Google launches new Android metric to help reduce battery drain from background processes

• The metric flags apps that keep devices awake for more than two hours in a 24-hour period.
• Apps with over 5% excessive wake lock sessions will be classified as high battery drain.
• Developers are encouraged to review the new metric now via Android Vitals.
• Google says the goal is to improve app efficiency and overall user experience across devices.

Google has launched a new performance requirement for Android apps focused on reducing battery drain. 

Developed in collaboration with Samsung, the new metric identifies when apps hold more than two cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks within a 24-hour period. 

If more than 5% of an app’s recent user sessions fall into this category, the title will be flagged for excessive battery use. Google said this threshold aligns with real user expectations for stable and efficient performance.

Starting March 1st 2026, apps that exceed this limit may lose access to prominent discovery placements in Google Play. In some cases, the Play Store may also display a warning on the app's listing to inform users that the app could drain their battery faster than expected.

Developer guidance 

Google has also rolled out a new Android Vitals metric that measures excessive use of wake locks. These occur when an app keeps a device awake while the screen is off in order to run tasks in the background. 

The search giant encouraged developers to review the new metric through Android Vitals and use updated documentation and diagnostic tools to identify and fix issues ahead of the policy shift.

“This is the first in a series of new metrics designed to provide deeper insight into your app's resource utilisation, enabling you to improve the experience for your users across the entire Android ecosystem," Google wrote in a post. 

The company added: “We know making technical changes to your app's code and how it works can be time-consuming, so we are making the metric available for you to diagnose and fix potential issues now, with time before the Store visibility changes begin, starting from March 1, 2026."