Cross platform testing

Skill — Cross-Platform Mobile Testing

When this skill activates

This skill activates when implementing comprehensive mobile testing strategies, including device farm integration, screenshot testing, platform-specific behavior validation, or CI/CD pipelines for mobile apps.

Mandatory actions when this skill is active

Before writing any code

1. Define device matrix covering target OS versions, screen sizes, and hardware capabilities (prioritize based on user analytics)
2. Choose testing framework appropriate for platform (XCTest/XCUITest for iOS, Espresso/UIAutomator for Android, Detox/Appium for cross-platform)
3. Establish screenshot testing baseline images and tolerance thresholds for visual regression detection
4. Design test data strategy — use factories/fixtures, implement proper setup/teardown, ensure test isolation

During implementation

• Write tests at appropriate levels: unit tests for business logic, integration tests for data flows, E2E tests for critical user journeys
• Implement proper test identifiers (testID, accessibilityIdentifier) in UI components for reliable element selection
• Use page object pattern or similar abstraction to decouple tests from UI implementation details
• Configure screenshot testing with proper device/OS-specific baselines to handle platform rendering differences
• Implement retry logic for flaky tests caused by animation timing, network delays, or platform quirks
• Set up parallel test execution on device farms (Firebase Test Lab, AWS Device Farm, BrowserStack) for faster feedback
• Handle platform-specific behaviors explicitly in tests (Android back button, iOS swipe gestures, permission dialogs)

After implementation

• Run full test suite on representative device matrix, not just emulators/simulators
• Review test flakiness rates and fix or quarantine unstable tests
• Integrate tests into CI pipeline with proper failure reporting and artifact collection (screenshots, logs, videos)
• Validate test coverage for critical paths and high-risk areas (payments, authentication, data sync)

Self-check before task completion

• Test suite runs reliably across multiple devices and OS versions with <5% flakiness
• Screenshot tests catch visual regressions without excessive false positives
• Platform-specific behaviors are tested correctly (back button, deep links, system gestures)
• CI pipeline provides clear failure reporting with screenshots/videos for debugging
• E2E tests cover critical user journeys end-to-end, including error scenarios
• Test execution time is reasonable (use parallelization, split test suites if needed)