Google has officially launched a new warning system on the Play Store to alert users about Android apps that excessively drain phone battery. This is an implementation of a new policy announced in November 2025, aimed at improving phone performance. The system is designed to identify apps that keep running in the background even when the phone is idle, draining the battery without the user's knowledge. According to Google, if an app is found to be working in the background — keeping the CPU busy even when the screen is off — a "high battery usage" warning will appear to users. This unnecessarily drains the phone battery and shortens battery life. Google is therefore being transparent with users before they download apps, while also directly penalizing developers who write poorly optimized apps. Beyond these visible warnings, Google is also penalizing poorly written apps within the Play Store itself. Apps flagged for excessive battery use will become harder to find on the Play Store, and will be removed from recommended lists and top charts. This initiative is part of Google's broader effort to improve battery performance across the entire Android ecosystem, while also pushing developers to better optimize their apps for improved phone performance and battery life. Ref: Bangkokpost