Google will begin flagging Android apps that excessively drain smartphone batteries, a policy first announced in April and reiterated in November of last year. The company is now implementing that announcement, marking power-hungry apps within the Play Store.
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Addressing “Keep-Awake” Apps
As of March 1, 2026, Google has flipped the switch in the Play Store, alerting users to Android apps that remain excessively active in the background. “This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity,” reads a message Google published in a blog post announcing the feature on the Android Developers site. This warning will now appear in the Play Store for apps exceeding Android’s threshold for “excessive partial wake-lock.”
The warning is part of Google’s new metric for developers, called “Excessive partial wake locks,” within Android Vitals. According to Google, this metric is now a permanent part of the Core Vitals suite and is generally available to all developers in Android Vitals. The warning will be rolled out to affected apps gradually over the coming weeks. This move reflects a broader industry trend toward optimizing app performance and extending battery life for mobile users.
Developed in Collaboration with Samsung
Google states it developed the new metric in collaboration with Samsung, “combining their deep, hands-on insights into user experience with battery consumption with Android platform data.” Wake-locks are system-level functions that keep a smartphone “awake” – active – even when it should be idle. Some apps legitimately use these “keep-awakes” for tasks like music or podcast playback, or location tracking. However, the wake-lock function can likewise be misused, significantly impacting battery life.
The Play Store will soon display a warning for energy-intensive apps.
(Image: Google)
The new Play Store warning aims to drive two outcomes: first, to compel developers to address the issues Google has identified. The company reports that some apps have already shown improvement. In addition to the warning in the Play Store, Google notes that problematic apps could be removed from the Play Store’s recommendation lists. This creates a clear incentive for app developers to adhere to Android policies and align with Core Vitals metrics.
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