New Android Rule: Google to Flag Battery-Draining Apps on Play Store Listings

Google has introduced an “Excessive Wake Lock” metric for Android app developers, with the Play Store set to display a red warning banner on listings that cross the threshold. Wake locks keep a device from sleeping, and while they can be legitimate, repeated blocking of sleep without justification can drain battery life, the article notes.

Since April 2025, Google has refined the algorithm with Samsung, and the policy is now live with strict behavioural thresholds: if a user session’s total non-exempt wake locks exceed two hours in 24 hours, it will be flagged as an excessive wake lock event. According to Google’s developer policy, Android vitals allow exemptions for partial wake lock usage when there is a clear user benefit and no better alternative.

If more than 5% of an app’s sessions over a 28-day period contain excessive partial wake locks, the app’s visibility and ranking on Google Play may be negatively affected. The updated policy will take effect on 1 March 2026.