Doze and App Standby

Understanding Android’s power-saving features and how they affect background execution

Android has two complementary power-saving features that extend battery life by managing how apps behave when the device isn’t connected to a power source: Doze mode and App Standby.

What is Doze mode?

Doze mode is a system-level power management feature introduced in Android 6.0 (API 23) that reduces battery consumption by deferring background CPU and network activity when the device is unused for long periods.

Doze activation conditions

Doze mode activates when all of the following conditions are met:

• Device is unplugged from power
• Screen has been off for a period of time
• Device is stationary (no movement detected)

Once these conditions are met, the system gradually enters deeper states of Doze mode, with increasingly aggressive power restrictions.

You can check if your app is currently running during Doze mode using isDeviceIdleMode():

const isIdle = await BackgroundGuardian.isDeviceIdleMode();
if (isIdle) {
  console.log('App is running during a Doze maintenance window');
}

Restrictions during Doze mode

When the device enters Doze mode, the system imposes the following restrictions:

• Network access is suspended - All network connections are blocked
• Wake locks are ignored - Partial wake locks do not prevent CPU from sleeping (except during maintenance windows)
• Alarms are deferred - Standard AlarmManager alarms are postponed to the next maintenance window
• Wi-Fi scans are stopped - Background Wi-Fi scanning is disabled
• Sync adapters don’t run - SyncAdapter synchronization is deferred
• JobScheduler jobs are deferred - Scheduled jobs are postponed

Even if you acquire a wake lock using acquireWakeLock(), it will be ignored during Doze mode unless your app is exempt from battery optimizations.

What is App Standby?

App Standby is a complementary feature that defers background network activity for apps that the user hasn’t recently interacted with. Unlike Doze mode, App Standby doesn’t require the device to be stationary.

App Standby activation

An app enters App Standby when:

• The user hasn’t explicitly launched the app for a certain period
• The app doesn’t have any foreground services or activities
• The app doesn’t generate user-visible notifications

When an app is in standby, the system defers its network activity and background jobs until the device is plugged in or the user interacts with the app.

Maintenance windows

While in Doze mode, the system periodically provides brief maintenance windows where restricted activities are allowed. During these windows:

• The system processes deferred alarms, jobs, and syncs
• Apps can access the network
• Wake locks function normally

Maintenance windows occur:

• Initially after ~1 hour of Doze mode
• Less frequently as Doze mode deepens (up to every 6 hours in deep Doze)

// Check if device is in Doze and plan accordingly
const isIdle = await BackgroundGuardian.isDeviceIdleMode();

if (isIdle) {
  // We're in Doze mode - execution may be limited to maintenance windows
  console.log('Running during maintenance window');
} else {
  // Normal execution - no Doze restrictions
  console.log('Device is active');
}

How battery optimization exemptions work

Apps that are exempt from battery optimizations receive special treatment during Doze mode:

Without exemption

• ❌ Network access blocked
• ❌ Wake locks ignored
• ❌ Alarms deferred
• ❌ Jobs postponed

With exemption

• ✅ Network access maintained
• ✅ Wake locks respected
• ✅ Limited alarm deferral
• ✅ Some background execution

Checking exemption status

Always check if your app is already exempt before requesting exemption:

const isIgnoring = await BackgroundGuardian.isIgnoringBatteryOptimizations();

if (!isIgnoring) {
  // App is subject to Doze restrictions
  // Consider requesting exemption
  await BackgroundGuardian.requestBatteryOptimizationExemption();
}

On Android versions below 6.0 (API 23), isIgnoringBatteryOptimizations() always returns true because Doze mode doesn’t exist on those versions.

Testing Doze mode behavior

You can force your device into Doze mode using ADB to test how your app behaves:

Force device into Doze

# 1. Connect device via USB with ADB enabled
adb shell dumpsys battery unplug

# 2. Force device into idle mode
adb shell dumpsys deviceidle force-idle

# 3. Verify Doze mode is active
adb shell dumpsys deviceidle get deep

Your app can detect this state:

const isIdle = await BackgroundGuardian.isDeviceIdleMode();
console.log('Device is in Doze mode:', isIdle);

Exit Doze mode

# Return device to normal state
adb shell dumpsys deviceidle unforce
adb shell dumpsys battery reset

Step through Doze states

You can manually step through Doze mode states to observe behavior:

# Enter progressively deeper Doze states
adb shell dumpsys deviceidle step deep

# Watch logs to see your app's behavior
adb logcat | grep "BackgroundGuardian"

Best practices for Doze compatibility

1. Use appropriate exemptions judiciously

Only request battery optimization exemptions if your app genuinely needs continuous background execution:

async function setupBackgroundExecution() {
  // Check current status
  const isIgnoring = await BackgroundGuardian.isIgnoringBatteryOptimizations();
  
  if (!isIgnoring) {
    // Only request if your use case justifies it
    await BackgroundGuardian.requestBatteryOptimizationExemption();
  }
}

Google Play has strict policies about which apps can request battery optimization exemptions. See the Battery Optimization page for acceptable use cases.

2. Combine with foreground services

For continuous long-running tasks, use a foreground service along with wake locks:

// Start your foreground service (using another library)
startForegroundService();

// Then acquire wake lock for CPU execution
await BackgroundGuardian.acquireWakeLock('MusicPlayback');

Foreground services prevent your app from being considered “idle” and entering App Standby.

3. Handle maintenance windows gracefully

If your app isn’t exempt, design it to work efficiently during maintenance windows:

async function performBackgroundSync() {
  const isIdle = await BackgroundGuardian.isDeviceIdleMode();
  
  if (isIdle) {
    // We're in a maintenance window - work quickly
    await quickSync();
  } else {
    // Normal operation - more time available
    await fullSync();
  }
}

4. Respond to power state changes

Monitor when the device enters or exits Doze mode:

import { AppState, NativeEventEmitter, NativeModules } from 'react-native';

// Check status when app becomes active
AppState.addEventListener('change', async (state) => {
  if (state === 'active') {
    const isIdle = await BackgroundGuardian.isDeviceIdleMode();
    const isPowerSave = await BackgroundGuardian.isPowerSaveMode();
    
    if (isIdle || isPowerSave) {
      // Adjust app behavior for power restrictions
      reducePowerConsumption();
    }
  }
});

Doze vs Power Save mode

It’s important to understand the difference between Doze mode and Power Save (Battery Saver) mode:

Feature	Doze Mode	Power Save Mode
Trigger	Device stationary, screen off	User manually enables or automatic at low battery
Scope	Affects apps without exemptions	Affects ALL apps system-wide
Network	Suspended (except maintenance windows)	Throttled for all apps
Wake locks	Ignored (except with exemption)	Limited effectiveness
Exemption	Per-app via battery optimization settings	No per-app exemption

Even if your app is exempt from battery optimizations (Doze mode), it will still be affected by Power Save mode when enabled. Always check both:

const isIgnoringOptimization = await BackgroundGuardian.isIgnoringBatteryOptimizations();
const isPowerSave = await BackgroundGuardian.isPowerSaveMode();

if (isPowerSave) {
  Alert.alert(
    'Battery Saver Active',
    'Background features may be limited even though the app is exempt from Doze mode.'
  );
}

Related topics

• Battery Optimization - Learn about exemption policies and best practices
• OEM Restrictions - Understand manufacturer-specific battery management
• Wake Locks - Keep the CPU running during critical tasks