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Google is worried about apps draining battery on phones and the company is going to bring a strict rule for developers from next year.
Battery drain issue with Android could soon reduce with these changes.
Google is looking to help users decide about the apps that might drain their phone’s battery heavier than usual. The company is bringing the new change from March 1, 2026 where developers are told about the new label that will warn users about higher battery usage because of its background activity.
This also means that Google will delist these apps from the recommendations list which might not please the developers but will surely give some relief to the users if they can avoid installing these apps.
Android Battery Drain Issue: Apps Need To Fix
Google’s mandate will undoubtedly please the users but those making the apps will have their work cut out to ensure their app is not hot listed in this matter. Google says it will offer enough time and measures so that apps can be less intensive and avoid getting removed from the main charts on the Play Store.
High background activity can be subjective because there are apps that need the access to work effectively and surely Google will be aware of that requirement.
You have features like audio playback and file transfers that need the lock screen access enabled. Besides these, apps using the dynamic alert for deliveries and cab status will also likely be the exception.
However, the company will have a defined metric in place that will determine the nature and use of the app which the developers need to follow before March 1, 2026 to avoid falling prey to the new rules and losing their visibility on the Play Store.
Google says it will have a limit on the number wake locks threshold the apps can break and once that happens the company will notify the developer about the heavy battery drain issue and ask them to fix the problem or face limiting presence on the Play Store.
Google has a strong say on how the rules are defined on Play Store and regulators have questioned that power many times. Battery drain is an issue but developers might contest these actions if they feel they are being reprimanded for wrongful reasons.
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr…Read More
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr… Read More
Delhi, India, India
November 11, 2025, 15:21 IST
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