News India Live, Digital Desk: Good news for Android users! Google has started rolling out a new ‘Battery Drain Warning’ feature on the Play Store. Under this new rule, which came into effect from March 1, 2026, now if an app consumes more battery than necessary in the background, Google Play Store will show a clear warning label on the download page of that app. This will directly benefit millions of users who unknowingly install bulky and poorly optimized apps. What is Google’s new warning? When you visit an app’s page on the Play Store, you will see this message written in a colored box just below the rating: “This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity.” (This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity) This alert is being imposed on those apps which keep the processor (CPU) continuously active even after the phone’s screen is turned off. Google has its eye on ‘Wake Lock’. Google has revealed that this action has been taken to eliminate the problem of ‘Excessive Partial Wake Lock’. What is Wake Lock? This is a function of Android that allows apps to keep the CPU running even when the screen is off. New rule: If an app keeps the CPU active for more than 2 hours on an average, even with the screen off, in more than 5% of user sessions in the last 28 days, then it will be put in this ‘battery drain’ category. Not just a warning, it will also get ‘punishment’ Google is not stopping by just showing warnings, but taking strict steps to save battery. Also raising: Out of recommendations: Such apps will be removed from the ‘Recommended’ and ‘Discovery’ lists of the Play Store. Lack of visibility: These apps will be visible to users only when they search, normally Google will not promote them. Pressure on developers: Google’s goal is that with this policy of ‘naming and shaming’ (making the name public) developers will be forced to make their apps more energy-efficient. Which apps will be exempted? This rule will not be blindly applied to all apps. Google has clarified that apps whose background activity is important for the user can be kept out of it. Such as: Music streaming apps (which keep the screen off while the song is playing). Food delivery and fitness apps (which require location tracking in the background). Data transfer apps (which download/upload files).