Recent ChromeOS updates are forcing the Google Play Store to use 100% of the CPU, causing performance.
Since users updated ChromeOS to version 85.0.4183.108 and later, apps started to run erratically, devices got hot, fans ran at high speed, and the battery drained very quickly.
After users investigated the issue, it was found that it was caused by Google Play “com.android.vending:download_service” suddenly using 95-100% of the CPU for a long time. The com.android.vending:download_service is used to download new updates from the Google Play Store when they are available.
This ChromeOS bug, however, forces the CPU to use 100% of its capacity all the time, even when there is no new update.
This issue doesn't affect all Chromebooks, but users of Acer Chromebooks, ASUS Chromebooks Flip, and Galaxy Chromebooks have reported experiencing the problem.
To resolve this ChromeOS issue, some users have been able to end the com.android.vending:download_servicevia Task Manager , while others report that it didn't help. One user reported that they resolved this issue by reverting to an older version of the Google Play Store, according to Bleeping Computer.
"As a temporary solution, I reverted to the older version of the Play Store before it started messing up, also turned off WiFi and background data to prevent it from auto-updating. Hopefully this will be fixed in the upcoming version," one user posted on Reddit.
According to a Google engineer, this issue is caused by missing files in ChromeOS.
"Upon review, users are experiencing this behavior because CrOS is unable to determine delta changes in UID processing times due to missing files," a Google engineer said in a bug report.
The bug report hasn't been assigned to a Google engineer at this time, but the developers are aware of it and will likely resolve it in an upcoming ChromeOS update
