Google is rolling out battery drain warnings on the Play Store for apps with excessive background activity. The company's new Excessive Partial Wake Lock threshold flags apps that hold partial wake locks for over two hours on average while the screen is off in more than 5% of user sessions over 28 days.

These warnings appear as bold red text stating "This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity." Google developed this metric in partnership with Samsung using real-world device data to ensure accuracy. The feature launched March 1 after being announced last fall as part of Google's push to improve Android power efficiency.

This move helps users avoid apps that drain their battery while idle, a common frustration for Android owners. Google's also using similar data-driven warnings for apps with stability issues, flagging products with high crash rates and freezes. By highlighting these problems before installation, Google gives users more control over their device's performance and battery life.