Google Play Store to warn users about Android apps that drain battery

Google has begun taking action against Android apps that consume excessive battery power and drain users’ phones. The company has announced that the Google Play Store will display warning labels for apps that use excessive battery power. This feature has currently been rolled out to Android smartphone users. Apps that fall into this category will also be removed from Play Store recommendations.

Misuse of Wake Lock Mechanism identified

Google has found that some apps misuse Android’s wake lock mechanism, which allows the CPU to continue running in the background even when the screen is turned off. The company has classified apps as showing bad behaviour if the partial wake lock mechanism remains active for more than five percent of the time during the last 28 days, even after the user session has been closed.

New warning labels on the Play Store

Google will display a warning message on the page of apps that show high battery usage. For example, users may see a message warning that the app may consume more battery than expected due to continuous background activity.

If users encounter such a message when trying to download an app from the Play Store, they can become aware of the issue and look for alternative apps that do not consume as much battery.

Feature developed with developer feedback

This feature is now available to all Android users and was developed by Google in collaboration with developers based on their feedback.

Using the Wake Lock mechanism, users can allow certain tasks to continue even when the screen is off, such as audio playback, location services, or data transfers.

How this feature will be useful for users

Better battery life

Your phone’s battery life can improve and last longer because you will be able to avoid apps that consume a large amount of battery power.

Identification of poorly optimised apps

Apps with poor optimisation will become easier to identify through the warning labels.

Helpful for developers

The feature will also help developers improve their apps by identifying and fixing battery-related issues.