PhoneExperienceHost.exe high CPU usage when pc idle

Anonymous
2022-11-12T15:18:33+00:00

Hi,

When I come back to my laptop and it's gone into idle mode (screen off) I can hear the fans running fast, but as soon as I move the mouse the fans die off. I tried to figure out for a while what was happening and eventually set up perfmon to record what processes were running. I discovered that runs at 50% CPU continuously while the machine is in idle which is ridiculous for something that shouldn't be doing anything much (I'd upload a screenshot but there doesn't seem to be an option anywhere). Looking at details in Task Manager the PhoneExperienceHost.exe process has used twice as much CPU in total than any other app, even though I haven't used it in the foreground.

I do use Phone link to connect to my phone, but it's in the background (system tray icon only) and shouldn't be doing anything most of the time.

There's nothing related in Event viewer and I can't see anything in Scheduler which might trigger it.

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Phone Link software.

The machine says it is up to date for patching.

I've searched for anything related to this issue and found nothing helpful so either it's only my machine, or other people don't realise it's happening as it only happens when they can't look at it!

Any ideas on how to fix this so it stops using my power (obviously uninstalling is not an option)? (TBH though, I expect it's something built into the software and can only be fixed by MS)

Thanks,

Jon W

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Connect Phone and PC

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

55 answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2023-03-08T17:03:14+00:00

    This is obviously an area of Windows Microsoft has allocated very little development resources to. It's not a feature the vast majority of the tens of millions of Windows users are going to take advantage of and therefore isn't a differentiator for the purpose of generating more sales. So support inquiries basically go nowhere and you are asked to submit feedback. Gee, I'm busy, why don't you debug and maintain your own software without me telling you what to do!

    With that said. I tried MyPhoneExplorer. The interface is dated but it is impressive for being free. There was only one deal breaker. It appears you can view MMS messages but you can only send SMS messages. I send MMS with image attachments from my PC all the time so that was a deal breaker.

    Currently the only thing I've found that does everything well is MightyText Pro, but it costs. It's a small amount though to have excellent, complete, bug-free functionality.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2023-03-08T17:19:45+00:00

    If messaging is your main use, check into Google Messages for web. I have it pinned as an app in Chrome, and it's perfect for my needs.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2023-03-31T18:16:25+00:00

    hmm🧐, last updates of app seems has been fixed this problem with ghost high cpu usage for me
    OS: Windows 11

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2023-04-18T11:23:55+00:00

    I do confirm this is now fixed on my end too. Glad to see it was finally addressed!

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2023-07-05T05:14:07+00:00

    This is NOT fixed for me with the current version on Windows 10. If I close my laptop lid, the fans start spinning up and device heats up. Process Monitor confirms that the usage is from phoneexperiencehost. How the heck has this not been fixed properly yet?!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments