INTRODUCTION:

Browser Stack: BrowserStack is a cloud-based platform that enables rapid and efficient  testing of websites and mobile apps. It's designed to ensure your app works perfectly across many different browsers and devices, streamlining what's known as cross-browser and cross-device testing.

Native Mobile Application Testing: Native mobile apps are programs you install directly on your device, built for specific operating systems such as iOS for iPhones or Android for Android phones. These apps are designed to run directly on your device and utilize its features, like the camera or microphone. Native app testing focuses on ensuring these apps work properly, offer user-friendly experience, and comply with the guidelines specific for each platform.

Integration of BrowserStack Cloud with IBM DevOps Test UI : The integration of BrowserStack with IBM DevOps Test UI (abbr, Test UI or DTUI) enables seamless testing of native applications on real devices hosted in the cloud. Click on this link for more details.

Prerequisite steps before executing a Mobile Test via BrowserStack Cloud Device in Test UI

Before executing a mobile test, ensure that the mobile application is correctly configured on the Application Configuration page and that a pre-recorded mobile test is ready for execution. For more details, refer to the relevant links and topics listed below:

Mobile Application Configuration: To configure the Mobile application: 

• For Android applications, refer to this link.

• For iOS applications, refer to this link.

Recording a Mobile test: To record a Mobile test:

• For Android applications, refer to this link.

For iOS applications, refer to this link. The steps outlined in this link should be completed before recording a mobile test for iOS applications.

Steps to Test a Native Application Using BrowserStack Cloud in IBM DevOps Test UI

Refer to the following steps to integrate the BrowserStack Cloud with Test UI.

1. Login to your BrowserStack account with your credentials. After successfully logging in, click on App and choose App Automate.
   
   

2. Select the UPLOAD APP option, then choose an APK (Android Package Kit) or IPA (iOS Application Store package) file from the file explorer (APK is used as an example in the following steps).
   
   
   
3. After selecting the APK file in the previous step, the status shows as uploading.
   
   
   
4. Once the APK status shows UPLOADED, click on the ACCESS KEY.
   
   
   
5. Copy the User Name and Access Key values from the ACCESS KEY section and save these values in a text editor.
   
   
   
6. Launch IBM DevOps Test UI, switch to UI Test perspective and navigate to the Windows -> Preferences, Preferences window displays.
   
   
   
7. In the Preferences window, navigate to Test -> Test Execution -> UI Test Playback, then select the Mobile Device Cloud tab.
   
   
   
8. In the BrowserStack Device Cloud Environment section, check on BrowserStack host checkbox, enter the values of User Name and API Key that were copied at step 5, where the API Key is equivalent to the Access Key. Select the Project, then click on the Apply and Close button to apply the changes.
   
   
   
9. Click on Run Test and select an available device from the list of BrowserStack cloud devices in the Run Configuration window. Once the device is selected, proceed with the Next option.
   
   
   
10. Select the BrowserStack project, click on Next and then proceed with the Finish option.
    
    
    
11. The build status of the mobile test in the BrowserStack dashboard initially appears as Queued and then changes to Running.
    
    
    
12. Scroll down the page to locate the active session. Then, click on the latest session named App automate 2 (with Running status).
    
    
    
13. The test execution is displayed on the chosen cloud device, as shown in the screenshot. The TextLogs contain the executed test steps and corresponding screenshots.
    
    
    For more details about the Mobile test execution in BrowserStack cloud device from IBM DevOps Test UI, refer to this link.
    
    Mobile Test Execution Results:
    
    
14. Verify the Unified Test Report to check the execution result. The execution platform (Browser Stack cloud device) in the bottom right corner shows as BrowserStack: Google Pixel 3.
    
    
    
15. In the BrowserStack’s recently executed build session, scroll in the TextLogs section to verify the actions performed and the screenshots.
    
    
    
16. Once the execution of a mobile test is completed in the BrowserStack cloud device, a video is also available containing the execution of the mobile test steps.
    
    
    

    Distributed execution of a mobile test in multiple BrowserStack cloud devices:
    
    A mobile test can be executed in parallel in multiple BrowserStack cloud devices. To run the same mobile test in parallel devices, follow these steps:

    1. Click Run Test, Run Configuration dialog box appears.

    2. In the Run Configuration dialog box window, check Run on several devices and browsers in parallel checkbox and choose the desired devices from the available BrowserStack cloud devices. Here two devices are selected: BrowserStack: Google Pixel 4 and BrowserStack: Google Pixel 5.
       
       
       

    3. In BrowserStack’s dashboard, two executions of the same test triggered in the separate devices displaying RUNNING status.
       
       
       
    4. Once the execution is successfully completed in both sessions, review the Unified Test Report to analyze the results. The report provides comprehensive overviews of the mobile test execution across two devices.
       
       
       
       CONCLUSION
       
       Integrating BrowserStack with IBM DevOps Test UI brings significant advantages to Web UI test automation. By utilizing BrowserStack’s cloud-based infrastructure, testers gain access to a wide range of real browsers and devices, enabling thorough and consistent validation of user interfaces. This integration eliminates the complexity of managing local test environments, saving time and reducing maintenance efforts and also improves test coverage and increases confidence in the accuracy of results across diverse platforms. Ultimately, the integration leads to faster execution, broader test reach, and more reliable Web UI testing outcomes.