Windows 11 bug causes high CPU usage: Multi-device service identified as culprit

Microsoft’s Windows 11 received a lukewarm reception from critics when it launched in October 2021. This release was surprising. Microsoft apparently had no plans for a new version of Windows, but Windows 11 came out anyway. The PC community was excited about the new version of Windows. Windows 11 brought a redesign of the user interface with a new look, animations and system sounds.

However, not everyone loved Windows 11 when it was released. Many users have had various issues with drivers, performance, etc. Microsoft has tried to fix most of these issues with updates, but some issues still affect many users.

High CPU usage error in Windows 11 on various devices

The latest issue plaguing Windows 11 users is the high CPU usage of the Cross-Device Service in the background. Users discovered this issue when checking the Task Manager for programs running in the background that were slowing down system performance. This led them to find the service running on multiple devices with abnormally high CPU usage.

This issue is not isolated as it has been reported by many different users. The thread started by a user on the Microsoft forums received 47 upvotes. There is another post on the Windows Eleven forum about the same problem. Additionally, many users have reported this issue in the feedback hub.

According to the thread, despite trying several workarounds such as turning off the cross-device device and restarting the system, high CPU usage still occurs. Others suggested disabling Multi-Device Host. Cross Device Service helps connect Phone Link to your phone.

It is located in the Settings app, under Bluetooth & devices, in the Mobile devices section. Alternatively, you can check if it is installed using PowerShell commands.

Even if you log out of Windows, the problem still occurs. Some users have tried to perform a clean reinstallation of Windows. While this resolved the issue for some people, others reported that it continued to occur. Microsoft needs to officially release a fix for this high resource consumption via OTA.

The main problem is that this doesn’t just happen in Windows 11 Insider Previews; this is on stable builds. Some people suggest not using the Phone Link app as it is a potential cause of increased CPU resource usage.

High resource utilization is not always a problem. If you work intensively with multiple tabs, play high resolution and high frame rate videos, play games, or edit/export videos, high CPU usage is normal. However, when the system is idle, high CPU usage is a concern. This time the problem concerns Windows services and processes.

Many people have provided necessary feedback to Microsoft. Fortunately, Microsoft has officially confirmed the problem. Here’s what an engineer at Microsoft said:

I appreciate your patience; We have identified the cause and are working on a solution.

However, no solution has been found yet. We hope that Microsoft will take timely action and implement a solution to this issue as soon as possible.