Google requires manufacturers to show battery statistics in Android 6.0

Google has indicated in its compatibility document for Android 6.0 Marshmallow that Android manufacturers must provide insight into the extent to which different parts of the smartphone use the battery. The same goes for installed applications.

The obligations are described in chapter 8.4 of the so-called Compatibility Definition document released by Google, Android Police reported. This describes what manufacturers must meet if they use Android 6.0 and want to be certified by Google. For example, it must become clear how much each individual piece of hardware uses the battery. This allows users to see, for example, how much of the battery capacity is consumed by the screen.

At the same time, it must also be clear which apps use the battery capacity. This gives users more insight into which apps demand a lot from the battery and it is clearer more quickly which app is causing problems in cases of battery drain.

Although the vast majority of Android devices already show battery statistics in the settings screen, not all data is always available. This has led to the emergence of alternative apps for accustats, among other things, but in many cases root access is required to see the full set of data.

Earlier it appeared that Google in Android 6.0 requires some devices to enter full disk encryption. This form of security must be in place on devices that support full disk encryption and can perform AES encryption at 50MiB/s or higher. Google had tried to introduce disk encryption before, but came back to it later.