Starting March 1, 2026, a new policy will come into effect on Google Play targeting apps that drain smartphone batteries without valid reasons.
According to Google, these changes are prompted by a new metric of excessive "wake locks". A wake lock is a feature that allows apps, like Spotify, to play music in the background even when the smartphone screen is off. However, if implemented carelessly, it can significantly impact battery life.
The company defines "excessive" sessions as those containing more than 2 hours of total wake lock time within a 24-hour period.
"These excessive sessions significantly drain the battery. A wake lock is considered acceptable if it is a system wake lock after sleep that offers clear user benefits that cannot be further optimized, such as audio playback or user-initiated data transfer", states Google's blog.
Apps that exceed the threshold of harmful wake lock behavior will face penalties. Specifically, they will receive less promotion in recommendations, and users will see warnings about the risk of rapid battery drain when downloading the app.