So Android 5.0 Lollipop update is out and a lot of users have already installed it. People know Android 5.0 is all about new design, improved security and battery improvements but there are some misconceptions that needs to be cleared up. Android 5.0 comes with project Volta that’s aimed at improving battery life on Lollipop running devices, but its applicability largely depends on app developers.

App developers need to optimize their apps to take advantage of project Volta on Android 5.0 Lollipop. There is a new JobScheduler API introduced with project Volta to let developers optimize battery consumption of their apps by making the app to do certain jobs asynchronously on a scheduled time or under specific conditions (like when the device is charging). For example, an app that connects to a server to sync information could use the new API to do certain jobs on a regular schedule, and not frequently like they do now. Also, if an app has resource heavy tasks, the app could schedule the task to only run when the device is connected to a power source.

For detailed info on the new APIs introduced with project Volta on Android 5.0 Lollipop, head over here →

All the Google apps like Gmail, Google+, etc. that asynchronously sync with online servers have been optimized for project Volta, so you’ll definitely see less battery consumption from these apps after you update to Lollipop. However, to make a significant impact on battery life, a large number of developers need to update their apps to use the new APIs introduced with Project Volta to really make a positive impact on your Android device’s battery life.

Android 5.0 has only been out now, and for a few selected devices only. It’ll take time until app developers optimize their apps, so don’t expect your device’s battery life to significantly improve just yet.