Having a website that adjusts and reflows properly based on the visitor’s device screen size is vital for modern web usability. With over 50% of traffic now coming from smartphones and tablets, failing to ensure your site works well on mobile leads to negative user experiences harming engagement and conversions.
But thoroughly testing responsiveness across a diverse range of phones, tablets and desktops with varying viewports can be complex and time consuming. This guide makes the process fast and easy by outlining the top methods for checking any website’s mobile-friendliness.
Why Test Website Responsiveness?
Here are key reasons properly confirming cross-device functionality during or after development is so important:
Prevent layout/content issues - Catch problems like overlapping elements, tiny tap targets, and unintelligible content before site visitors ever encounter them.
Identify rendering differences - Varied mobile browsers and OS versions may show subtle style/layout variations you’ll want to address.
Confirm usability - Ensure site visitors can complete desired actions easily regardless of their device and screen size.
Check speed - Validate pages load and function quickly across all target device types to prevent abandonment.
In other words, testing for mobile compatibility helps you deliver the same optimized experience and brand quality browsers have come to expect on the desktop version of your website.
Comparison of Website Responsiveness Testing Methods
There are a wide variety of online tools and techniques available to assess just how effectively your website reflows across varying devices. Below we compare the key capabilities of the most useful options:
| Testing Method | Details | Price | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser DevTools | Emulate mobile devices natively in Chrome DevTools and Firefox Responsive Design Mode. | Free | Precise control over hundreds of virtual device types and sizes. Fast desktop browser performance. | Still estimates mobile environment versus real-world testing. |
| Cross Browser Testing Services | Remotely access a cloud lab of real smartphones/tablets for live testing. | Paid subscription starting ~$20/mo | Tests directly on physical mobile devices. Supports advanced integrated functionality testing beyond basic responsiveness. | Costly for high usage. Limited testing speed. |
| Open Device Labs | Utilize volunteer-run public labs with crowdsourced mobiles/tablets. | Free access | Test on actual user devices at no cost. Global lab locations. | Device choices limited. Scheduling access can have delays. |
| BrowserStack | Paid subscription accessing a cloud-based lab of over 2,000 real mobile devices. | Pay per minute pricing from $0.12-1.00 | Immense device catalog. Detailed device usage analytics. Fast testing speed. | Costs add up quickly for extended testing needs. |
| Online Emulation Tools | Quickly check site on myriad simulated devices for free. | Freemium plans available | Easy to use requiring no downloads or special skills. Ideal for initial validation checks. | Limited capabilities compared to local browser testing. |
As shown in the comparison, you have an abundance of diverse tools and techniques to validate responsiveness efficiently during any website project lifecycle phase - development, staging or live production.
Browser testing paired with cloud-based and public device labs give the most powerful (albeit costly) real-world verification capabilities to catch all display and functionality defects. Free online tools serve best for initial spot validations.
By combining a few options from the list above, you can ensure comprehensive, cost-effective testing coverage.
Now let’s explore key capabilities and usage guidance around the 5 most valuable responsiveness testing solutions:
1. Browser Developer Tools Emulators
The Chrome DevTools and Firefox Responsive Design Mode features allow developers to model common mobile/tablet devices virtually directly within their desktop browser sessions.
With Chrome DevTools you can:
- Test against precise device viewport sizes like iPhone X or iPad Pro
- Switch between device types interactively without browser refreshes using Device Mode
- Simulate touch inputs instead of mouse events
- Slow CPU speeds and network throttling to emulate real mobile environments
Similarly, Firefox offers a Responsive Design Mode displaying site previews dynamically resized across an array of device viewports. Convenient slider controls also allow zooming into specific widths.
Both toolsets offer keyboard shortcuts and mobile device frame overlays surrounding the viewport to quickly toggle between screens responsively.
PRO TIP: Install the Window Resizer browser extension for even faster resizing using keyboard shortcuts.
The main downside to browser testing is you remain limited to the desktop environment versus real-world mobile devices regarding hardware capabilities and browser software differences testing truly native app functionality. But the speed and flexibility when validating layout adaptability makes emulators invaluable for every developer.
2. Cross Browser Testing Services
For comprehensive testing spanning native mobiles and tablets, cross browser testing services like BrowserStack and LambdaTest provide paid access to cloud labs with thousands of device/OS combinations.
You get extensive functionality validation capabilities:
- TestTouch® gestures simulation
- Mobile camera and geolocation
- Device orientation shifting
- Native app and Cross-OS testing
- Network traffic inspection
With enterprise plans you can even deploy internal devices into their cloud labs to test internal websites and apps the public cannot access.
The video recordings, screenshots and detailed reports provided make systematically confirming site issues quick and thorough across every possible real-world visitor’s device.
As a bonus, shifting testing off your own hardware saves developers time and slashes overhead costs significantly. But the pay per usage pricing adds up fast for teams with large testing needs. Yet as an occasional gap fill supplementing in-browser emulators, their value remains high.
3. Open Device Labs
Those needing to test budgets further can utilize volunteer-run Open Device Labs providing free public access to crowdsourced mobiles, tablets and wearables.
Members lend their own devices to help the community test projects at no cost. Open Device Lab locations now span over 300 cities across more than 40 countries worldwide.
O DLs have some excellent benefits:
- Eliminates procurement costs to access devices
- Testing performs directly on real hardware/software
- Community members assist guiding usage
The drawback is availability of specific devices you need access to on short notice can vary. And if planning remote online testing, the webcam setups some provide may offer limited ability to replicate all your required user scenarios.
But for quick validation checks supplementing browser/emulators, Open Device Labs make an extremely valuable free resource anytime your team travels.
4. BrowserStack Mobile App
In addition to their online testing services, BrowserStack also provides dedicated mobile apps for Android and iOS testing.
These let you assess websites directly on a mobile device while leveraging BrowserStack’s cloud device lab capabilities:
- Test across multiple device profiles from your phone
- Capture mobile-first issues browsing on LTE/5G networks
- Integrates with Automate Mobile App SDKs
- Debug mobile specific issues faster
With pricing around $12 per month, it can deliver certain testing scenarios more economically than their fully cloud-based online service while still leveraging BrowserStack’s infrastructure.
For mobile web developers working extensively testing progressive web apps and mobile sites offline during development, combining the app with browser emulators boosts productivity tremendously.
5. Online Responsiveness Checkers
If quickly spot checking site functionality is your key need, free online responsiveness testers like MobiReady and Responsinator are quite ideal.
They allow you to easily:
- Enter any site URL to test
- Preview across various simulated device sizes
- Identify elements overlapping/clipping
- Check tap target spacing
- Assess relative font sizing
Online emulators serve perfectly for initial validation checks during early development prior to more robust testing. Some also provide automated batch URL checking suited for monitoring campaigns across large sites.
The one catch is test durations are limited before requiring a paid subscription account. But their ease of use and instant results meet most basic mobile compatibility confirmation needs.
Responsiveness Testing Best Practices
Here are a few key best practices we recommend for optimal mobile compatibility testing:
- Test early, test often - Fixing responsiveness issues late in development raises costs exponentially. Build in testing from day one.
- Combine real devices with emulators - Leverage both real mobiles and simulated views for comprehensive coverage.
- Check key templates first - Hit common headers, footers, navigations and widgets across all brands and site sections.
- Use automation - Browser extension recorders and test scripts speed up assessment of large sites.
- Give priority to top pages - Check homepages along with other high traffic landing and services pages first.
Building a culture focused on progressive enhancement and resilience testing will serve both developers and customers incredibly well in our permanently cross-device world.
Things to Test Related to Responsive Web Design
While testing, don’t limit checks just to layout reflows and content visibility. Also assess:
Tap/click targets - Ensure buttons and touch points are large enough on mobiles using touch target analyzers.
Readability - Text should remain readable when viewed on small screens. Don’t require pinching/zooming.
Page weight - Check site performance metrics like PageSpeed don’t degrade drastically mobile.
Screen reader access - Use tools like ChromeVox to check accessibility.
AJAX functionality - Interactive elements and real-time features should function cross-device.
Form inputs - Make sure UI controls are usable on touch devices and trigger keyboards properly.
Mobile navigation - Access to menus, search and calls-to-action should never be obscured.
Testing beyond just layouts generates more holistic insights into the total mobile site experience.
Responsiveness Testing Tools Summary
Here is a quick overview of the key solutions covered for fast reference:
| Testing Tools | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Browser DevTools | Mobile emulation built into Chrome DevTools and Firefox Responsive Design Mode. Local browser testing. | Free |
| Cross Browser Testing Services | Remotely access real mobiles/tablets on demand for live testing via services like BrowserStack and LambdaTest. | Paid subscription from $20+/mo |
| Open Device Labs (ODL) | Volunteer run public device labs providing free access to crowdsourced phones/tablets. | Free |
| BrowserStack Mobile App | Dedicated apps for iOS and Android to test sites leveraging BrowserStack’s device cloud capabilities. | $12/mo subscription |
| Online responsiveness checkers | Quickly check site on myriad simulated devices from providers like PowerMapper, Mobiready and Responsinator. | Freemium plans available |
Combined strategically, these provide everything needed to confirm flawless responsiveness behavior at any stage - development, staging or production monitoring.
FAQs about Responsiveness Testing
Below we answer some commonly asked questions around ensuring websites adapt smoothly across mobile and desktop viewports:
What are the most important responsive layout elements to test?
Start by testing primary navigation, headers, footers, hero images and calls to action. Then check how central page content sections adapt across viewports regarding alignments, wrapping and spacing.
Should responsiveness testing happen on live sites or staging/dev environments?
Test early and often during development first, while making fixes costs less. But always re-check after site launches for the most realistic results under actual user traffic loads.
When testing for mobile, what devices should be the top priorities?
Modern iOS and Android smartphones with varying screen aspect ratios and sizes. Also test latest iPad and Galaxy tablet models. Ensure tablets don’t just show enlarged mobile views.
What’s an easy way to grab screenshots of site views across all tested device sizes?
Both Chrome DevTools and the Firefox Responsive Design Mode feature device frame overlays surrounding viewports. So you can capture images showing how UI elements reflow directly.
How do we test websites that have dynamic or personalized content?
Many web testing tools support capturing, loading and testing against dynamic test data now. Utilize user session and test case management features with tools like Katalon Recorder to cover logged-in experiences.
Key Takeaways on Testing Website Responsiveness
Checking for mobile site issues is crucial given the growth in smartphone traffic today. Thankfully browser emulators, open device labs and sophisticated cloud testing platforms make assessing cross-device compatibility easier and more affordable than ever.
Optimally combine real devices and virtual emulation views for economical, comprehensive coverage. Prioritize testing critical templates and high-value site areas first.
Building regular responsiveness testing into your web development and QA processes ensures every user enjoys an optimized mobile experience perfectly suited to their browsing environment.
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