If your Android battery always seems to die faster than expected, Google is about to give you more control. Starting March 1, 2026, the Google Play Store will begin flagging apps that consume excessive power in the background. These apps could lose visibility in Play Store recommendations or display a red warning label reading, “This app may use more battery than expected.”
Targeting Apps That Misuse Wake Locks
The new rule focuses on how apps use “wake locks” — a system feature that keeps a phone awake even when the screen is off. While necessary for tasks such as playing music or downloading files, wake locks are often misused by poorly optimized apps, preventing the device from resting and causing significant battery drain.
Under Google’s updated Android Vitals guidelines, an app will be flagged if it holds non-exempt wake locks for more than two hours within 24 hours. If this happens in five percent or more of the app’s user sessions over the past 28 days, it will be marked as a potential battery drain risk.
Developer Alerts And User Warnings
Developers of such apps will receive alerts through the Android Vitals dashboard, giving them a chance to fix the issue before penalties take effect. Users, meanwhile, will see battery impact warnings directly on the app’s Play Store page before downloading.
Google And Samsung Join Forces
This new battery performance metric was developed in collaboration with Samsung, combining Google’s platform-level data with Samsung’s real-world insights into how apps affect power usage. After months of beta testing and feedback from developers, the system is now ready for full rollout.
More Transparency, Better Apps
Apps that repeatedly fail to meet the new standards will face reduced visibility across the Play Store, disappearing from key discovery areas such as “Recommended for You” and “Top Apps.” At the same time, users will see clear warning labels highlighting poor battery behavior before installation.
The change brings greater transparency for users — letting them know in advance whether an app is likely to drain their phone’s battery — and gives developers a strong push to optimize background processes and reduce unnecessary energy use.
A Win-Win For Android Users
Google already applies similar performance metrics to Wear OS smartwatches, flagging apps that consume more than 4.4% of a watch’s battery per hour during active use. Extending that monitoring to smartphones, the company says, will promote better battery management across the Android ecosystem.
In essence, Google’s upcoming Play Store changes mark a win-win for Android users and developers — designed to make battery life last longer and performance more predictable. For users, it means fewer unwanted power drains and more control when choosing apps. For developers, it’s a powerful incentive to build software that’s not only feature-rich but also energy-efficient.
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