9 Common App Testing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Testing is often the last thing teams want to slow down for. But skipping or rushing through QA can be the difference between a five-star app and a PR disaster. Bugs don’t just cause minor inconveniences; they can break trust, damage reputations, and even lead to financial losses.

Despite advancements in testing methodologies, many teams still fall into the same traps. Here are ten of the most common app testing mistakes and how they can derail your project.

1. Neglecting Cross-Platform Testing

Imagine designing a high-performance sports car that runs flawlessly on smooth highways but breaks down on mountain roads. That’s what happens when apps are tested on just one platform.

A feature that works perfectly on iOS may behave unpredictably on Android due to differences in OS architecture, hardware variations, and rendering engines. Some teams rely solely on emulators, but real-world issues—like touchscreen responsiveness or hardware-specific crashes—often surface only on physical devices. Investing in tools like BrowserStack or Sauce Labs ensures thorough testing across multiple platforms and devices.

2. Ignoring Load and Performance Testing

Picture a stadium filling up for a championship game. If the entry gates aren’t designed for massive crowds, chaos ensues. Apps experience similar failures when they aren’t stress-tested for peak loads.

A fintech app once crashed during a promotional campaign, leaving thousands of users unable to access their accounts. The result? A massive drop in trust and retention. Tools like Apache JMeter and Gatling help simulate real-world loads, ensuring your app can handle sudden spikes in traffic without breaking a sweat.

3. Skipping Accessibility Testing

An app designed without accessibility in mind is like a building without ramps or elevators. It excludes a significant portion of users—especially those with visual, auditory, or motor impairments. Testing tools like Axe or Lighthouse ensure that all users, regardless of ability, can navigate and interact with your app seamlessly.

4. Using Unrealistic Test Data

Testing an app with perfect, predictable data is like training an athlete in a controlled environment and expecting them to perform in extreme conditions. Real-world users enter typos, use special characters, and push boundaries in unexpected ways.

Using tools like Mockaroo to generate diverse datasets—including outliers and boundary values—ensures your app performs accurately in all scenarios.

5. Failing to Prioritize Regression Testing

Launching new features without checking their impact on existing ones can lead to unexpected issues. Many teams skip regression testing, assuming that new code won’t disrupt old functionality. A popular messaging app once introduced new emojis, only to find that the update broke the attachment feature, frustrating millions of users. Automating regression tests with Selenium or Cypress prevents these surprises and maintains a stable user experience.

6. Relying Too Much on Automation

Automation is powerful, but it’s not a silver bullet. While it excels at repetitive tasks, it can’t catch everything—especially issues related to usability, design inconsistencies, and real-world user behavior.

A ride-sharing app once passed all automated tests but left users confused due to poor UI flow. The problem? A lack of manual exploratory testing. Balancing automation with human-driven testing ensures a well-rounded QA strategy.

7. Poor Communication Between Teams

When developers and testers operate in silos, misalignment is inevitable. Imagine a relay race where runners don’t communicate—batons get dropped, and the team loses.

In 2024, a project management app suffered a failed update because the QA team wasn’t informed of last-minute changes. Adopting Agile methodologies and using collaboration tools like Jira and Slack ensures seamless communication and prevents costly oversights.

8. Testing Only in Ideal Conditions

Most users don’t operate in a perfect environment. They deal with weak Wi-Fi, low battery, and sudden interruptions. If an app isn’t tested under these conditions, failures are bound to happen.

A travel app once faced backlash when users couldn’t access offline maps in areas with no internet—an issue that testing never caught. Simulating real-world conditions with tools like Network Link Conditioner ensures your app performs reliably in any situation.

9. Treating Testing as a Final Step

Testing isn’t a box to check at the end—it should be woven into every stage of development. Waiting until the end to test is like inspecting a bridge only after it’s built—by then, fixing structural flaws is both costly and time-consuming. Shift-left testing, which involves integrating QA from the outset and continuously testing throughout the development lifecycle, ensures issues are caught early, reducing risks and costs.

Final Thoughts

Great apps aren’t just built; they’re tested, refined, and optimized. Avoiding these common testing mistakes requires a proactive mindset, the right tools, and a culture of continuous improvement.

At Mantis EVN, we specialize in helping teams build robust testing strategies that prevent costly errors and ensure flawless app performance. Contact us today to learn how QA can transform your platform into a more reliable, efficient, and user-friendly experience.