Whether you are just getting started in the app development field or you are a seasoned professional there will be one issue that will affect you throughout your career. This issue being that of bugs. You have been brought to this article today because you are curious about the top bug reporting tools for mobile apps. We are in a day and age where bug-reporting has become more easy yet more complex. As technology rises so do applications to fix it. There are many bug tracking or bug reporting tools on the market. Each one tailored to your own special preferences and needs. We have narrowed down the top three for the use of reporting bugs within your mobile app. Each one of these softwares offer positives and negatives. However, I am sure at least one will help you with your bug reporting needs.
Instabug – Shake and Capture Bug Reporting
Instabug is the most popular bug reporting tool for mobile apps. It contains the signature shake of the phone to report bugs that Facebook has recently had controversy over. Due to its popularity, it is the only service that costs money on our list. They do have a free option as well but in order to obtain all the perks such as crash reporting, multiple users, and multiple apps your looking at around $250 a month. However, to many this price tag is worth it. Instabug has the backing of some really big players in the tech field such as Soundcloud, PayPal, and Samsung. Many large companies prefer Instabug because it works best if you have additional resources such as a group of Beta Testers that can pinpoint bugs for you.
Instabug is not a separate app from yours but a piece of code to be inserted in your app before being sent to the Apple App Store or the Google Playstore. From there beta testers only have to shake the phone if they encounter a bug testing your app. They will be prompted to draw on the screen where the bug is located. After this the bug will be sent to Instabug’s online platform for your company to view. What is entailed in these bug reports is everything you could possibly need to address the bug: OS information, hierarchy of clicks, and so on. For someone just starting out in bug tracking this can be a bit overwhelming but for the experienced reporter it can be very handy. Instabug also has integrations to communication softwares such as JIRA, Asana, and Slack to make your bug reporting easier to share.
Instabug is the Bug Reporting tool for a developed company or someone familiar with the bug reporting field. It comes with a price tag but it will offer you everything you will need.
Effi – Point and Comment Bug Reporting
Effi is a visual QA tool that works across devices. It is really convenient to report bugs in mobile apps for Effi has a syncing app as well. All you have to do is take a screenshot of the issue and sync to Effi’s web platform. You can choose to place a comment within the app before syncing or opt to place the comments on the web after syncing. It is also nice in that it automatically extracts Device and OS information from mobile uploads. It also allows for screen comparison. Effi’s web platform is very simple to use as it it organized with comments on tasks within folders that are within projects. Therefore you can be as organized or disorganized as you please. The best part of all this is that it is completely free.
Although Effi does offer external sync abilities, it’s current sync to JIRA is only one-way. Effi can post on JIRA perfectly but changes on JIRA will not show up on Effi. Communication within Effi is also easy however. The tool offers comment assigning and project sharing. It also has status changing, email alerts, and the ability to respond to a comment. With the ultra-simple numbered point placement. There is no writing on the image and therefore the comment can be as detailed or simple as you like and the chain of responses can go on and on without interfering with the image or minimizing the image in any way.
Effi is a great tool if you are looking for a simply, easy-to-use, bug reporting tool for mobile app development and to communicate within your company or to external developers and designers.
Garage – Shake and Draw Bug Reporting
Garage is the simplest of these Bug Reporting tools. It was developed by Fueled a award winning mobile app development company. It is the only one of our tools listed that does not have its own web platform. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing. It depends on what you want to get out of your Bug Reporting tool and what communication software you are currently using. Garage only syncs to JIRA. So if you do not use JIRA and don’t plan on using JIRA, than Garage is not for you. On the flip-side, if you already use JIRA and you are looking for a complimentary free tool than Garage is perfect for you. Many big name companies use garage as helpful tool in their arsenal such as Verizon and MGM Resorts.
Garage much like Instabug is inserted into your app with a small line of code. From there Beta Testers can shake there phone and take a screenshot. They can draw on these screenshots and then directly share them to JIRA. These reports will include the screenshot with drawn comment and phone device / build information. The unique aspect to garage is that you can record a video and upload to JIRA as well. If the Beta Tester wishes to include a video of the steps one took to reach the bug or a video of the bug in process one can do so very simply with Garage.
Garage by fueled is a complimentary tool to JIRA and is free to use. It offers screen captures and videos of bugs throughout your mobile app.
For more articles about bug reporting and startup companies in the SAAS field scroll through the Effi Blog.
