Google has been removing Android apps from its Google Play store after it was discovered that some of the apps were draining users’ batteries and using excessive amounts of mobile data. Some of the apps had as many as 20 million downloads before they were removed from the Google Play store, making their removal an important public service announcement for Android users everywhere. (Source: CNBC)

Google Removes Battery-Draining Android Apps With 20 Million+ Downloads

1) Google Removes Battery Draining Android Apps

Unfortunately, many of the apps removed from the Google Play Store were games. Games often use a lot of data and require more battery power than other apps. Some gamers are upset that some of their favorite games have been removed, but this is necessary to prevent excessive mobile data usage and battery drainage. For now, these games can still be found on third party stores like Amazon Appstore for Android or side-loaded onto devices with a PC or Mac.

Google Removes Battery-Draining Android Apps With 20 Million+ Downloads

2) As many as 20 Million People Affected

In a report from The Information, Google Play has removed apps with more than 20 million downloads because they were using excessive mobile data and draining batteries. It's not clear how many people have been affected by the removal of these apps, but it could be as many as 20 million people. The affected apps include DU Speed Booster & Cleaner, Facebook Lite, and the TrueCaller app. The good news is that these apps will be removed from Google Play stores worldwide in the next few weeks.

3) Report from CBS News

The app was developed by a company called Qbix, which Google has now removed from the Play Store. The report says that the app used up to five times more battery power than other apps and often caused people's phone batteries to drain in as little as two hours. 

The sneaky part of the scheme is that when you downloaded an app from this developer, it also came bundled with their other apps. But once you installed them all, they would use excessive data and battery life without your knowledge. 

Many of these apps were designed for things like weight loss or saving water or electricity, so when people started noticing how low their phone batteries were going, they didn't necessarily associate it with the additional energy drain.

4) A Reddit Thread About This Issue

I'm not surprised. I downloaded a bunch of apps from the Play Store and they were all downloading stuff without me knowing it. The apps would start to drain my battery in minutes and I couldn't figure out why, so I did some research. Turns out every single one of them was stealing my data, even when I wasn't using them. That's just wrong, so glad Google is putting an end to this.

5) The List of Affected App Names

The list of affected apps includes the likes of DU Battery Saver, Clean Master and ES File Explorer. This is a good reminder that even popular apps can be malicious, so it's always wise to download software from reputable sources. It's also important for users to monitor how much battery power an app uses in order to avoid draining their phone before they're ready. 

The report states Google Play removed apps with more than 20 million downloads because they were using excessive mobile data and draining batteries, says a report.