How To Test Responsive Design Cross-Device Compatibility?
In the early years of software development, companies built different websites for desktops and smartphone consumers. Technologies like widget sniffing were employed to make the redirection process run smoothly.
However, this strategy became unworkable when the number of devices grew enormously in the market. Companies were trying to develop more innovative ways to meet modern browsing standards, and finally, in 2010, responsive web design was introduced.
This amazing technology allows the same website to be responsive on various devices regardless of screen sizes and viewport dimensions. The primary purpose of this technique is to build web pages that look good on all devices. As responsive web design is in huge demand and every website owner wants to create a responsive website, it is also important to test the cross-device compatibility of a responsive design.
In this article, we will explain some common ways to test responsive web design cross-device compatibility. Hence, if you need any help in this regard, you can call a Web Design Company in Dubai.
Some Common WaysTo Test Responsive Design Cross-Device Compatibility:
Now, let us discuss these ways in detail so that you can test the cross-device compatibility of your responsive web design:
UseIn-Browser Testing For Different Websites:
In-browser testing is one way of testing responsive web design. But, this test may not work on all browsers and can also be inaccurate. Luckily, most browsers have RWD mode for testing cross-device compatibility. This lets the web designer choose specific resolution, user agent, pixel density, and aspect ratio.
Hence, every browser has its own set of commands and different means of describing the design mod. You take the safari browser as an example, where designers need to enable the developer menu from the menu bar. The menu bar will be shown in the advanced tab of web browser preferences.
Afterward, you can enter the responsive design mode quickly from the developer menu. It is important to remember that these tools can only simulate the screen size and user agents. That’s why some factors can’t be tested accurately, and that is:
- Device’s rendering capability
- Issues in functionality on old devices
- Performance on high-density displays
- Touch and processing speed
- Emulators For Mobile Operating Systems:
Thanks to technological advancements, companies no longer need to purchase genuine devices to do thorough tests of web devices. It can be simply done by android and iOS virtual machines on desktop.
Web designers and developers can use these emulators to install and run real mobile browsers with their own rendering engines. Various Android emulators support cloud-based testing by allowing developers to perform tests on numerous devices at once. These emulators also let testers test the functionality of web applications that are hosted locally.
There are thousands of Android emulators available on the market nowadays in the software development sector. Let’s have a look at some of the most popular Android emulators used by businesses:
- Genymotion
- The Android Studio
- Visual Studio Xamarin
- The Bliss Operating System
- Phoenix OS
Chrome is the default browser for Android smartphones most of the time. Moreover, because Opera Mini is a popular browser on all low-power feature phones, you should also consider it.
Various Online Testing Services:
Several free services now allow web developers to use the internet to test responsive web pages for mobile browsers. Renting time on an actual device and viewing its screen on the developer’s browser are both parts of this procedure. The key benefit of this method is that there is no software to install or maintain throughout the testing process.
Automated test APIs, which allow you to run automated test scripts, is one of the most prevalent services provided by these systems. Critical issues, such as style regressions or faulty user interfaces might be discovered using these test cycles.
A variety of tools also assist developers in testing responsive web design cross-browser compatibility. These tools provide features like live web testing from within the browser. For example, LT Browser enables developers to simultaneously test an application’s functionality on more than 500 devices. This tool also aids developers in the creation of custom devices based on project specifications. The following are some of the most prominent web testing platforms:
- Browserstack
- Sauce Labs
- Cross-Browser testing
- Real-Time Testing Options:
Finally, we can all agree that nothing beats running tests on real devices. It’s the most accurate approach to acquire information about the site’s speed, touch control, and responsive web design. Web designers and developers can theoretically test as many devices as they like.
But, they must keep in mind that their device will never be the benchmark for average consumer hardware. Besides this, they must consider mobile phones that are at least a year or two old to understand the device usually used by an average client. By entering the IP address in the browser, all devices connected to the same network can access the PC server.
Winding Up!
Simply said, responsive web design technologies make you able to develop a single website that anyone can see on any device. There are no technological constraints on these web pages. You need to realize that designing a responsive web design and designing it user-friendly are two different things. Nevertheless, you can contact certified web designers at ADWEB STUDIO to create a responsive website.