simple from a user perspective, but in reality, it’s often more complex. And wherever there’s complexity, there are also more chances something might potentially go wrong. This is why I decided to write this guide. Continue reading and learn everything you need to know about testing your first Bluetooth app.
But first, let’s talk about preconditions
Before you start the testing process, I suggest you learn all about the Bluetooth device you’re going to work with. First, cover the basics: What’s its purpose? What will it be used for? Afterward, you can dive in a bit deeper and learn more about its behaviour:
- how to turn it on/off
- how to start its main functionality
- how does the firmware behave in certain circumstances
- which data does the device collect and store
- what can you do with the device
- which requirements and needs have to be fulfilled for a successful running
After answering these questions, you will officially have a solid knowledge of the Bluetooth device you plan to test. Now, what exactly does the testing part include, find out below.
First steps when testing your Bluetooth app
1. Pairing & connection
Every Bluetooth device has its own way of connecting to the app. Some of them connect automatically and the connection just stays alive. But there are also Bluetooth apps that require specific pairing to connect to the Bluetooth device. Once the pairing is complete, the user can easily connect their Bluetooth app to the device, provided they turn on Bluetooth on their device, of course.
Once you start testing, watch out for:
- the app’s behaviour when you accept or decline all the permissions needed for a successful connection with the Bluetooth device (e.g. iOS requires permission for using Bluetooth, while Android requires permission for using location)
- the app’s behaviour when you try connecting more smartphones to the same Bluetooth device
- the app’s behaviour if you have more than one Bluetooth device near your smartphone
The last two points can be especially tricky. For example, you want to connect your Bluetooth device to a particular smartphone, but you have opened the app on more than one device — there’s a high chance of every smartphone nearby trying to connect to it. A similar problem appears when you open the app on just one device but have more Bluetooth devices laying around. This is the part when the smartphone goes crazy because it doesn’t know which Bluetooth device to connect to.
Do you know how many times I accidentally connected the Bluetooth device I was working with to the wrong smartphone? Too many. And let me tell you one thing, it’s not the most exciting part of the job to search for the phone that’s connected to the Bluetooth device — especially if you work with 10–15 testing devices on a regular basis. But what can you do.