Appium Basics

The Appium test automation framework is used by many dev teams. Whether you’re already using Appium or just getting started on mobile testing basics, it’s important to master the Appium basics.

Consider this your guide to Appium basics.

We’ll cover everything from the pros and cons of the Appium framework to tutorials for using Appium in your environment.

Read along or jump to the section that interests you most:

Overview of Appium

Appium is an open-source test automation framework for conducting app testing on a variety of platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows using a WebDriver. The Appium framework supports end-to-end testing in multiple languages.

You can download Appium from GitHub to get started.

Get more Appium basics:

• Appium Framework: Pros and Cons
• Appium Versions Compared
• Appium 1.8 Release

Appium vs. Other Tools

Appium isn’t the only test automation framework on the market.

So, how do you know if Appium is the right framework for your team and project?

You’ll want to consider language, test type, ease of Continuous Integration (CI), and who will be using it — among other things.

For instance, Appium is best used by QA teams for black box testing. 

Compare Appium vs.:

• XCUITest and Espresso

Appium Tips & Tricks

The Appium framework is popular and used by many teams. But do you know everything you need to know to be successful with Appium?

When it comes to using Appium, you might need a little extra help getting started. Especially if there are advanced Appium features you want to take advantage of.

You’ll, of course, want to consider platform and programming language. But you should also consider…

How should you approach using Appium? Are there other tools you need to make Appium complete? What about matching skillsets and methodologies? Or reporting on your testing efforts?

Brush up on Appium tutorials, including:

• How to Accelerate Accessibility Testing With Appium, Perfecto & Evinced
• Appium Tutorial: Guide to Mobile Testing in Appium
• Using Appium on Windows Surface 10
• Appium for Android
• Using Python to Develop Appium Scripts

Or check out our recorded webinar below — Sharpening Your Test Automation Skills With Appium:

Your Appium FAQs Answered

While Appium is the go-to framework for mobile test automation, it can be complex. It gets even more complicated when automating advanced test scenarios.

Mobile functions like face ID, deteriorating network conditions, competing apps, video streaming, and fingerprint testing can be tricky for testers.

Here are the Appium questions we often hear. Learn about advanced Appium testing. And get our expert input on challenges in Appium in our blog, 14 of Your Appium Questions Answered.

Read Blog

Advanced Appium Testing

Appium is the de facto mobile automation framework. But you may not be getting all you can out of it. Appium automation is capable of advanced testing scenarios you may not be aware of. In fact, you can automate things like video streaming, face ID authentication, and more. Learn these tips and tricks in our blog, Mobile Testing With Appium: 3 Advanced Automation Techniques.

Read Blog

Other Appium advanced use cases:

• How to Test Network Virtualization With Perfecto & Appium
• Geolocation Testing: What It Is & How to Automate It With Perfecto
• How to Test Biometric Authentication With Perfecto & Appium
• How to Test Voice Recognition in 4 Steps With Perfecto
• How to Test Two-Factor Authentication: A Guide With Use Cases

How to Use Appium Tools

Appium provides a great framework for testing on iOS and Android. But you can’t rely on Appium alone to satisfy your test automation needs. The best way to use Appium is to leverage it as part of your automated testing toolset.

Your automated testing toolset isn’t complete without:

• Testing on real devices in a lab.
• Security you can trust.
• Advanced automation scenarios.
• Reporting that analyzes success and failure.
• A fully integrated CI/CD tool stack.

The best way to get access to these capabilities is to integrate Appium with Perfecto.

Perfecto provides:

• Countless smartphones and tablets hosted in 11 data centers around the world.
• Strict security certifications, varying network configurations, audit trails, and more.
• Support for advanced automation scenarios, like biometrics or image injection.
• Reporting on test failures by root cause and more.
• Integration into your CI/CD tools.

Related Reading >> Appium With Perfecto: The Benefits of Going Beyond Open-Source Appium

Explore Appium Perfecto Integration