Did A New Google ‘Pulse’ App Just Appear On Your Android Phone? Here’s What It Does

Primakov/Shutterstock

Android users may have noticed a new app appearing on their phones in recent days. The app is called Android Pulse, and if you’re curious what it is and what it does, then you aren’t alone. Google started adding the app to Android devices this month. According to the current Play Store listing, it’s only a few days old and has already reached more than 10 million downloads.

The sudden appearance of a new app you don’t remember installing can be surprising, to say the least. Even though this one is from Google, the tech industry broadly doesn’t have the best track record for letting users know about big changes that aren’t part of flashy product launches. After all, it’s hard to forget about when Google made a similar move with its Android System Safety Core last year by installing a feature ostensibly to scan for “unwanted content” including abusive imagery. Google’s move, and poor communication, raised privacy and security fears instead.

This time, Google says Pulse is something different. The company told Android Authority that Pulse is an already-existing Google system service that the update simply made it visible in the settings app. The service itself appears to have existed since March of this year.

Now that we know what Pulse is, let’s dig into how it works.The data-safety section on the Play Store says Pulse may collect app information and performance data, but it doesn’t share data with third parties. 

To actually view Pulse, you can’t just open your app drawer like with a normal app. On Pixel phones, it appears under Settings > Google services > All services > Privacy & security > System services. Google says these services can update separately, which is part of why Pulse could suddenly appear even though you didn’t really install anything.

There also appears to be no reason to mess with it, at least for now. Google warns that disabling system services can break certain features or cause other issues, so stuck with it anyway. If you’re worried about malware or something else being on your phone, Play Protect is the thing you should be looking at. Android also has a powerful security feature in its settings called Advanced Protection for users who want tighter security.

Samuel Boivin/Shutterstock

Google doesn’t explain exactly what Pulse is for on the app page, but the service is reportedly to help with maintaining Android and keeping devices secure. That likely means that Pulse helps with monitoring things such as battery drain, memory usage, and overall CPU activity, all of which can become a problem when an app pulls more resources than it should.

This isn’t the first feature Google has introduced to help track problems in Android, either. The operating system already tracks technical problems including crashes, apps that stop responding, and even excessive partial wake locks. Not to mention memory usage. Keeping track of all of this can be great for ensuring no apps are running away with your phone’s resources. Google also now shows you which Android apps drain your battery, and the company plans to further punish developers whose apps use excessive resources by adding labels and warnings for users. 

Bottom line, it’s probably best to leave Pulse alone, especially since it is tied to some of your phone’s various system services. There are, however, other hidden features every Android owner should know about, including app pinning for privacy, cooldown mode, and “flip-to-shhh.”