Android users are about to gain more control over their phone’s performance as Google Play Store rolls out a new feature that identifies apps consuming excessive battery power. Starting March 1, 2026, users will receive alerts about apps that drain battery life due to unnecessary background activity.
The update, announced in a recent Google blog post, introduces a new “excessive partial wake lock” metric. This tool, developed in partnership with Samsung, was initially tested in beta earlier this year and will now be made available to all Android app developers.
The purpose of this feature is to detect apps that keep a device awake longer than necessary, one of the leading causes of faster battery drain. Google’s new policy defines a “bad behavior threshold”. Any app that holds more than two hours of non-essential wake locks within 24 hours will trigger a warning.
Essential wake locks used for legitimate background tasks, such as music playback or data synchronization, will not be penalized.
Moreover, if at least 5% of user sessions for a particular app exhibit excessive wake locks over a 28-day period. The app may face consequences. These include being flagged in the Play Store or excluded from Play Store recommendations, with a visible warning informing users about potential battery drain issues.
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Developers are urged to optimize app performance before the policy takes effect next year to avoid negative visibility. This initiative aligns with Google’s continued efforts to improve Android device performance, user experience, and battery longevity.
By giving users this transparency. Google Play Store aims to help people make smarter download choices and hold developers accountable for energy efficiency.
