What Testing Should You Complete Before Store Submission?

There's nothing quite like the sinking feeling of having your app rejected by the App Store after months of development work. You've poured your heart, soul, and probably a decent chunk of your budget into creating what you believe is the perfect mobile app—only to receive that dreaded rejection email highlighting issues that could have been caught weeks earlier. I've seen this happen more times than I care to count, and honestly, it's completely avoidable with proper pre-submission testing.

The mobile app market has become incredibly competitive; Apple and Google have raised their quality standards significantly over the years. What used to be acceptable five years ago will get your app bounced back faster than you can say "bug report". Both app stores now run automated checks that can spot performance issues, crashes, and guideline violations within minutes of submission. But here's the thing—their standards aren't just arbitrary hurdles to frustrate developers.

Every app rejection costs you valuable time and momentum in a market where timing can make or break your success

Pre-submission testing isn't just about avoiding rejection; it's about ensuring your app actually works properly when real users get their hands on it. Sure, you might think your app runs perfectly on your development device, but what happens when someone with an older iPhone tries to use it? What about users with slower internet connections or different accessibility needs? These are the questions that proper testing answers before you submit to the stores. The testing phase is where you catch the issues that could turn your app launch from a celebration into a damage control exercise.

Understanding App Store Requirements

Look, I've submitted hundreds of apps to both the App Store and Google Play over the years, and honestly? The submission process can feel like walking through a minefield if you don't know what you're doing. Both stores have their own quirks, their own pet peeves, and their own ways of making your life difficult if you haven't done your homework properly.

Apple's App Store Review Guidelines are... well, they're comprehensive. And by comprehensive, I mean they cover everything from your app's basic functionality to whether your screenshots accurately represent what users will actually see. They're particularly fussy about apps that crash on launch—I mean, who can blame them?—and they'll reject your app faster than you can say "memory leak" if it doesn't work as advertised. Google Play is generally more lenient, but don't let that fool you into thinking you can skimp on quality.

Content and Metadata Standards

Your app description, screenshots, and metadata aren't just marketing materials; they're part of the review process. Apple will check that your screenshots show actual app functionality, not just pretty graphics. Google does similar checks, though theyre usually quicker about it. Both platforms have strict rules about what you can and can't claim your app does.

Technical Compliance Basics

Here's where it gets technical: your app needs to handle network failures gracefully, respect system resources, and follow platform-specific design guidelines. iOS apps must support the latest screen sizes and orientations where appropriate. Android apps need to handle the massive variety of devices and Android versions out there. Sure, it sounds overwhelming, but once you know what to test for, its really just a checklist you work through systematically.

Functional Testing Fundamentals

Right, lets talk about the bread and butter of app testing—functional testing. This is where we check that your app actually does what its supposed to do. Sounds obvious? You'd be surprised how many apps I've seen fail at this basic level.

Functional testing is about verifying that every feature works as intended; every button does what it should, every form submits properly, and every navigation path leads where it's meant to go. I mean, if someone taps "Save" and nothing happens, or worse—the app crashes—you've got a serious problem on your hands.

Core Areas to Test

The key areas you need to focus on are pretty straightforward, but they require methodical testing:

• User registration and login processes
• Data input validation and error handling
• Payment processing and transaction flows
• Content loading and display accuracy
• Search functionality and filters
• Push notifications and alerts
• Offline functionality where applicable

Actually, one thing that catches people out is edge cases. What happens when someone enters a ridiculously long email address? Or tries to upload a massive file? These scenarios might seem unlikely, but trust me—users will find ways to break your app that you never thought possible.

Create a simple checklist for each major feature and tick off every interaction point. Include both positive scenarios (things working correctly) and negative scenarios (error handling when things go wrong).

The most important thing? Test everything manually before you even think about automated testing. Sure, automation is great for repetitive tasks, but nothing beats human judgement for spotting those subtle issues that could tank your app store ratings.

Performance and Load Testing

Right, let's talk about performance testing—because honestly, there's nothing worse than launching an app that crashes the moment it gets popular. I've seen it happen too many times, and it's genuinely heartbreaking when months of work get destroyed by poor performance planning.

Performance testing isn't just about making sure your app doesn't crash when one person uses it. It's about understanding how your app behaves when hundreds or thousands of users hit it at once. Will your login system cope? Can your database handle all those requests? These are the questions that keep developers up at night, and rightfully so.

Testing Different Load Scenarios

You need to test various scenarios before submitting to the app stores. Start with normal usage—what happens when 10, 50, or 100 users are using your app simultaneously? Then ramp it up. What about during peak times? Black Friday if you're an e-commerce app, or Monday morning if you're targeting business users.

Battery drain testing is massive too. Users will delete apps that kill their phone battery faster than you can say "one star review." Test how your app performs on older devices with degraded batteries—not everyone has the latest iPhone, you know?

Key Performance Metrics

Here's what you should be monitoring during your performance tests:

• App launch time (should be under 3 seconds, ideally under 2)
• Screen transition speeds and animation smoothness
• Memory usage patterns and potential memory leaks
• Network request response times and timeout handling
• CPU usage during intensive operations
• Storage space consumption over time

Memory leaks are particularly sneaky—your app might run fine for 10 minutes but become sluggish after an hour of use. That's the kind of issue that shows up in user reviews as "app gets slower over time" and it's a right pain to debug after launch.

User Interface and Experience Testing

Right, this is where things get properly interesting — and where I see most apps fall flat on their faces before they even reach the store. UI and UX testing isn't just about checking if buttons work; its about understanding how real people will actually use your app when they're distracted, tired, or frankly just not paying that much attention.

I mean, you can have the most functional app in the world, but if users cant figure out how to complete basic tasks within the first thirty seconds? Game over. The rejection rate from app stores has gone through the roof partly because of poor user experience, and honestly, it's completely avoidable with proper testing.

Testing Navigation and User Flow

Start with your core user journeys — the paths people need to take to accomplish their main goals in your app. Can someone sign up without getting confused? Can they find what theyre looking for without hunting through multiple screens? I always test these flows with people who've never seen the app before because you know what? Fresh eyes catch things you'll miss every single time.

The best user interfaces are invisible — users should focus on their goals, not on figuring out how your app works

Visual Consistency and Accessibility

Check that your fonts are readable across different screen sizes, your colour contrasts meet accessibility standards, and your touch targets are big enough for actual human fingers. Sure, it sounds basic, but you'd be surprised how many apps get rejected for accessibility issues. Test with different text sizes too — some users need larger fonts, and your app should handle that gracefully without breaking the layout or making content disappear off screen.

Device and Platform Compatibility

Right, let's talk about something that can make or break your app launch—device compatibility. I mean, you could have the most beautiful app in the world, but if it crashes on half the devices out there? You're basically throwing money down the drain. And trust me, I've seen this happen more times than I care to count.

The thing is, Android fragmentation is absolutely mental. We're talking thousands of different devices, screen sizes, operating system versions... it's honestly a nightmare if you don't plan for it properly. iOS is a bit more forgiving since Apple controls the hardware, but even then you've got different iPhone models, iPads, and varying iOS versions to consider. Your app needs to work smoothly across this whole spectrum—not just on the shiny new flagship phones that developers love testing on.

Testing Across Device Categories

Here's what you absolutely cannot skip when testing compatibility:

• Different screen sizes and resolutions—from compact phones to massive tablets
• Various operating system versions, especially the last 3-4 major releases
• Different hardware capabilities like RAM, processing power, and storage
• Network conditions—wifi, 4G, 5G, and those annoying patchy connections
• Accessibility features like screen readers and voice control

Actually, here's something that catches people out all the time... they test on high-end devices with loads of RAM and then wonder why users complain about crashes. Budget phones with 2GB of RAM are still incredibly common, especially in emerging markets. If your app can't handle those constraints, you're missing out on millions of potential users. Sure, it means making some compromises in your app's complexity, but its better to have a simpler app that works everywhere than a fancy one that only works on premium devices.

Security and Data Protection Testing

Right, let's talk about something that makes or breaks apps in todays market—security testing. I mean, you could have the most beautiful interface and lightning-fast performance, but if your app leaks user data or gets hacked, you're done. Finished. The app stores take security seriously, and so do users.

Data encryption is your first line of defence. Test that sensitive information like passwords, payment details, and personal data gets encrypted both when its stored on the device and when it's sent to your servers. Use tools like OWASP ZAP or Burp Suite to check for vulnerabilities—these will spot issues like weak encryption or data transmission problems before the stores do.

Authentication and Session Management

Your login system needs proper testing, no shortcuts here. Check that passwords meet security standards, two-factor authentication works correctly, and sessions expire appropriately. Test what happens when someone tries to access the app with expired tokens or invalid credentials. Does it handle these scenarios gracefully?

Don't forget about permissions either. Your app should only request the permissions it actually needs, and users should understand why you're asking for them. Test that location services, camera access, and contacts permissions work as expected without causing crashes or security warnings.

Create a security testing checklist that covers data encryption, authentication, permissions, and API security. Run through this list systematically—missing even one item could result in store rejection or, worse, a security breach after launch.

The thing is, security testing isn't just about passing store requirements—its about protecting your users and your reputation. One security incident can destroy years of trust-building, so take this seriously from day one.

App Store Optimisation Testing

Right, so you've tested your app inside and out—but there's one more type of testing that most developers completely overlook. App store optimisation testing. I mean, whats the point of having a perfectly functional app if nobody can find it or wants to download it?

This is where you test your app store listing itself, not just the app. Your screenshots, description, app icon, and even your app name all need testing before you hit submit. Actually, I've seen brilliant apps fail because their store listing was rubbish—and conversely, I've seen mediocre apps succeed because they nailed their presentation.

Testing Your Visual Assets

Start with your app icon. Does it stand out when its tiny? Can you recognise it at a glance amongst other apps? Test this by putting your icon next to your competitors icons—if it doesn't jump out, you've got a problem. Your screenshots need the same treatment; they're basically your apps shop window.

Load up different devices and check how your screenshots look on various screen sizes. What looks good on an iPhone might be completely illegible on an older Android device. And honestly? Test your app description by reading it out loud—if you stumble over words or get bored halfway through, so will potential users.

Keyword and Metadata Testing

This bit's a bit mad really, but you need to test whether people actually search for the terms you think they do. Use app store analytics tools to check search volumes for your chosen keywords. But don't just stuff keywords everywhere—the app stores are smart enough to penalise that nonsense now.

Test your app name and subtitle variations too. Sometimes a slight tweak can make all the difference between being found and being lost in the crowd.

Common Testing Mistakes to Avoid

After handling hundreds of app submissions over the years, I've seen the same testing mistakes pop up again and again. It's honestly a bit frustrating because most of these are completely avoidable—but developers keep making them anyway.

The biggest mistake? Testing only on high-end devices. I mean, sure, your app might run beautifully on the latest iPhone or flagship Android phone, but what happens when someone tries to use it on a three-year-old device with limited RAM? You'd be surprised how many apps crash within seconds on older hardware. Always test on a mix of device specifications; your users aren't all running premium phones.

Rushing the Final Check

Another classic error is skipping the fresh install test. Developers often test their apps after multiple updates and builds, which means they're not experiencing what a brand-new user will encounter. Delete the app completely, clear its data, and install it fresh from the store build—you'll catch issues that would otherwise slip through.

The most expensive bugs are the ones that make it to production because you assumed something worked without actually testing it

Network and Edge Case Oversights

Testing only on perfect Wi-Fi is another rookie mistake. Real users deal with patchy mobile connections, airplane mode switches, and network timeouts. Your app needs to handle these gracefully, not crash spectacularly when the internet drops out mid-task.

And here's something that catches people out—not testing the app store metadata properly. Screenshots that don't match the actual app interface, descriptions that promise features that aren't there yet... it's a fast track to rejection. Test everything, even the boring bits.

Conclusion

Testing your app properly before submission isn't just about avoiding rejection—its about protecting your reputation and your users' trust. I mean, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and users are ruthless when it comes to poorly performing apps. They'll delete your app faster than you can say "one star review" if it crashes or doesn't work as expected.

Look, I've seen brilliant app ideas fail because the team rushed through testing. Actually, some of the most successful apps I've worked on spent nearly as much time in testing as they did in development. That might sound excessive, but when you consider that fixing bugs after launch costs roughly ten times more than catching them beforehand... well, it starts to make sense, doesn't it?

The testing checklist we've covered—functional testing, performance checks, UI/UX validation, compatibility testing across devices, security audits, and ASO preparation—these aren't suggestions. They're necessities. Sure, it feels like a lot when you're eager to get your app into users hands, but each step protects you from much bigger headaches down the line.

But heres the thing that really matters: testing never truly ends. Even after your app goes live, you'll be monitoring crash reports, user feedback, and performance metrics. The testing habits you build now will serve you throughout your apps entire lifecycle. And honestly? The peace of mind you get from knowing your app works properly across different devices and scenarios—thats worth every hour you spend on proper testing.