{"id":42763,"date":"2022-09-16T10:07:38","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T17:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/app14743.cloudwayssites.com\/?p=42763"},"modified":"2024-09-30T11:37:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T15:37:53","slug":"ios-16-whats-new-test-engineers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/app14743.cloudwayssites.com\/blog\/ios-16-whats-new-test-engineers\/","title":{"rendered":"iOS 16 \u2013 What\u2019s New for Test Engineers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Learn about what’s new in iOS 16, including some new updates test engineers should be looking out for.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an exciting time of the year for anyone who uses Apple devices \u2013 and that includes QA engineers charged with mobile testing<\/a>. Apple has just unveiled iOS 16<\/a>, and as usual it is filled with new features for iOS users to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of these new features, of course, affect the look and feel and usability of any application running on iOS. If you\u2019re in QA, that means you\u2019ve now got a lot of new testing to do to make sure your application works as perfectly on iOS 16 as it did on previous versions of the operating system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Apple has just upgraded their iconic \u201cnotch\u201d into a \u201cDynamic Island<\/a>.\u201d This is a significant redesign of a small but highly visual component that your users will see every time they look at their phone. If your app doesn\u2019t function appropriately with this new UI change, your users will notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re using Native Mobile Library<\/a> for your mobile testing, no need to worry, as Native Mobile Library already supports automated testing of iOS 16 on Apple devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this in mind, let\u2019s take a look through some of the most exciting new features of iOS 16, with a focus on how they can affect your life as a test engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customizable Lock Screen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The lock screen on iOS 16 devices can now be customized far more than before, going beyond changing the background image \u2013 you can now alter the appearance of the time as well as add new widgets. Another notable change here is that notifications now pop up from the bottom instead of the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a QA engineer, there are a few things to consider here. First, if your app will have a new lock screen widget, you certainly need to test it carefully. Performing visual regression testing<\/a> and getting contrast right<\/a> will be especially important on an uncertain background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you don\u2019t develop a widget, it\u2019s worth thinking about (and then verifying) whether the user experience could be affected by your notifications moving from the top of the user\u2019s screen to the bottom. Be sure and take a look at how they will appear when stacked as well to make sure the right information is always visible.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Stacked bottom notifications in iOS 16 – Image via Apple<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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Notch –> Dynamic Island<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As we mentioned above, the notch is getting redesigned into a \u201cDynamic Island.\u201d This new version of the cutout required for the front-facing camera can now present contextual information about the app you\u2019re using. It will expand and contract based on the info it\u2019s displaying, so it\u2019s not a fixed size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means your app may now be resizing around the new \u201cDynamic Island\u201d in ways it never did with the old notch. Similarly, your contextual notifications may not look quite the same either. This is definitely something worth testing to make sure the user experience is still exactly the way you meant it to be.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Dynamic Island – Image via Apple<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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Other New iOS 16 Features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a lot of other new features, of course. Some of these may not have as direct an impact on the UI or functionality of you own applications, but it\u2019s worth being familiar with them all. Here are a few of the other biggest changes \u2013 check them carefully against your own app and be sure to test accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n