When it comes to smartphones, battery life remains a top priority for most users. Despite optimizing settings and managing app usage, some applications continue to drain power rapidly. To address this ongoing issue, Google has announced a major initiative to curb battery-draining apps, ensuring users enjoy better battery performance on their devices.
Starting March 1, 2026, Google will begin displaying special warnings on the Play Store for apps that are found to excessively consume battery power. The company has already tested this feature in collaboration with Samsung and plans to roll it out globally next year.
Under this new system, before downloading or updating an app, users will receive a notification alerting them if the app is known to have a high impact on battery life. Google has conducted extensive tests over the past several months to study how various apps affect device battery usage.
The system will function in two phases. Initially, developers will be alerted if their app drains too much power in the background. If they fail to address the issue, Google will reduce the app’s visibility on the Play Store and issue a warning label to users.
According to Google’s criteria, any app that runs in the background for more than two hours within a 24-hour period will be flagged as a battery-draining app. However, apps performing essential functions such as audio playback or file transfers will be exempted.
This move is expected to encourage developers to create more battery-efficient apps while giving users greater control and transparency over their device’s power consumption.