- Google has introduced a new metric in the Play Console beta to detect excessive background wake locks.
- The tool helps developers identify and fix app behaviors that drain batteries without the user’s knowledge.
- It’s part of Google’s longer-term plan to improve Android app performance consistency across devices.
If your phone‘s battery has ever mysteriously plummeted overnight or died halfway through the day for no apparent reason, the culprit might be a misbehaving app in the background. Now, Google says it’s rolling out new tools that could help fix that problem, starting with a metric aimed at spotting one of the most common sources of battery drain.
As part of a new beta release, Android developers will now be able to track “excessive wake locks” using the Android Vitals dashboard in the Play Console. Wake locks are system-level functions that keep your phone awake even when it’s supposed to be idle. Some apps use them for legitimate reasons, like playing music or tracking location, but when used incorrectly, especially in the background, they can seriously hurt battery life.