Visual Design and Navigation
UX-B1 - This section defines the practices for standard design. Any Android app should not any system icon. System icons must work as per their defined function, the app should NOT re-define these functions. Replacing system icon with different icon is not permissible especially the icon performs standard UI function. App should not redefine the standard UI patterns as it can mislead users.
You must run the app several times to ensure that the design does not violate the defined quality guidelines.
UX-N1 to UX-N3 - This section related to navigation in the app. It states that app must use standard Back Button for navigation and should not redefine or customize this button. After pressing back button, all dialog boxes should be dismissed and when user presses Home button, the app should take user to Home screen of the device.
To test your app against these standards, press Back Button and Home button from each app screen and check if takes you to respective back and Home screens.
US-S1 - This section describes the Notifications in any Android app. Notification object should be able to handle multiple notifications at a time. Number of notifications can be stacked on single object. Sending advertisements or unrelated material through notifications should be avoided unless the app is meant for the sole purpose.
US-S2 - Notification is used to show the change in personal context. i.e. when user receives any new message.
To ensure the above two quality checks, you can observe the notification drawer when any type notification is generated.
Functional Quality Parameters
Your app should request and use only required level of permissions to run the core app functionality. Accessing more permissions and sensitive data on the cell phone is certainly not a good quality parameter. If the app is large in size, then SD card installation of the app should work normally. Unless your app is meant for playing music, the audio should be turned off when screen goes off or does not play audio while home screen is displayed.
Your app must provide landscape and portrait view orientations and use the whole screen to display its contents. When user changes his orientation, your app must support to rapid transitions without any display issues.
Rotate the mobile phone at least 3 to 4 times to test your app’s behavior against device orientation changes.
When app goes to background, the status of app or user must be preserved without any loss of data. While activating again on foreground, app must restore to its last saved state. App should show last state after -
- When user starts app from Recent app switcher
- When mobile device wakes-up from locked state
- Even when app is re-started from the All Apps screen
Press Home and Back button from each app screen and check the app status on resuming the app.
Performance and Stability
This is one of the prime section while testing your mobile app. App should crash, freeze or close at any point of time. Abnormal termination indicates there are still bugs in the functionality or configuration. User expects quick response from the app when it is started or resumed from its earlier saved state. The response time must be within few seconds. Visual quality is crucial factor that decides the destiny of your app. All the text, menus, graphics, buttons or animation must appear on screen without any distortion or blur effects. Button text should not get un-necessary wraps or icons should not look crowded with text elements. Sufficient spacing should be provided between graphics elements and text so that user can clearly read the text.
Running and checking the apps behavior is the only proves for testing the performance and stability of the app.
Helios
