Google starts shaming apps that drain your battery

Google warned users and developers late last year that it would start cracking down on apps that have an unhealthy thirst for smartphone battery life. Now, the company is making good on that promise.

Play Store users will now see textual warning boxes on the listings of offending apps that cause excessive background battery drain.

“This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity, reads the box in an image shared on Google’s Developers Blog. That’s a fairly vague statement, but it effectively points out apps that cross Android’s “Excessive Partial Wake Lock” threshold.

Partial wake locks keep the phone’s CPU running even when the screen is off, and the user isn’t explicitly using that app. This increases battery consumption. While Google admits the mechanism is often necessary, it also believes that offending apps go too far. This threshold aims to rein them in.

The new warning box should encourage two actions. One, it forces developers to address the issues that Google highlights. The company notes it has already seen progress from some offenders. In addition to the warning box, Google previously noted that problem apps could be dropped from Play Store recommendation lists. There’s a clear incentive for developers to adhere to Android’s guidelines.

Then, of course, it benefits consumers. Users can look forward to more efficient apps in the long term and can guard against more power-hungry apps in the short term.

Have you spotted the warning box on the Play Store? Let us know in the comments below.