Use case
App and Mobile Testing proxies
Test mobile apps and mobile sites from other countries and over mobile network addresses.
Below is a practical guide to app and mobile testing with ProxyOnly: a workflow, the proxy types that fit, how to pick countries, the mistakes to avoid and the numbers worth tracking. Start from a balance of one US dollar.
- Use case
- App and Mobile Testing
- Suggested types
- Mobile, Datacenter
- Countries in stock
- 63
- Minimum balance
- US$1
What app and mobile testing with proxies means
The goal is to test mobile apps and mobile sites from other countries and over mobile network addresses. This page explains how teams do it with ProxyOnly proxies, which proxy types fit, how to choose countries, and what usually goes wrong.
This work is typically done by mobile developers and QA teams that ship apps used in several countries.
How to approach app and mobile testing
A reliable process matters more than any single setting. The steps below are a good starting point, and you can adapt them to your own tools.
- List the countries and networks that matter for your app.
- Set the proxy on a test device or emulator, or route the app's traffic through a gateway on your computer.
- Check onboarding, pricing, store links, permissions and legal notices for each country.
- Repeat on a mobile-network proxy if the app behaves differently on carrier networks.
- Record the exit address with every bug report.
Which proxy types suit app and mobile testing
Different types suit different targets. Start with the cheapest one that could work, measure the success rate and move up only if the results justify the cost.
Mobile proxies: Shows what a carrier-network user gets, which can differ from a fixed line. Prices start at US$20.00 per IP.
Datacenter proxies: A cheap way to check country-dependent behaviour that does not depend on the network type. Prices start at US$0.08 per IP.
Choosing the country
Use the countries where the app is released, and add one where it is not, to check that the gating is correct.
ProxyOnly stocks proxies in 63 countries, and you choose the country with -country-xx in the username or when you order. The locations directory shows live stock and prices for each one.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
These are the problems that cost teams the most time.
- Apps that pin certificates will not work through an inspecting proxy. A plain HTTP proxy tunnel is fine.
- Device settings like language and region matter as much as the address.
- App stores decide availability by the store account's country, not the address.
What to measure
Without measurement you cannot tell whether a change helped. Track at least these figures for app and mobile testing.
- Countries tested per release
- Network-specific bugs
- Onboarding failures by country
Connect your tools
Every ProxyOnly proxy is an HTTP proxy with a username and password, so it works with almost any tool. This request confirms your credentials before you build anything on top of them.
curl -x http://proxy.proxyonly.com:8000 -U "username-country-us:password" https://httpbin.org/ipDoing it responsibly
Test apps that you own or are authorised to test.
Which proxy type fits any country
The right type depends on how strict the destination is, how much traffic you will send and how long you need the address. A short comparison of the types we sell:
Datacenter IPv4. The default choice for most jobs. These are dedicated IPv4 addresses hosted in a datacenter, fast and inexpensive, and the best fit for high-volume reading of public pages, monitoring and automation. Some websites treat datacenter ranges more cautiously than consumer connections, so test your target before you commit to a long rental.
ISP proxies. Static addresses that are registered to an internet service provider rather than a hosting company. They keep the speed of datacenter hardware and look more like an ordinary home or office connection, which helps with destinations that are strict about hosting ranges.
Shared IPv4. A shared address is used by more than one customer and costs less. It suits light tasks, quick checks and testing where a clean, exclusive address is not essential.
IPv6. IPv6 addresses are very cheap and plentiful, and they work well with destinations that serve IPv6 traffic, such as many large search, video and social platforms. Many smaller sites are still IPv4 only, so check that your target supports IPv6 before you buy.
Mobile proxies. Addresses from mobile carrier networks. Many phones share the same carrier address, so websites tend to be tolerant of this traffic, which makes mobile proxies the right choice for testing mobile ads, apps and landing pages. They cost more than datacenter addresses.
Residential proxies. Addresses from home internet connections, billed by the amount of traffic you use and not by the IP. They suit light, bursty jobs on sites that block datacenter and ISP ranges. Heavy traffic gets expensive quickly, so estimate your monthly volume first.
If you are unsure, rent one address of the type you think you need, run your real task against it for a day, and look at the success rate. Because rental periods start at a few days, trying a type costs very little.
Using proxies responsibly in any country
A proxy is a networking tool and it is lawful in most places, but what you do with it still has to be lawful and fair. Follow the laws that apply to you and to the place you send traffic to, read the terms of the sites you visit, honour robots rules and rate limits, and never use an address to access accounts or data that are not yours. ProxyOnly cannot give legal advice, and our acceptable use policy applies to every order.
In practice that means reading public pages, checking your own sites and ads, and testing your own products. If a task would be unwelcome to the site owner when done by hand, it is unwelcome when done through a proxy too.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a proxy on an Android or iOS device?
Yes, through the device's Wi-Fi proxy settings. The integrations directory has guides.
When do I need a mobile proxy for testing?
When the app behaves differently on carrier networks than on fixed lines.
Which proxy should I buy for app and mobile testing?
Mobile proxies are a good first choice. Shows what a carrier-network user gets, which can differ from a fixed line.
How do I start?
Create an account, add a balance from one US dollar, order a proxy in the country you need and test it with curl before you build on it.
Ready to try it?
Create an account, add funds from US$1 and pick your country and proxy type.