Test lifecycle

Learn about the complete mobile test lifecycle, from generating test cases to running and fixing tests for mobile applications.

The test lifecycle in Test Companion aligns with the standard stages used by QA teams in any testing process, planning what to test, creating tests, executing them, and maintaining them over time. The key difference with Test Companion is that it accelerates each stage using AI agents, all within your integrated development environment (IDE) on real mobile devices.

This section outlines the complete QA testing workflow for mobile applications.

Understand the test lifecycle stages

The test lifecycle is not a strict sequence that requires you to complete one stage before moving on to the next. In practice, you can fluidly transition between stages—generating a few test cases, automating them, running the tests, fixing any that fail, and then returning to generate additional cases. Test Companion supports this dynamic workflow because every stage is accessible at any time through the same chat interface.

That said, it is beneficial to understand the stages and how they build on one another:

1. Generate test cases

The process begins with understanding what to test. You can provide requirements (such as a PRD, user story, feature description, or acceptance criteria) or ask Test Companion to explore your app on a real device to identify testable scenarios autonomously. The AI produces structured test cases that include titles, steps, expected results, and test data.

This stage involves planning and creating the output, which consists of a set of test cases that define your test coverage.

→ Generate test cases

2. Automate tests

After you have your test cases, the next step is converting them into executable automation scripts.

You can also bypass the formal test case stage and directly proceed to automation by describing your testing requirements in plain language. The AI takes care of the rest.

→ Automate tests

Next steps

If you are new to Test Companion’s mobile testing workflow, begin with Generate test cases. If you already have test cases and require automation scripts, proceed to Automate tests.