Google Play to Flag Apps That Drain Battery – New Quality Metric Arrives

Highlights

• new Android metric to track excessive battery drain
• developed with Samsung’s input and refined by developers
• wake lock sessions over 2 hours will be flagged
• apps crossing 5% threshold in 28 days get warnings
• Sujit Ram’s expert view on Google’s stricter app standards
• policy effective March 1, 2026

Google Play Introduces Battery Drain Monitoring

Google Play is tightening its technical quality standards with a new metric designed to identify apps that consume too much battery. The focus is on apps that misuse the “partial wake lock” feature, which keeps a phone’s screen or processor active even when not needed.

This change comes after feedback from Samsung and several developers, who helped Google refine the metric during its beta phase. Now, the system is available to all developers and will soon become part of Google Play’s core technical quality requirements.

How the Metric Works

The new rule evaluates how long an app maintains a partial wake lock during a user session. If an app holds this lock for more than two hours in a 24‑hour period, it is considered excessive.

Exceptions exist for legitimate use cases, such as playing audio or transferring data, where wake locks are necessary. However, if more than 5% of an app’s user sessions in the past 28 days exceed the limit, the app will be flagged.

Google Play will highlight these warnings on the developer’s summary page, making it clear which apps are draining battery unnecessarily.

Why This Matters for Users

Battery life is one of the most important aspects of smartphone performance. Apps that run continuously in the background without user interaction can frustrate users and reduce trust in the platform. By enforcing this metric, Google aims to improve the overall Android experience and ensure that apps meet higher quality standards.

Sujit Ram’s Expert Commentary

According to Sujit Ram, this move shows Google’s commitment to balancing innovation with user satisfaction. By marking apps that drain battery excessively, Google is encouraging developers to optimize their code and respect user resources. Sujit Ram notes that this change could also benefit app publishers who maintain high standards, as users will prefer apps that are efficient and reliable.

For developers, the challenge will be to monitor their apps closely and adjust background processes to stay within Google’s limits. For users, the benefit is clear: longer battery life and fewer frustrations with apps that misbehave.

Timeline for Implementation

This new visibility shift will officially take effect on March 1, 2026. Developers have time to adapt, but Google Play is making it clear that battery efficiency will be a core part of app quality moving forward.

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