Automating Android Push Notifications Tests with Appium

Lets talk about testing push notifications for Android.

Why to do this

To ensure the device registration works fine. This is required to identify which device the notification needs to be pushed.
Ensure push notifications work for multiple devices for the same user.
To have confidence that the notifications are received by the device for the given device. Currently, no way to know if the notfication was delivered & received successfully.

How to do this

Using Appium
Tested on a real device
Making the call to push notification
Registration of device is tested implicitly i.e.
- A successful push notification is only received , if the device registration is succesful.

Test Flow

Login to a device to register the device implicitly ( because the app does it so ). If you have a different flow , do that to ensure the device registration flow is triggered successfully.
Make the call to push the notification. Mostly a REST call.
Swipe the Android Status Bar
Poll & check for the push notification to have arrived & be present.

Code

Scroll the Notification Menu

new TouchAction(appiumDriver) .press(PointOption.point(0,0)) .moveTo(PointOption.point(450, 1750)) .release() .perform()


- Identify the Push Notification
  This worked because my push notification was the first notification,else list all the notifications & then find the expected notification

>```java
  @AndroidFindBy(id = 'android:id/big_text')
  MobileElement notificationElement

Poll for the element to be displayed & then edtract text for assertion Ensure the notification in question is displayed before the getText() call.

assert notificationElement.getText().toContain()


### Resources used for reference
- [http://appium.io/docs/en/writing-running-appium/touch-actions](http://appium.io/docs/en/writing-running-appium/touch-actions/)
- [https://stackoverflow.com/questions/51018055/how-to-scroll-up-in-android-appium](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/51018055/how-to-scroll-up-in-android-appium)
- [https://appiumpro.com/editions/15](https://appiumpro.com/editions/15)**