Most of the applications you use ask you to enable your location to provide better user experiences by providing location-specific services. It brings convenience to your lives as you get options that are accessible to you.
For example: Look at the food delivery app on your phone. By switching on your location, you can add your address and see all the restaurants in your area. Once you order food, you can easily track the movement of the delivery boy from the restaurant to your home as well.
But what if we tell you what you see is merely the surface-level glimpse of the entire geolocation? It is far more profound than what you see while accessing websites and applications. Imagine if an app works fine in India but not the USA; it would be a nightmare. Companies are bound to lose a chunk of customers in the state.
So how do companies ensure this does not happen? They perform extensive geolocation testing so that the application or website works perfectly across locations worldwide. With this testing, they are able to detect glitches early on so that application is fixed before release.
In this blog, we will understand geolocation testing in detail and see how it helps you deliver flawless apps with a leading automation testing platform, TestGrid. So, continue exploring and dive into geolocation testing with us!
What Is Geolocation Testing?
Geolocation is an approach wherein the users’ data is collected through a website or mobile application to pinpoint their real physical location while using the app. Geolocation testing checks this web app functionality to ensure that the app fetches the exact location of the device. It further checks the latitude and longitude the application is taking into consideration.
As mentioned earlier about food delivery, let us continue with that example. As you all know, their entire business model revolves around customer location. Thus, geolocation testing takes precedence for these types of businesses.
In addition, their businesses cross geographical boundaries and cater to many states. Thus, they need this testing to ensure the app behaves according to the rules of the region to avoid any legal troubles.
Common Terminology In Geolocation Testing
As a developer of geolocation testing, here are some terms you must be aware of. All of these terminologies use geolocation underneath and offer various location-based functions to applications available in the market:
- Geofencing
It basically means creating a virtual geographical fence across the user so that the user gets notified when they enter or exit the designated area. It helps to influence user actions based on proximity.
For example, SIM cards create a geographical boundary between states and countries. Once you leave your city, you are immediately informed via a text message.
- Geotargeting
As the name suggests, geotargeting refers to targeting customers with customized content based on their real-time location. It is one of the trendy concepts among marketers and advertisers.
For example, YouTube Ads and Amazon show products and services according to your current location.
- Geotagging
Simply, it means attaching your location to the media files like photos, videos, and social media posts. The apps tag both latitude and longitude of the place or specific location names. This helps to locate data as per your tagged location later on.
For example, Facebook and Instagram offer a geotagging feature where you can add your location when posting photos or videos.
- Geomessaging
It is simply sending text files with your geolocation data. This technique ensures security during emergencies.
For example, SOS messages sent from your phone to emergency contacts contain the latitude and longitude of your location.
- Geoblocking
This technique helps block users from accessing certain content when they change location. It is generally because of national laws and distribution rights in the country.
For example, OTT platforms like Netflix might not allow you to watch a movie in India, but the same movie might be available in the US.
How To Conduct Geolocation Testing?
Now that you have a better understanding of the significance of geolocation in our daily lives let’s now delve into the methods for testing geolocation accurately and effectively:
- Creating An International Test Team
The most naive method of testing your web app for different locations is connecting with testers worldwide and handing them your app to test for their respective locations.
However, this approach has significant issues. First, you have to put blind trust in other testers who might hurriedly test your apps without proper analysis to gain some extra money. Second, you need to provide them with secret source code that can lead to data breaches.
To avoid all of this, you will need to go through testing sheets and ensure the geolocation testing was conducted as expected. Thus, this approach proves to be time-consuming and unreliable.
- Change Locations Using VPN
VPNs need no introduction in today’s data-driven world. They are extensively used in organizations to create a secure network. A simple method to conduct geolocation testing is to install and use a VPN to change your current location to different locations.
However, VPNs are again not the most effective in testing geolocation as third-party applications recognize and restrict VPN usage, leading to testing complications.
- Automated Geolocation Testing with Cloud-Based Platforms
So far, you have seen that the above two methods have drawbacks that cannot be ignored. To overcome these problems, testing your application or website on a cloud-based geolocation testing platform that offers other capabilities and functionalities is vital.
Are you wondering which cloud-based testing platform to choose from? Let us make it easy for you!
TestGrid is an AI-based end-to-end cloud-based testing platform where you can test your mobile apps and websites on hundreds of real iOS and Android devices. You can even simulate network conditions, run geolocation testing, and utilize GPS to create real-world test scenarios.
In addition, this one-stop platform allows you to conduct scriptless test automation in a manner so that you can run multiple tests across browsers in parallel. Consequently, you can find bugs early in the development process, preventing your app from crashing once it is launched. Give it a shot by signing up for a demo!
The Bottom Line
With geolocation everywhere in our daily lives, a lot is riding on the back of companies with geolocation-based applications. They must provide an app that captures accurate locations and provides recommendations as per users’ preferences in their preferred language. It will lead to mass uninstallations and poor reviews if it does not satisfy user expectations.
As a result, geolocation testing is gaining importance among testers. While we have mentioned three methods to perform geolocation testing, we highly recommend cloud-based testing using TestGrid in this domain.
TestGrid is an end-to-end automation testing platform that allows users with zero coding skills to author, write, and execute test cases effectively. It is a one-stop platform for all your needs- functional, API, or performance testing. With its rich insights for UI, IoT automation, and robotic arms, you can increase test efficiency and deliver apps that are known for quality.
