Google Play will warn Android users about apps that drain your battery
In a significant move to tackle the frustrating issue of rapid smartphone battery drain, Google has unveiled a new beta vitals metric aimed at Android app developers. This initiative, developed in collaboration with Samsung, introduces a warning system in the Google Play Store that alerts users when an app is found to be excessively draining their battery. The primary culprit behind this battery drain is often third-party applications that utilize “wake locks” to keep devices awake and running background processes, even when the screen is off. By targeting these problematic apps, Google hopes to encourage developers to optimize their applications, ultimately improving user experience and extending battery life.
The new metric defines excessive wake locks as any instance where an app maintains more than two cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks within a 24-hour period. Google has established clear guidelines, stating that if more than 5% of an app’s user sessions in the past 28 days are deemed excessive, the app will receive a warning label in the Play Store. This label will inform users that “This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity,” effectively highlighting the potential impact on battery life. Additionally, apps that exceed this threshold may be relegated to less visible sections of the Play Store, making it harder for users to discover them. This proactive approach not only aids consumers but also pushes developers to create more efficient applications, fostering a healthier ecosystem for Android users.
This development is a win-win for both users and developers. For users, it means greater transparency and the ability to make informed choices about which apps to download, potentially saving them from the frustration of unexpected battery drain during crucial moments. For developers, it serves as a clear incentive to prioritize battery efficiency in their app designs. As smartphones become increasingly integral to our daily lives, initiatives like this underscore the importance of optimizing technology to meet user needs, ensuring that our devices can keep up with our busy lifestyles without the constant worry of battery life.
It’s happened to all of us. You fully charge your smartphone battery because you know you’ll be out for the whole day and, somehow, your battery dies. Your smartphone
doesn’t
always
run out of charge this quickly, so it can’t be solely a battery-related issue. There has to be some other culprit.
Good news, Android users. Google is going to step in and help you find the perpetrators.
Google just
announced
the launch of a new beta vitals metric for Android app developers that will result in a visible warning in the Google Play store for end users if an app causes excessive battery drain.
Google’s new “excessive partial wake locks” metric, co-created by Samsung, aims to deter app developers from creating battery-draining apps while also warning users.
Rapid battery drain is usually the result of third-party apps that use wake locks to prevent smartphones from entering sleep mode in order to run background processes on the device when the screen is off.
Google says excessive wake locks are a “heavy contributor to battery drain.” As such, the company has created a threshold of what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable for apps running in the background.
According to Google, the company “considers a user session excessive if it holds more than 2 cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks in a 24 hour period.” Google has exemptions for apps that offer “clear user benefits” and provides “audio playback or user-initiated data transfer” as examples that would not fall under its bad behavior threshold.
However, the company says the bad behavior threshold for most apps will be crossed “when 5% of an app’s user sessions over the last 28 days are excessive.”
When this happens, Google will warn the app developer in their Android vitals overview dashboard.
This is how the Google Play warning label for battery draining apps will be displayed.
Credit: Google
If an app developer doesn’t deal with their excessive wake locks issue, then it will affect how users see the app. According to Google, apps that cross the bad behavior threshold will receive a warning label in the Google Play store.
“This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity,” reads the notice.
Furthermore, Android users may have trouble finding these apps at all as Google will also make these apps ineligible for some discovery sections in the Google Play store.
This new update from Google seems like a pretty clear win-win. It forces app developers to create better apps and helps preserve users’ battery life.
