Hey Google, do you test your apps?

This is all testers’ burden – even if you are not currently testing an app, but just using it, you are still paying attention to bugs.

Working as a mobile app tester and then as a QA manager, I had the opportunity to see many bugs during my 20-year career. However, what you least expect is to come across the bug in popular apps developed by such a prominent company like Google.

Google has thousands of developers, testers and whatever else they call them. However, believe me or not, even perfect companies have skeletons in their closet.

Let’s take a look at two popular apps from Google for iOS:

• Google Analytics;
• Google Plus.

Google Analytics app for iOS

This app doesn’t have all features that are available in its web version (such as AdWords integration, deep analytics, reports and so on). However, as for its third release, this app looks very promising.

It’s no secret that a mobile app for Google Analytics was warmly welcomed among daily GA users, since its web version was not optimized for mobile devices at all, and, honestly, was quite horrible in use.

A new app itself is easy in use. Its user-friendly interface allows you to get to any type of statistic with just one click. Disregarding the limited features set, the mobile app is more pleasant in use than the GA web version.

But let’s be serious and stop talking about pleasant impressions, because even when using the loveliest app, you may be totally disappointed when you come across bugs.

The first bug I found was related to the calendar that you see at the very top of each screen. The calendar helps you to set preferred date range for analytics.

When you choose the Custom option, you will see a calendar where you choose the date range by tapping the start date and the end date.

And WOW. When you tap a specific day, you will get the next one marked as chosen. However, at the very top, you will still see the date you chose as being marked.

I used the Ubertesters bug submission visual interface to show where the bug appears. Who knows: maybe if the guys at Google had used it as well, then their developers would’ve been able to fix these bugs before they were found by users.

Test case:

1. Open the Overview tab;
2. Click on your desired date range;
3. Pick Custom;
4. Tap the 20th of November;
5. The 21st of November will be chosen instead.

Everyone outside of the USA or Canada will experience this issue. So, if you are in USA and want to reproduce this bug, just change your time zone in your device’s settings to any of the European or Asian cities.

Google, how much money have you saved when decided you didn’t need localization testing?

I also found another usability issue in a GA app when I attempted to switch my web properties and accidentally chose to switch to another account. I saw the following message:

Why not add a button that will enable me to close this pop-up, and simply revert back to my previous account? Well, you’re right: who cares about such a small detail?

I would appreciate simple ‘thank you’ from someone from Google mobile team if they read this post. 😉

Google Plus app for iOS

The next interesting Google app is Google+. The reason I chose it is that Google has spent so much money to develop its own social network and to integrate it with every service they provide, so it would be really strange to find bugs in it.

So now I’m here, and everything looks really nice and attractive. Google must have been working hard to create such a beauty. But wait a minute…

Oh, nice. I’ve got new notifications. Someone commented on my Youtube video (as I told before – Google aims to integrate their social network with all their services). Let me check the comment. I’m tapping the notification and… I see the page with my video without any possibility to check the comments.

It’s clear enough that the web version leads me directly to the comments screen in this case.

I mean, when I press the video, it starts playing. When I tap the name of the video, it shows me additional information. I can like, share or flag my video, but I CAN’T SEE COMMENTS: my main area of interest. It sucks.

Moreover, when I tap the YouTube icon above the video (look, it seems like they want to say this is a menu. Difficult, but is still possible to guess), it opens a ‘mobile-looking’ menu, but I can’t push back the menu the same way it would normally work on a mobile version of a site.

Another issue that I didn’t expect to see in the Google app is a timeout screen.

I had problems with my Wi-Fi when this happened. But I understood that this is a problem with my Internet connection, and not with an app, only after I tried to reload it three times or so. Did you guys think of a better way to notify a user about Internet connection issues?

I know that those issues above are primary related to an external screen of YouTube, and not to an actual Google Plus app, but still – if you include specific functionality to your app (like getting notifications), make sure it works in an appropriate way. Besides, I have YouTube app installed on my device, so why not offer me a view of the screen with another app (like they do it with Gmail and Google Docs)?

What I‘d like to say is, no, not how bad testers at Google are. I’m sure they’re not that terrible. My message is that you can be an awesome tester, who works with a team of genius developers, for a TOP global company. But when you have a lack of professional tools that make it as easy as 1-2-3 to find and report the bugs, then, very shortly afterwards, you will see another post from one of our guys here at Ubertesters, who will unscramble the bugs of your just-released app (and yes, Facebook, we are coming!).

Thank you for your attention. If you are interested in hiring global professional testers to test your app then make sure to leave your request here.

P.S. Want to become a tester and earn money testing amazing mobile apps from global developers?