This feature could double the autonomy of your smartphone

Are you tired of seeing the battery of your Android smartphone melt like snow in the sun? Good news: Google has developed a feature that could be very effective.

No more applications that pump your energy, even when you don’t use them.

Goodbye wake locks that kill your battery

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To understand this new feature, let’s start with an explanation. On Android, there is a function called wake lock. Basically, it is a mechanism that allows certain applications to continue to turn in the background, even when your screen is off or you do not use them. For example, a music application can use a wake lock to continue playing your favorite songs, or a messaging application to check your new messages. It is practical and useful.

The problem is that some apps abuse this system. They remain active in the background for no valid reason, and it drains your battery.

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An intelligent limit for gourmet applications

Google decided to take the bull by the horns with a new measure called Excessive locking of awakening (or excessive wake lock in English). The principle is simple: Android will monitor the apps that turn in the background for too long. If an application remains active for more than 3 hours over a period of 24 hours for no legitimate reason (for example, if it is not in the process of broadcasting music or displaying a significant notification), the system will break it automatically. Result ? Less energy wasted, and a battery that lasts longer.

This feature is intelligent because it makes the difference between apps that really need to turn in the background (like your weather application that updates forecasts) and those abusing the system. Google even said that apps with a active foreground service (those that display something on the screen, like a music player) will not be impacted. This is precise targeting to maximize energy savings.

This novelty will not be reserved for Google Pixel smartphones. The Mountain View firm is already working with giants like Samsung and other manufacturers to integrate this feature into all Android devices. This means that, whatever the model of your phone, you can soon enjoy this optimization.

Google has also launched a call to application developers to test this feature, which is currently in a beta version. The idea is to make sure that everything works before deploying it on a large scale. Samsung, for example, is already fully in the project and shares its data to help refine the experience.

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