Introduction
With mobile apps becoming central to user engagement, ensuring a smooth and bug-free mobile experience is more important than ever. Appium, a cross-platform, open-source automation tool, is widely adopted for mobile app testing due to its flexibility, language independence, and strong community support. For testers moving beyond manual to mobile automation, mastering Appium is a key career milestone.
This Q&A collection is curated for mid-level professionals preparing for interviews or looking to solidify their practical understanding of Appium.
Q1. What makes Appium a preferred tool for mobile automation?
Ans:
Appium offers flexibility and platform independence. Here’s why it’s commonly used:
- Cross-platform testing: Same test script can run on both Android and iOS.
- No app modification needed: No need to recompile the app for testing.
- Multiple language support: Java, Python, JavaScript, C#, and more.
- Standard protocol: Uses WebDriver (W3C) for consistency with web testing.
- Cloud integration: Easily works with platforms like BrowserStack and Sauce Labs.
- Open source: Community-driven with frequent updates and improvements.
Q2. Can you explain Appium’s architecture?
Ans:
Appium follows a client-server architecture.
- Client: Where test scripts are written (Java, Python, etc.).
- Appium Server: Receives requests via WebDriver protocol in JSON format and forwards them to the mobile OS.
- Automation Engines:
- Android → UIAutomator2 or Espresso
- iOS → XCUITest
Workflow:
- Client sends a command (e.g., click) to the Appium server.
- Server interprets it and sends to the appropriate driver.
- Driver interacts with the device/emulator.
- Response is sent back to the client.
Q3. What are the key advantages and limitations of using Appium?
Ans:
Pros:
- Cross-platform automation with one codebase.
- Wide language support.
- No app code modification required.
- Real device, emulator, and simulator support.
- Integration with TestNG/Grid for parallel execution.
Cons:
- Slower compared to native tools (Espresso/XCTest).
- Unstable on dynamic UI elements.
- Complex iOS setup (Xcode dependency).
- Limited gesture support.
- Not ideal for performance testing.
Q4. Which platforms and types of apps does Appium support?
Ans:
Platforms:
- Android (API 19+ using UIAutomator2, Espresso)
- iOS (9.3+ with XCUITest)
- Windows (via WinAppDriver)
App Types:
- Native Apps: Built with platform SDK (Java, Swift).
- Hybrid Apps: Web content in a native container.
Appium can automate all of the above without needing app source code.
Q5. What is the difference between Native, Hybrid, and Web Apps?
Ans:
| Type | Description | Example |
| Native | Platform-specific, uses device APIs, offline support | WhatsApp, Google Maps |
| Web | Browser-based, no install, built with HTML/CSS/JS | m.facebook.com |
| Hybrid | Web + Native, runs inside native shell, plugin access | Twitter, Instagram Lite |
Q6. What are Desired Capabilities in Appium?
Ans:
Desired capabilities are key-value pairs that configure the Appium session. They tell Appium what platform, device, app, and automation engine to use.
Example (Java):
DesiredCapabilities caps = new DesiredCapabilities();
caps.setCapability(“platformName”, “Android”);
caps.setCapability(“deviceName”, “Pixel_5”);
caps.setCapability(“app”, “/path/to/app.apk”);
caps.setCapability(“automationName”, “UiAutomator2”);
Q7. How can we set Desired Capabilities?
Ans:
You can set them in:
- Code (using Java, Python, etc.)
- Appium Inspector GUI
- JSON config files
- CI/CD pipelines with parameterization
Q8. What’s new in Appium 2.x?
Ans:
- Plugin-based architecture
- Separate driver modules (UIAutomator2, Espresso, XCUITest)
- Complies with W3C WebDriver standard
- CLI-based driver/plugin management
- Appium Desktop GUI deprecated
Q9. How to find the device name for Android and iOS testing?
Ans:
Android:
adb devices
adb shell getprop ro.product.model
iOS:
xcrun xctrace list devices
Q10. What is ADB? Name a few useful commands.
Ans:
ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge – a command-line tool to communicate with Android devices.
Common ADB commands:
- adb devices – list connected devices
- adb install app.apk – install an APK
- adb uninstall <package> – remove an app
- adb shell – access device shell
- adb logcat – view logs
Recommended for You: 10 Best Ways to Use AI in Automation Testing
Q11. How to connect an Android device via Wi-Fi using ADB?
Ans:
adb tcpip 5555
adb connect <device_ip>:5555
Both the device and computer must be on the same network.
Q12. How to find app package and activity names for Android automation?
Ans:
- Run:
adb shell dumpsys window | grep -E ‘mCurrentFocus|mFocusedApp’
- Use APK Info app or Appium Inspector.
Q13. What’s the difference between AppiumDriver, AndroidDriver, and IOSDriver?
Ans:
- AppiumDriver: Generic class that supports both platforms.
- AndroidDriver: Specific to Android actions.
- IOSDriver: Specific to iOS actions.
Use platform-specific drivers when platform-exclusive methods are needed.
Q14. How to delete an email in the Gmail app using Appium?
Ans:
MobileElement email = driver.findElement(By.xpath(“//android.view.View[contains(@content-desc, ‘Inbox’)]”));
email.click();
MobileElement delete = driver.findElement(By.id(“com.google.android.gm:id/delete”));
delete.click();
Q15. How to count the number of Mini cars in the Ola app?
Ans:
List<MobileElement> cars = driver.findElements(By.xpath(“//android.widget.TextView[contains(@text, ‘Mini’)]”));
System.out.println(“Number of Mini cars: ” + cars.size());
Q16. What are App Package and App Activity in Android?
Ans:
- App Package: Unique app identifier (e.g., com.olacabs.customer)
- App Activity: Entry point of the app (e.g., .MainActivity)
Q17. Which file formats does Xcode support for iOS automation?
Ans:
- .app → for simulators
- .ipa → for real devices
- .xcodeproj → Xcode project files
Q18. Is parallel execution possible with Appium for Android and iOS?
Ans:
Yes. But you need to:
- Start Appium servers on different ports
- Set unique device UDIDs and bootstrap ports
- Use frameworks like TestNG or Appium Parallel Plugin
Related Posts: Best Practices for Appium Automation Testing: A Comprehensive Guide for Testers
Q19. Can Appium run tests in a multi-threaded setup?
Yes, but with precautions:
- Each thread should use its own Appium session.
- Use thread-local drivers.
- Avoid shared state between threads/tests.
Conclusion
Appium is a robust tool for testers looking to automate mobile applications across platforms. Whether you’re testing Android or iOS, native or hybrid, Appium’s flexibility and ease of integration make it a go-to framework for QA teams. A solid grasp of Appium’s architecture, commands, platform support, and troubleshooting practices helps you grow from being a manual tester to a confident mobile automation engineer.
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Author’s Bio:
As CEO of TestLeaf, I’m dedicated to transforming software testing by empowering individuals with real-world skills and advanced technology. With 24+ years in software engineering, I lead our mission to shape local talent into global software professionals. Join us in redefining the future of test engineering and making a lasting impact in the tech world.
Babu Manickam
CEO – Testleaf
