Playwright iOS Automation Testing on Real Devices
By Rohit Rajpal, Community Contributor
Meta Description / Excerpt: Run Playwright tests on real iOS Safari devices with BrowserStack to ensure your web app works flawlessly on iPhones and iPads.
Table of Contents
Why Testing on Real Devices Matters
Delivering a consistent experience on iPhones and iPads means testing under the same conditions your users encounter. While Playwright’s emulation provides a good starting point, only real device testing reveals actual Safari performance, rendering accuracy, and hardware-specific behaviors.
“BrowserStack now supports Playwright testing on real iOS Safari. Test on actual iPhones and iPads and validate every journey exactly as your users experience it.”
Setting Up Playwright
- Install Visual Studio Code
- Install Node.js
- Create a project and run:
npm init playwright@latest - Install browsers:
npx playwright install - Create tests in the
testsfolder - Run tests:
npx playwright test --headed - View report:
npx playwright show-report
Emulation vs Real Devices
| Aspect | Playwright Mobile Emulation | BrowserStack Real Devices |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Emulators (not real) | Physical iPhones and iPads |
| Accuracy | Good for layouts, misses quirks | Matches real-world Safari behavior |
| Setup | Manual and limited | Easy cloud setup |
| Use Cases | Early validation | Comprehensive testing + debugging |
Running Playwright on BrowserStack
BrowserStack allows running Playwright tests on a wide range of iOS devices and Safari versions. Teams can capture logs, screenshots, videos, and even simulate geolocation, network conditions, and device orientation.
Handling iOS-Specific Challenges
- Viewport issues: Safari collapses URL bar, affecting
100vhlayouts. - Keyboard behavior: Auto-correct and input resizing can shift layouts.
- Scrolling physics: Elastic scrolling requires drag-based actions.
- File uploads: Native iOS picker behaves differently from emulated input.
Best Practices
- Simulate real network conditions like 3G, 4G, and offline mode.
- Use semantic and resilient selectors (e.g.,
getByRole). - Test Apple Pay and secure payment workflows on Safari.
- Validate geolocation and localization features.
- Handle navigation differences in new tabs vs same-tab on Safari iOS.
Conclusion
Running Playwright tests on iOS Safari comes with unique challenges. While emulation helps early on, it misses real device quirks. With BrowserStack’s real device cloud, teams can test under real-world conditions, ensuring apps work flawlessly on iPhones and iPads.
Related Posts
- Playwright Automation Framework: Tutorial
- Mastering Test Automation with Playwright Java
- How to perform End to End Testing using Playwright
Tags: Playwright, iOS Automation Testing, Safari Testing, Mobile App Testing, BrowserStack, Cross-browser testing, Automation Frameworks, CI/CD Tools