Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has issued new app quality guidelines to prevent apps from excessively draining your phone’s battery life.
- Starting March 1, 2026, if an app is found to be holding wake locks excessively, it will be penalized on the Play Store.
- Apps responsible for excessive battery drain will display a warning label on the Play Store and may lose visibility on prominent discovery pages, such as recommendations.
Google just took some welcome steps to address apps that are particularly harmful to your phone’s battery life. The company has announced a new Play Store policy that will identify and penalize apps that cause unnecessary battery drain.