Testing Mobile Applications with Appium
What Is Appium?
Appium is an open-source automation tool for testing native, hybrid, and mobile web applications on Android and iOS. It uses the same WebDriver protocol as Selenium, making the transition familiar for Selenium testers.
How Appium Relates to Selenium
Because Appium implements the WebDriver protocol, much of the syntax and structure - finding elements, performing actions, waiting for conditions - carries over directly from Selenium, just targeting a mobile app instead of a browser.
Appium vs Selenium
| Aspect | Selenium | Appium |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Web browsers | Native, hybrid, and mobile web apps |
| Protocol | WebDriver | WebDriver (extended for mobile) |
| Platforms | Desktop browsers | Android and iOS |
Getting Started with Appium
A basic Appium setup requires the Appium server, platform-specific SDKs (Android SDK or Xcode), and desired capabilities specifying the device, platform version, and app under test.
- Install and start the Appium server
- Configure desired capabilities for the target device/app
- Write tests using familiar WebDriver-style commands
Beyond mobile apps, Selenium can also tap into lower-level browser control through the DevTools Protocol.
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