Google Play Store will soon begin alerting users about apps that drain battery excessively, a change set to take effect on March 1, 2026. This update focuses on applications that overuse background processes, particularly those misusing a feature known as “wake locks.” Wake locks are meant to keep a phone awake briefly for specific tasks, but when abused, they prevent the device from entering sleep mode. The move is part of a joint initiative by Google and Samsung to make app performance more transparent and to nudge developers toward better power efficiency across Android devices.
Key Takeaways
- Starting March 1, 2026, the Google Play Store will display warnings on app pages for those that cause excessive battery drain.
- The warning targets apps misusing “wake locks,” which keep devices awake in the background.
- An app will be flagged if more than 5% of its user sessions in a 28-day period exceed two cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks within a 24-hour period.
- Apps that hit this limit may receive a red warning label and face reduced visibility in Play Store recommendations.
- The system, co-developed with Samsung, includes exceptions for legitimate activities like music playback or user-initiated downloads.
The Mechanism Behind the New Warning
At the core of this system is a new metric called “excessive partial wake locks,” recently added to Google’s Android Vitals program. Wake locks themselves aren’t inherently bad. They’re part of how Android manages background tasks. For instance, when a music app keeps playing even after the screen turns off, it’s using a wake lock. Similarly, large file downloads rely on wake locks to ensure they complete properly. These are considered exempt, legitimate uses.
The issue arises when developers fail to manage wake locks responsibly. If an app holds the phone awake far longer than necessary, it slowly drains the battery without the user realizing why. Google now defines this as “bad behavior.” A single session becomes excessive if an app holds more than two hours of non-exempt wake locks within a 24-hour period.
Once 5% or more of an app’s sessions cross that threshold over 28 days, the app is officially flagged. From there, two things happen. The app could lose visibility on major Play Store discovery sections like recommendations, and its listing might show a warning stating something like, “This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity.” It’s a public notice that could directly influence whether users decide to install it.
A Push for Better App Quality
In many ways, this is Google’s way of raising the bar for Android app quality. Users have long struggled with unpredictable battery life, often unsure which app was responsible. By linking performance directly to visibility on the Play Store and displaying warnings upfront, Google is creating a more transparent ecosystem that rewards efficiency.
Partnering with Samsung adds an interesting layer to this move. Samsung’s experience with real-world hardware and power management gave Google deeper insight into how apps behave outside of controlled lab environments. The result is a monitoring system that feels more grounded in how people actually use their phones day to day.
Developers now have several months to review and adjust their apps based on the new “excessive partial wake locks” metric, already visible on their Android Vitals dashboard. Google has also provided tools and documentation to help identify and fix any excessive wake lock usage well before the 2026 rollout.
For everyday users, especially in markets where battery longevity matters a lot, this change could make a noticeable difference. The ability to see a warning before downloading an app helps people avoid unnecessary power drain and make better choices. Over time, it might even push developers to design apps that are not only more efficient but also more considerate of the device’s overall performance.
It’s a small tweak, but one that could quietly change how users think about app quality on Android.
FAQs on Google Play Battery Warnings
Q. What is a “wake lock” and why does it drain battery?
A. A wake lock is a software mechanism used by an Android app to prevent the phone from going into low-power sleep mode. It is necessary for background tasks like playing music or downloading files. It drains the battery when an app holds the lock for too long or for unnecessary reasons, keeping the device unnecessarily awake.
Q. When will the battery drain warnings start appearing on the Play Store?
A. The new warnings and related visibility changes in the Google Play Store will begin taking effect starting March 1, 2026.
Q. Will the warning appear for all apps that use background data?
A. No, the warning targets apps that are found to be using excessive power. An app is flagged only if its cumulative, non-exempt wake lock usage exceeds two hours in a 24-hour period for at least 5% of its user sessions over 28 days. Exemptions are made for system-held wake locks with clear user benefits, such as audio playback.
Q. What happens to an app if it gets the excessive battery drain warning?
A. If an app exceeds the bad behavior threshold, its store listing may display a red warning, such as “This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity.” The app may also be excluded from key discovery surfaces and recommendations in the Google Play Store.
