Google is cracking down on troublesome Android apps that are killing your device's battery. The Californian giant has announced tough new action in the Google Play Store to spotlight apps that consume excessive power via persistent background operations.
Under the new rules, developers will be required to limit unnecessary background activity and follow stricter guidelines on how often their apps can wake your phone, access certain system resources, or run invisible tasks. Apps that ignore these standards will be slapped with warnings on the listings in the Play Store. Google could also restrict the visibility of these apps in the digital shop too.
For those with an Android smartphone or tablet, this means that if your device's battery has been draining faster than it should, Google is finally taking action on apps that cause excessive power loss. You'll be able to check if any of the software installed and running on your device has been branded with this warning in the Play Store — and delete it in favour of an alternative.
The goal is simple: fewer “mystery drains,” longer battery life, and a more consistent performance across devices.
If your Android phone’s battery has been draining faster than it should, Google is finally stepping in to control apps that cause excessive power loss by putting warnings in place
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Google's new warnings will be applied when an app surpasses what Google terms a "bad behaviour threshold". These applications face reduced prominence within the Android world, potentially disappearing from your recommended apps and other discovery features.
The initiative represents Google's first step in a broader programme aimed at providing enhanced transparency about how applications utilise your device's resources.
The new measurement system, termed "excessive partial wake locks", tracks how long your apps keep your device awake while the screen remains off. Developed through a close partnership with Samsung, this metric has undergone testing since April 14, 2025.
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When you use an app, the system monitors partial wake locks — these prevent your phone from entering sleep mode during background tasks. Your app usage gets measured both per session and collectively over 28 days. If any single session accumulates more than two hours of non-exempt wake locks within 24 hours, it's deemed excessive.
The tracking excludes system-controlled locks, audio playback, and data transfers you've initiated yourself.
Google will measure apps through technical quality metrics to see if they're excessively draining an Android device
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The threshold for problematic behaviour stands at 5% of total user sessions within a 28-day period. Applications exceeding this limit will trigger notifications on the developers' Android Vitals dashboard.
Software creators must address these issues before March 1, 2026, to maintain their apps' standing on the Play Store. The policy compels developers to optimise their applications, eliminate unnecessary wake locks promptly, and scrutinise third-party libraries and software development kits (SDKs) that might contribute to battery drain.
The Google Play Store is an online marketplace where Android users can discover, download, and update apps, games, movies, books, and other digital content
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Google stated: "This is the first in a series of new metrics designed to provide deeper insight into your app's resource utilisation, enabling you to improve the experience for your users across the entire Android ecosystem."
The feature's primary purpose is to enhance battery performance rather than identify malicious software, despite questions about its potential security applications.
"App security is a top priority on Google Play. However, the primary intent of this metric is to level up battery performance and technical quality to better our users' experience," Google explained.
The company added: "This metric is targeting 'bad behaviour' in terms of excessive resource consumption, irrespective of whether an app is malicious. By enforcing these thresholds, we can identify and take action on apps that are abusing system resources without providing user value, but it is not primarily intended to target malware."
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