Help shape the future of FEMA apps
Your feedback will help us build a better mobile app for disaster survivors.
What is beta testing?
Beta testing is an opportunity for real users like you to use the product in production to discover bugs and issues before general deployment.
Become a beta tester for the FEMA app
process
beta test segment
FAQ
process
Beta testing is a process where real people try out a product before it is released to the public.
As a FEMA App Beta Tester, you will be given access to a beta version of the FEMA App and asked to use it in a live environment. We encourage you to report any bugs or usability issues you find, as well as feedback about your overall experience.
Your feedback is essential to us and disaster survivors using the FEMA app. Thank you for becoming a beta tester!
beta test segment
User experience (UX) – UX beta testers are asked to test whether the overall app is intuitive, easy to understand, and easy for users to complete tasks.
accessibility – As an accessibility beta tester, you test new features to ensure they are accessible to all users, including users with disabilities. Ideal beta testers in this segment include people with a variety of disabilities and different levels of experience using mobile accessibility features.
Spanish – Spanish beta testers are asked to review the app’s content for errors, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and overall impression of the Spanish app experience. Ideal beta testers include people from different countries and backgrounds, ensuring your content is accessible to a wide range of Spanish speakers.
tribe – Tribal beta testers test to ensure the app experience is culturally appropriate, accessible, and beneficial to the tribal community. Ideal tribal beta testers include members of tribal nations or representatives of tribal organizations.
survivor experience – If you’ve survived a disaster or are interested in improving the app experience for disaster survivors, we’d love to hear from you. You will be asked to use the app before, during, and after a disaster and provide feedback on its functionality, usability, and overall experience.
Alert – The purpose of beta testing alerts functionality is to ensure that changes to alerts are actually improvements from a user perspective, and to keep them comprehensive and informative without being overwhelming.
Resilience to climate change – Climate Resilience Beta Testers ensure that climate-related content and features are accurate, accessible, and effective to help people understand and respond to the risks of climate change. Do a test for this.
questions and answers
Why involve the public?
Including more devices in a round of beta testing allows us to identify and iron out any bugs before the version is released to the public.
What do we want to achieve from all this?
The ultimate goal is to continually release high-quality versions of the FEMA app. Beta testing helps you:
- Identify and fix critical bugs and issues, including issues that cause app crashes, freezes, and data loss.
- Evaluate app functionality, including new and existing features, performance, and usability.
- Receive feedback from users, including how to improve functionality and usability.
What must I do if selected?
If you’re selected to beta test a FEMA app, you’ll help the app team simulate real-world use cases and identify potential issues.
Here are some specific tasks that beta testers need to perform:
- Review test cases for new and improved features.
- Run test cases on non-FEMA devices
- Report bugs and errors to the app team
- Provide feedback on the app’s usability and user experience
How long will this take?
The time it takes to complete a beta test depends on the size and complexity of the update and the number of beta testers involved.
It’s important to note that alpha testing is not a one-time event. This is an iterative process that runs over days or weeks. As bugs are fixed and new features are added, you should retest your app.
The app team will do their best to make the most of your time. Ensure test cases focus on the most important functionality. Effective communication also helps ensure everyone is on the same page and the testing process runs smoothly.
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