Google Play will soon warn you about battery-hogging apps
Starting March 1, 2026, the Google Play Store will flag apps that quietly drain your phone's battery in the background.
If an app keeps your CPU running in more than 5% of user sessions across a month, you'll see a warning on its download page: "This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity."
Recommendations will be blocked for battery-hogging apps
Apps with these warnings won't show up in recommendations or personalized picks until they fix their battery issues.
Essential services, like music streaming or file transfers, are exempt if they're actually doing something useful for you.
Developers get early alerts and detailed stats
Developers get early alerts and detailed stats about their app's battery use through the Play Console.
Google suggests smarter ways to handle background tasks so your phone lasts longer, like what the WHOOP app did after some friendly nudging from Google.