Yes, Microsoft Cross Device Service causes high CPU usage in Windows 11; no, there is no solution

If you’ve been experiencing higher than usual CPU usage on Windows 11 lately, you’re certainly not alone. There is good news and bad news.

The good news is twofold. First, the cause of the issue has been identified by Microsoft, and second, it only affects Windows 11 Insider builds. The bad news, however, is that there is no fix available and no indication of when this might change.

See also:

While there are various Insider channels that allow Microsoft to not only test new Windows 11 features but also fix bugs, preview builds of the operating system have been particularly plagued with issues lately.

There are many complaints from users that there has been a spike in CPU usage and the Cross Device service has been identified as a failure. It’s unclear why this issue occurred, but the service is related to the Phone Link app in Windows 11, and Microsoft is working on adding new features to the tool.

In an article on the Feedback Hub, Microsoft’s Jennifer Gentleman says that “we have identified the cause and are working on a solution.” However, this was published over a week ago and the company has not received any further updates since then.

If you’re plagued by the problem and need a workaround, there are a few options available. The first is to simply leave the Windows Insider program and stay with the released version of Windows 11. The second is to disable Cross Device Service, but this may have side effects.

Image source: HJBC / deposit photos