- By Alex David
- Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:06 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Google is taking fresh steps to ensure Android phones last longer on a single charge, introducing a rule that directly targets apps that contribute to battery drain. Beginning March 1, 2026, the Google Play Store will introduce flags for apps that excessively drain your device’s battery in the background and alert you before installing or updating them.
The new system is a trade-off between putting pressure on developers for slow apps and providing users with more information about how some apps are draining battery life from their device, the company said.
How the New Battery Rule Works
At the heart of this initiative is a technical metric called “excessive partial wake locks”.
Simply put, it’s when an app keeps your phone awake (you can’t use the device to make calls or anything else) while the screen is off. Although wake locks are needed for certain types of legitimate background tasks (for example, syncing or location tracking), many apps abuse them, causing the battery to drain.
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Google has been testing the system with Samsung for months to determine how apps perform in real environments. The measure is now being rolled into Android Vitals, Google’s developer performance monitoring tool.
Here’s how it works behind the scenes:
- If an app keeps a device awake for over two hours per day in at least 5% of user sessions, Google will classify it as “excessive”.
- Developers will receive notifications prompting them to fix the issue.
- Apps that do not meet them risk being subject to reduced visibility in the Play Store (they could be de-ranked in recommendations, excluded from top charts, and more), they added, noting if an app was affected by this claim, it would show a battery drain warning on its Play Store listing.
Impact on Developers and Users
For developers, this new policy introduces a performance accountability standard similar to existing quality metrics like crash rate and app stability.
Apps that fail to meet these benchmarks will face penalties that affect their discoverability. For users, it means a clearer understanding of how an app might affect battery life before downloading it — something that has long been a blind spot in app ratings.
Google’s system is designed to encourage power-efficient app development while rewarding developers who optimise background processes responsibly.
A Broader Push for Energy Efficiency
For developers, this new requirement is in line with the performance accountability that has historically been applied to quality metrics (i.e., crash rate and app stability).
Apps that do not reach these standards will be penalised in terms of discoverability. What it means for users is that they are going to get a much better sense of how an app might impact battery life before downloading it — something of a black hole in the world of app ratings until now.
Google’s approach is intended to encourage power-efficient app development and favour developers who responsibly optimise background processing.
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Why This Matters
Poor battery life has long been among the top phone-related user complaints, and background processes can be a hidden menace. Many apps — from messaging services to social media companies — facilitate constant background syncs or location checks that tick away at the battery.
With the new rule, users will finally receive clear warnings about such apps in advance, and developers will be forced to abide by best practices around background activity.
Final Thoughts
Google’s upcoming battery drain detection policy represents a fundamentally new paradigm for how app performance is policed. By linking visibility and ranking on the Play Store with power efficiency, Google isn't just creating a better experience for app users – they're also raising the bar on what it takes to be considered as a developer.
As of March 2026, people will be able to see transparent battery-related notices on app listings — a seemingly small shift that could result in phones that last longer and apps that are savvier and more sustainable throughout the Android ecosystem.
