Top 10 Bug Tracking Systems for Mobile Developers
How Are Important Bug Tracking Systems in the Mobile App Development?
Reliable bug tracking systems can help mobile app developers a lot. On average, even a small application with 20,000 lines of code may contain up to 200 errors called “bugs”. These bugs may drastically decrease the efficacy of the application’s performance. It’s crucial to detect and get rid of the bugs in the whole lifecycle of the mobile application. That is why you need to find out how to detect the app’s errors.
The tracking of bugs a.k.a. issues/errors is an active process of finding and keeping an eye on defects in software products. This step is very important to make sure that a mobile application not only fulfills what its user needs but also stands out from the competitors. Also, effective bug tracking systems offer a systematic approach to supervising and managing nasty “bugs” in teams.
The most important advantage of bug tracking systems is their capacity to bring all bug-related details together in a single location. This gathering makes it easier for team members to communicate, assign tasks efficiently, establish importance levels, and follow up on advancement.
The Main Features That Bug Tracking Systems Should Have:
- The bug tracker should be consistent with error reporting. The tracker has to prioritize the app’s bugs and automatically assign them to the team members;
- All issues do not hold similar importance. It is very necessary for a tracking tool to create a hierarchy for defects, organizing them according to their severity and how much they can affect the project. Fix the critical errors first – the flaws that impact the app’s core abilities;
- Reliable tracking tools should be able to assign the solution of tracked bugs for particular team members according to their qualifications and expertise. For example, if the error is related to a specific feature in the app that requires certain programming language skills;
- Setting timelines for bug fixes keeps the process on track, making sure that the problems get solved promptly. It is important to set up realistic timeframes based on how complicated the issue is and how much work the team member has. Having deadlines helps to fix the errors by importance;
- The frequent updates of issue conditions help team members stay informed about any real-time changes, with better interaction and team cooperation;
For example, when using a mobile app development tool like PhoneGap it is worth installing a bug tracker to monitor the errors in the app’s code with each update.
How Does a Bug Tracker Find Errors in Mobile Apps?
The starting point is bug identification. This usually takes place in different testing stages, like unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and user approval examination. The bugs might also be reported by end users via in-app feedback forms, support emails, or app store reviews. Moreover, automated tools can automatically spot issues and crashes through static analysis tools as well as crash reporting tools and monitoring instruments.
When a bug is found, it gets put into a bug report. This report contains a summary of the bug, a description of how it happened, steps to make it show again, details on the device and operating system being used along with the app’s version number among other things like severity and priority ratings for this particular issue. Sometimes there are also attachments such as pictures or videos showing what went wrong along with any available logs that can help understand more about why this problem occurred.
Next, a bug report is filed in the bug tracking system. This tool assists in arranging, ranking, and allocating bugs to the correct team individuals.
To fix the bug, the developer who is responsible for it has to understand where it comes from and put in a solution. The solution could be making changes to code, updating settings, or modifying how third-party connections work. The fix gets reviewed by another person so that we can make sure there are no mistakes and also check if any new issues have been created.
After this step, we test carefully to confirm that the problem with the bug is fixed and no other problems have come up because of it. This includes doing regression testing which confirms if all old functions still work fine after making changes related to this particular issue (bug).
Once the fix has undergone testing with satisfactory outcomes, it is released into a staging or test environment which replicates the production surroundings. This aids in “capturing” any problems before they are made public. If the fix successfully moves through staging, it is placed into production and can be accessed by all users.
How to Find the Best Bug Tracking Software for Your Project?
To pick the best paid and free bug tracking software you ought to look at some “red” and “green” flags. You should be able to perform such basic functions with a bug tracker for your mobile app project.
No matter how much it costs or how it looks, a good tool has to offer such must-have features:
- Automated detection of errors without pauses;
- Automated reports in real-time with alerts and notifications;
- Automated workflow – a nice tracker should improve the efficiency of your app smoothly;
- The integrated tools for the team collaboration;
- The interactive dashboards may present data visually to use during meetings;
- Effective time-tracking system;
If you choose paid bug tracking systems, you need to understand what you pay for. A premium commercial bug tracker should be affordable, and offer flexible pricing plans with transparent features in each plan. It is highly recommended to select straightforward pricing plans.
Also, it is worth checking the reviews of bug trackers, for example, on YouTube.
Top 10 Bug Tracking Systems for Android/iOS App Development
Check our top 10 bug tracking systems. Almost every tracker has flexible pricing plans, free options, and customizable features for quick bug tracking. Also, each tool supports the tracking of errors in mobile apps on Android and iOS.
- JIRA
The popular developer-focused JIRA software offers many useful features like issue tracking, task management, and Agile project handling, including burndown charts and Kanban boards. The Standard plan begins at $ 7.16 per user each month, giving strong help and more advanced characteristics. It can be expensive for big teams, but it offers many pre-built integrations and thorough support for small teams.
- Bugzilla
Bugzilla is a popular bug tracking system. It allows users to record and follow up on the app’s bugs, assign them to colleagues in the team, decide their priority levels, and keep an eye on progress. The workflow customization and strong search function make it a useful tool when dealing with numerous errors. When it comes to producing reports about the issue details or work status, Bugzilla is also very thorough. The system is free to use, which suits teams with budget restrictions, though it is quite limited in functions.
- AppSpector
AppSpector was created specifically for mobile app developers. The main feature is a simple user interface with implemented features. It is particularly good at helping developers find and fix errors in their mobile apps in real time. This tool offers a free live demo of all the bug tracking features. The greatest option is to be able to emulate the iPhone/Android interface with the basic devkit features. For the teams, the Pro plan begins from $ 19 per month for a developer. It is very cost-effective and aims at mobile app development.
- Trello
Trello is a flexible tool for managing projects that can be used to track bugs in Android/iOS app development. The use of cards makes it easy to organize tasks, which aids in bug tracking and assigning. Collaborative functionalities like commenting and attaching files also improve communication within the team. The Standard plan costs $ 5 per user per month and offers many features. It is easy to use but might not have advanced bug tracking features as the specific tools do.
- GitHub Issues
This integrated bug tracking tool works well with the GitHub platform. It provides a simple interface for displaying and managing the bugs, along with the bug assignments and comments. The basic features of this tool are available on the free plan, while additional features can be received only after signing up for the GitHub Team pricing plan – $ 4/user/month. While being user-friendly, it may not suit the teams who require advanced bug tracking features in real-time.
Also, it is worth checking such popular bug tracking systems as:
- Asana acts like a project management tool, with the price starting from $ 10.99 per user each month;
- Monday.com with awesome templates and the price starting from $ 8 per user monthly;
- Caspio is a no-code software with basic features and a $ 90 monthly subscription;
- Instabug is a mobile app tracker with annotated screenshots of issues – it will cost you $ 250 per month (the Basic plan);
- YouTrack offers agile boards, a knowledge database, and Gantt charts. In addition to free plans, you can pay for the premium features from $ 3.67 per user each month;
If you have difficulties with the choice of the most suitable bug tracking system for your mobile app, then consider reading this Reddit thread with the discussion of various programs/tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can bug tracking systems improve team collaboration?
These tools are helpful for team cooperation because they help to reveal and report the bug’s appearance almost in real time. This allows the team members to eliminate them as soon as possible. This option ensures that all the involved app developers are on the same page and work together more efficiently.
- What are the most common types of bug trackers?
They are cloud-based, commercial, open-source, and in-house systems. It is better to stick to the paid tools because they offer more features for development teams.
- What role does feedback play in the efficacy of bug tracking tools?
The user feedback assists in making bug tracking more effective. Thanks to the user feedback left after debugging, the developers can faster comprehend the app’s current condition. It is preferable to install and upgrade the feedback reporting systems along with bug tracking tools.
- Is it worth using free bug tracking systems?
Yes, but free trackers should have a bunch of features – improved workload management, time management, and real-time reports. Also, keep in mind that free bug trackers may show ads and offer some app installers if you use them on a mobile device. Many junior developers, QA managers, project managers, and QA professionals can benefit from such tools.
- How do you keep track of errors in a mobile app?
Use a bug management system. These systems help to reveal and fix the issues from start to finish of the product’s life cycle. The trackers make it easier for teams of any size (big or small) to get rid of problems by automating repetitive tasks.
Final thoughts
Our guide to some of the best bug tracking systems was quite useful if you are interested in improving the efficacy of mobile app development. Choose the tracker with the most useful features for your project. Use the demo test before paying for the full-fledged version. Track the bugs, fix them, and continue monitoring because there is no such thing as a perfect mobile app. You can improve any app as many times as your users want it. A good bug tracking system can help with this challenging mission.
