Testing SMS Across Switzerland’s Language Regions
Swiss SMS Testing: Check the Language, not just the Reception
A received text message serves as the confirmation of delivery of the message. However, it sheds little light on whether the language choice was appropriate, if the characters are intact, or if the text was not cut off. The country Switzerland is a prime example of a multi-lingual region – where the country code is +41, but the actual language may vary from German to French to Italian or another selected one. Each has different implications. This is why one test usually has several objectives.
One-line briefing
Prior to testing, write down the following three points: the targeted language that should be used for the product; the message as it is supposed to be delivered; and the one particular result that you want to see. For instance, “French interface, short service announcement, placeholder data, public inbox observation” is an example of the language-specific test. “Test Switzerland” is not.
Repeat the same test briefing for the German and Italian variations if the product actually supports them. This is a valid test only for the languages actually offered by the product.
| Item | Country code | Language | Message | Environment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What to record | +41 | The selected language | Placeholder | Shared public inbox (not private production) |
A simple test scenario
- Select the Swiss language option as outlined in the product specification
- Send a message with the punctuation and special characters specific to the language
- Compare the received message with the approved text (the timing of receipt is irrelevant)
- Highlight any discrepancies in the language received and repeat the same test for the next language option
What a public inbox can and cannot do
A shared inbox allows one to get a quick and simple idea of how the service works without exposing personal information, assuming there is a Swiss number available for testing and the user is comfortable with the temporary number. GetNeedSMS numbers are shared and temporary; therefore, availability and reception depend on the operator and individual circumstances. Different operators will have different results for the same test. Moreover, some operators may refuse to accept shared or virtual numbers.
This is a limited capacity test that has little value in a serious production environment. If the outcome of the test will affect real users, a private device-to-device test must be organized with a known and reliable operator. A public inbox is a useful tool for a spot test, no more than that.
Privacy note
It is possible that other users can see the content of the SMS sent to a shared inbox. Therefore, it is unsafe to enter personal information, credentials, messages, and account recovery details. It is essential to remember that all messages sent to the public inbox are subject to disclosure. This is why all tests should use placeholder data only and the shared number should not be used with any sensitive accounts.
Compare your own language/user message requirements to that of the Switzerland number page. The difference between delivery and localization of language/translation is important to report on to support teams. A user in Switzerland may receive a successfully delivered message (SMS route) but in the wrong language (or poorly translated), and should be reported as such. It's useful for a team to report these as two separate results to a product owner, as a message successfully routed to SMS is not necessarily correctly localized.
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