How to Troubleshoot High CPU Use on Windows Cross Device Service

Quick Tips

• High CPU usage caused by Microsoft Cross Device Service is usually due to problems involving cross-device connectivity or background activity.
• A PC restart can help, but also disabling apps that use the service on startup.
• Reducing the tasks that the process performs can also help.
• If all else fails, reinstall the Service.

There are a lot of tasks and processes on a Windows 11 PC that constantly seem to be vying for attention and resources, and it’s only natural to want to keep as much memory and processing power free as possible.

So, if you’re experiencing a problem with Microsoft Cross Device Service high CPU usage, then we’ve got some fixes and troubleshooters to help you out.

What Is the Windows Cross Device Service?

You may have seen the name “Windows Cross Device Service” in your Task Manager, but don’t know what exactly it is. Quite simply, it’s a process that helps your smartphone interface with your PC. Apps like Phone Link will use this process.

Normally, it runs in the background, syncing quietly, but occasionally, wires get crossed, the syncing loops, and suddenly the process is using way more processing power than it should.

How to Fix Microsoft Cross Device Service High CPU Usage

If you’re experiencing high processing loads from this process, we’ve got some tips and fixes below to help:

Restart Your PC

It may sound obvious, but restarting your machine is the first step in troubleshooting for many reasons. Apps and processes can possibly develop memory or resource-management problems that result in erratic behavior or abnormally high resource usage.

Disable Phone Link on Startup

Many apps vie for resources on startup and can slow the system with their demands. If you don’t need Phone Link with every session, you can always disable it on startup. Here’s how:

Step 1. Open “Task Manager” (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

Step 2. Click “Startup apps” in the sidebar.

Step 3. Navigate to “Phone Link” and right-click it.

Step 4. Select “Disable” and the app should no longer boot on startup.

You can also disable “Mobile devices” in the same way in “Startup Apps,” which also uses resources.

Stop Sharing App Experiences

Another way to keep Cross Device Service in check is by reducing the number of tasks it does. One of these is sharing apps across devices. Here’s how to disable it:

Step 1. Open “Settings” (Win + I) and click “Apps” in the sidebar.

Step 2. Choose “Advanced app settings.”

Step 3. Click “Share across devices” and then toggle the option to “Off” underneath.

Stop Phone Link Running in the Background

Phone Link can be stopped from using resources while not directly in use. This ensures you’re updated only when you switch back. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Head to “Settings” and “Apps.”

Step 2. Click on “Installed apps.”

Step 3. From the list of apps, click on the three dots next to “Phone Link.”

Step 4. Click “Advanced options.”

Step 5. Under “Background apps permissions,” click the dropdown and choose “Never.”

Reinstall Cross Service Device

If all else fails, you can try reinstalling the Cross Service Device, which you’ll need to do in Command Prompt:

Step 1. Open the Run dialog (Win + R) and type “powershell” before hitting (Ctrl + Shift + Enter) to run it as an administrator.

Step 2. In PowerShell, type “Get-AppxPackage *CrossDevice* -AllUsers | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers” and press “Enter.”

Step 3. Restart your machine, restart Command Prompt, then type “winget install 9NTXGKQ8P7N0” and hit Enter.

Step 4. The Service will install. See if this fixes the CPU usage.