How to test a voice-based Application

While Starting voice based application testing we should know about What is Voice Application.

What is Voice Application?

• A Voice Application, or voice-based application, is an application that relies on speech requests to process a query and will respond to it with the desired action.
• Nowadays people are more familiar with Voice Application like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri.
• As people are becoming more familiar to voice application it has become there lifestyle
• Voice applications is mainly designed for getting tasks done through conversations.

Difference between Mobile and Voice Apps

• Mobile apps are heavy, While Voice apps is light.
• Mobile app requires you to download an app that takes up space on your phone.
• Voice apps are Cloud-based, they don't live on the device it is accessed when needed from the cloud.

How to Add Skills to Alexa by using Mobile device

1. Open the Alexa app on your device  and tap the more icon at the bottom right.

2.Tap Skills and Games

3.Tap on search icon to search skill on top right.

4.Select the skill and tap to Enable to use.

5.Tap on Alexa icon to start our skill.

How to add skill in Google assistance

1.Open Google assistance on device and tab the more icon on bottom right.

2.Click on "Explore more from Assistant"at bottom.

3.Tab on search icon to search the skill.

4.Select the skill and tab on Link button.

5.On home click on mike icon to start our skill.

Challenges while Testing Voice application manually

1.Time required For manual testing

Currently Voice testing is carried out manually.Tester have to do trial and error methods to find suitable test strategies.Tester must be more attentive while Voice app testing.
For a few newer devices,Tester not only have pay attention to audio but also monitoring displays on certain devices.This is important because somewhere the audio stream breaks or when an unknown skill is invoked.
However,this process is extremely time-consuming, especially when the number of test cases are more.

2. Overloading the skill

Adding more capabilities than the skill can support is called Overloading the skill.
Current drawbacks of the voice platform is that as new functionalities are added to the skill, the device is not always able to recognize the command the user is trying to speak.

3.Make sure your devices have good connectivity

Your device should be connect to strong internet connection. Poor connection will may raise bugs  i.e Skill will stop in between or response will be a delay etc.

Though, Sometime due to poor connection application can not get proper command and in return we do not get proper response as we accepted.  

Language support by different voice assistant

As of March 2020, Amazon Alexa supports 8 languages:

• English
• French
• German
• Italian
• Japanese
• Portuguese (Brazilian)
• Spanish

As of March 2020 Google Assistant supports 44 languages on smartphone and Current Google Home support 13 languages.

Key points while testing voice apps

Functioning of the devices may seem simple on the surface, but in fact there are many challenges that determine the success of the skill.

Mobile interfaces are developed by programmers on behalf of machines and trained by humans while Voice user interfaces (VUIs) are different because it's all about training computers how to speak to humans and that's a big change.

Another thing testers need to keep in mind is that these services gradually change and develop . Their responses may change due to knowledge gained over interactions. This adds another layer of complexity.

When only voice is your medium of communication make sure that it sounds soothing to the device and conversation should be kept simple.

It’s important to test multiple phrases that can be used to call an intent within your voice app. For Example create "Help" intent need to check will the application response to "I need help", I need assistance". All the ways a user will navigate through your application. i.e. you need to check application is responding for the each intent.

Need to have control on speech of pace, have a balance between your breath and your voice, need to have a right places for better impact.

Should have perfect distance between yourself and device you are testing so your voice can be recognized properly.