iTools as a testing tool: a review

Every phone owner on the iOS operating system is familiar with iTunes.

iTunes is a music and video management software developed by Apple. The program provides access to the branded online store iTunes Store, allowing one to buy music, movies, iOS apps and books.

This program is known to most Apple users, but it has a more convenient analogue of iTools, which we will discuss in this article.

iTools is a development of Chinese programmers that gives access to a wide range of functions to control and configure the phone without iTunes. Recently, the program is gaining popularity due to its user-friendly interface and free access. iTools is designed to simplify file management on iPhone, iPod and iPad. It supports the latest versions of Apple devices. You do not need a jailbreak to run the program.

iTools has the ability to manage all types of multimedia, such as images, videos, audio, text documents, PDFs, movies, podcasts, iTunes music, etc..

It is worth noting that iTools uses twice fewer computer resources compared to iTunes, which is also a significant advantage of the program.

One of the few disadvantages of iTools is that the trial version allows you to use many features only a few times.

Installation

In order to work with iTools on a personal computer, you should have the version of iTunes installed, as iTools actively uses its software libraries in the work.

Depending on the operating system, you need to download the appropriate client (for Windows or MacOS). The installation process is not difficult. You need to run the installation file and click «Install».

In order to use the program, you need to click on the shortcut installed on the desktop and then connect your device to your computer.

Structure of the program

ITools has a fairly simple and user-friendly interface that will be understandable even to beginner users.

In order to change the user's device, click on the device name in the upper left corner and select the desired device.

The  «Device» tab is the first window of the program that the user encounters after opening it. With the help of this section, you can find general information about the device (device model, iOS version, serial number, jailbreak, etc.), as well as access to all the basic functions of the device.

The following basic functions are available to the user in the device information section:

• access to explorer (file manager);
• restore backup;
• creating new ringtones through an additional utility;
• data transfer from one device to another;
• taking screenshot;
• reboot and turn off the device.

The next section of the program is «IOS Apps». In this window, the user can find information about installed applications on the device and those that need updates.

Also here the user has the opportunity to install new applications on their device, transfer applications from local storage to iPhone, remove applications from the device memory and update them.

The «Photos», «Music», «Videos» і «Books»  sections are very similar in operation and allow you to quickly transfer media files from the local computer's storage to the mobile device's memory, and view existing files on the device and delete unnecessary information.

In addition, in the «Music» section, the user can use the tool to create new ringtones in .m4r format and save them to the device memory. You can also create new playlists and work with existing ones.

The section for finding existing contacts and editing them is called «Info». With the help of it, the user can search and view contacts in the device's address book or transfer them from iPhone to the computer. In the section, you can view events marked in the calendar, Safari bookmarks and notes made in the standard application.

The «Toolbox» tab is used for advanced access to mobile device management. This page, in addition to the already known features, contains additional options and various tools for managing the device, some of which will also help when testing an application or game on iOS.

For example, with the help of the «Screen mirror» tool, the user can display the screen of his device on a computer monitor. This tool is very useful when we need to take a screenshot or video during testing. The downside is the fact that the tool works correctly when using only the licensed version of the program. When iTools is inactive, the screen is displayed with some freezes.

It is worth focusing on another useful tool for the tester, the utility that is called «Crash reports». This is a tool that allows you to get a log file (program failure report) in case of an emergency or unplanned shutdown of the program. This utility can view all the reports that are on the device, import them for further work and get new log files.

Other features that are available on the «Toolbox» page:

• a tool for creating ringtones;
• a utility for transferring data between two mobile devices;
• a quick backup and data recovery utility (does not work on the latest iOS versions);
• a file manager;
• a tool for viewing device battery information;
• a utility that allows you to place icons on the home screens of your mobile device;
• a utility that turns a smartphone or tablet into an external storage device (files can be transferred directly to iPhone and then deleted via iTools).

To a large extent, the only difference between iTools and iTunes is the method of working with the content, not the device itself. First of all, the analogue of iTunes is a tool for working with Apple devices with access to the file system of the device without jailbreaking, while the original program from the «apple» is more of a cataloger.

Although iTools is not an official program of Apple, it is a great addition to iTunes, which with its functionality can simplify and make life easier for owners of Apple devices.

ITools is an integral part of any iOS device owner's arsenal. It is easy to use and work with media files. The program has a large number of different tools and features and can be a great replacement or addition to the iTunes program.