battery consumption Archives

AppWizard

November 30, 2025

Urgent Google app ban affects millions of Android users, check your phone now

A significant adware campaign named "GhostAd" has been identified, affecting Android users globally. This adware infiltrates various applications that appear to be benign utility tools and emoji-editing software, operating a persistent advertising engine that drains device resources and disrupts functionality. At least 15 different infected applications were deployed, some of which were available on Google’s Play Store, including one that reached the number two spot in the "Top Free Tools" category. Users have reported issues such as persistent pop-up ads, disappearing app icons during uninstallation attempts, and slowed device performance. Google has removed the identified infected applications from the Play Store, but existing installations will not be automatically deleted, requiring users to review their apps. The campaign highlights the risks of advertising tools being misused to erode user trust in mobile ecosystems.

AppWizard

November 17, 2025

Google will now warn about battery-hungry Android apps

Google is enhancing the Android user experience by addressing battery drain caused by applications. The company is collaborating with developers to create power-efficient apps and has introduced new "technical quality metrics" to identify apps that excessively drain battery life. A specific focus is on "excessive partial wake locks," developed in partnership with Samsung, which can significantly escalate battery usage. A new beta metric for excessive partial wake locks has been refined and will soon be available as a core vital for all developers. Starting March 1, 2026, Google will implement new standards that could affect app visibility on the Play Store. Apps that do not meet the quality threshold for excessive wake locks may be excluded from prominent discovery surfaces and could receive warnings about potential battery drain. An app is considered to have excessive wake lock usage if it holds more than 2 cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks in a 24-hour period, with a threshold for "bad behavior" set at exceeding 5% of user sessions classified as excessive over the past 28 days. Developers will receive alerts if their app surpasses this limit.

AppWizard

November 16, 2025

Starting March 1, Google will warn and ‘label’ Android apps that … – The Times of India

Google is updating its Play Store to improve smartphone battery efficiency by addressing apps that prevent devices from entering Sleep mode. This initiative, developed with Samsung, targets "excessive partial wake locks," which keep the CPU active in the background. Apps will be flagged if their user sessions exceed 5% of excessive wake locks over a 28-day period. Starting March 1, 2026, apps maintaining a non-exempt wake lock for over two hours in 24 hours will face penalties, including potential removal from recommendation lists and warning badges on their listings. Google aims to help users identify apps that may cause battery drain. A beta rollout began in April 2025, and Google has provided tools for developers to monitor wake lock usage and battery consumption.

AppWizard

November 15, 2025

Google Gemini App Finally Goes True Black—With a Catch

Google is updating the Gemini application for Android users, introducing a new dark theme that features a true black color scheme on the homepage, which benefits users with OLED or AMOLED screens by reducing battery consumption and improving viewing comfort. The update also includes a new organizational feature called "My Stuff," located in the navigation drawer, allowing users to manage their generated media. The user interface has been streamlined, with suggestion chips arranged vertically for better navigation and some labels updated for clarity. Additionally, a "New Chat" button has replaced the previous account switcher, simplifying conversation management. The true black theme is currently limited to the homepage.

AppWizard

November 13, 2025

The Google Play Store Is Making It Easy to Remotely Uninstall Apps From Your Other Android Devices

Users can now uninstall apps from multiple Android devices directly through their smartphones using the updated Play Store version 48.8. This version introduces a "Available on more devices" section on an app's Play Store page, allowing users to easily uninstall or install apps across connected devices. Additionally, Google plans to penalize apps that excessively drain battery power starting next year, potentially removing them from discoverability pages or alerting users about their high battery consumption.

AppWizard

November 11, 2025

Google Play will warn Android users about apps that drain your battery

Google has introduced a new beta vitals metric for Android app developers that labels battery-draining applications in the Google Play Store. This metric, called "excessive partial wake locks," identifies apps that prevent smartphones from entering sleep mode, which can drain battery life. An app is considered to have excessive wake locks if it holds more than two cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks within a 24-hour period. An app crosses the bad behavior threshold when 5% of its user sessions over the past 28 days are deemed excessive. Developers will receive a warning in their Android vitals overview dashboard when this threshold is reached. Apps exceeding the threshold will display a warning label in the Play Store stating, "This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity," and may become less visible to users as Google restricts their eligibility for certain discovery sections within the Play Store.

AppWizard

November 11, 2025

Android’s next update is finally addressing your phone’s biggest battery hogs

Google has introduced a new metric called "excessive partial wake locks" to monitor Android applications that keep the CPU active for extended periods while running in the background. Apps that maintain more than two hours of non-exempt wake locks within a 24-hour period and impact 5% of user sessions will be flagged for excessive battery usage. Beginning March 1, 2026, these flagged applications may experience reduced visibility on Google Play and will carry a red warning label indicating high battery consumption. This initiative aims to help users identify apps that contribute to battery drain and encourage developers to minimize background activity. The metric was developed in collaboration with Samsung and is based on real-world device data.

AppWizard

November 11, 2025

Google Play will soon warn about apps that cause excessive battery drain

Google has introduced a new metric for Android app developers to address excessive partial wake locks, which can lead to significant battery drain. This metric will alert users through Play Store warnings when apps contribute to battery issues. Wake locks keep devices awake for background tasks, but misuse can increase battery consumption. Google, in collaboration with Samsung, developed this metric based on user experience insights and battery consumption data. The threshold for excessive wake locks is defined as more than two cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks within a 24-hour period. A bad behavior threshold of 5% means that if over 5% of an app's user sessions in the past 28 days are excessive, the app may face consequences like exclusion from recommendations and a warning about battery usage. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2026.

AppWizard

November 11, 2025

How Google and Samsung are teaming up to fix Android battery drain, suggests report

Google has introduced a new system to identify apps that excessively drain battery life, featuring an "excessive partial wake locks" metric developed in collaboration with Samsung. Wake locks allow applications to keep a device awake for background tasks, but their misuse can lead to battery drain. The system, in beta testing since April 2025, flags a user session as "excessive" if it exceeds two hours of non-exempt wake locks in 24 hours. Poor app behavior is defined as occurring when five percent or more of an app's user sessions exceed this threshold. Apps that exceed this threshold may face consequences on the Play Store, including removal from recommendations and a warning message. The policy will be implemented starting 1 March 2026, with additional tools and documentation provided to help developers optimize their applications.

AppWizard

November 1, 2025

The Android IRS: How Google once tried to tax battery-sucking background apps

Google is implementing stricter controls on background processes in the Android ecosystem to conserve battery life. Developers can create foreground services for necessary background tasks, but this requires user notifications. Google encourages the use of APIs like JobScheduler, AlarmManager, and WorkManager for efficient background task management. The Android operating system does not effectively quantify battery costs for these tasks, and while there is a cap of 150 jobs per app, this can still lead to significant battery consumption. To address these issues, Google conceptualized the Android Resource Economy (TARE), which proposed a system where battery power is treated as a limited resource. TARE introduced a virtual currency called "Android Resource Credits" (ARCs) for executing background tasks, with a smaller unit called "Cakes." The system aimed to balance the Cost to Produce (CTP) of tasks with their Price in ARCs, adjusting dynamically based on device state. Apps earn ARCs through Regulations and Rewards, while spending is regulated by an enforcement mechanism that halts tasks if an app's balance is insufficient. TARE also included a "Consumption Limit" to align resource availability with battery status. However, TARE was abandoned with the rollout of Android 15, raising questions about the complexities of managing a virtual economy for battery behavior.