

If you cannot test other browsers, operating systems and hardware, you can use a computer emulator (these are special tools/software that allows one computer to act like another type of tech system), or you can use virtual machines. When the initial bugs have been found and have been fixed using the dominant browser, you can expand the testing to include other browsers, so that the product reaches more of the target audience. Google Chrome is the most popular across many countries, therefore, it’s usually used as the main browser for testing. Here are some statistics to show you the number of users for each browser system as of 2021: In order to understand what browser is important, customers and developers need to study their target audience. Developers and testers can advise their clients which browsers should be dominant, and how the product creation process should be oriented towards it. For example, if a website is intended only for desktop browsers, when looking at the website on a smartphone it may not fit the screen correctly.Ĭross browser testing is typically completed once other forms of testing have been done.Īs a rule, customers want their product to work with as many browsers as possible and across various devices. Websites and applications may run slow, or the content may be displayed incorrectly across different browsers because they’re not compatible with each other. For example, the new JavaScript’s features probably won't work on older versions of the browser. Often, not enough time is given to testing each tiny feature, so inevitably errors pop up and these impact a website. Each browser has unique features and functions that may or may not be used, and they can occasionally hinder how a website works. However, this does not mean that every browser runs smoothly.


Not enough real world testing is completed.These issues may not be caused by your website, but these problems can be problematic and they must be rectified.

Unfortunately, the bugs that are found in browsers can impact the way a website works, even if measures have been put in place to prevent large-scale problems. A browser is also a type of program, which means it may contain bugs.It is, therefore, essential that services and products that work on browsers are modified, so that they work and behave the same for all users, regardless of what browser they use.Ĭross-browser testing ensures that your website/application looks natural and behaves as it should on any browser.Ĭross browser errors can occur for various reasons, these include: This, in turn, means that websites/applications will look completely different on one browser to another. When developing a website/application that will be used on a browser, for example Google, Internet Explorer or Firefox, you must appreciate that users will open the website/application up on a plethora of different browsers.Įvery browser typically has a set of unique settings, they have their own plugins, and there are certain differences in the desktop and mobile versions of various browsers.
