High CPU usage with Webex Teams on Mac

[Jasmin.S]

Hello,

I am constantly finding myself running out of laptop battery during video conferencing calls where I share my screen on the Cisco WebEx Room Kit. I am on Mojave and WebEx Teams version is 3.0.13131.0. When I share the screen the CPU usage goes high, fans starting spinning faster to a point I can't hear what the other people are saying. Battery level drops about 1% every minute.

When sharing a screen with Google Hangouts I experience no issues.

I have tried removing and re-installing WebEx Teams to no avail. I am finding myself now avoiding WebEx and using Google Hangouts.

Has anyone had any similar issues or knows of any workarounds?

Thanks

[p.llamas]

Not totally sure if this happens to you, every time I start Cisco Webex the process: kernel_task increases until 600% making the system useless on MAC latest OS level at Apr 2021.

[NetEng01]

I found that we needed to open a TAC case between my user and  Cisco. The got it resolved some how, but i am unsure what they did.  There were a few upgrades of different things.  But i would suggest TAC case definitely.

[p.llamas]

Thank you very much for replying. I'm newbie here, what is a TAC case?

[NetEng01]

A TAC case is what Cisco calls a support case. Check out this link to find out how. You need to have a support contract with your Cisco Gear.

https://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/trouble/5_0_1/tb501a.pdf

Good Luck.

NetEng01

[yukti.makkar]

I am facing exact same issue where Cisco Webex is hogging the max CPU and thereby creating so many issues for me to take office meetings with headache of not being heard.

[huiluo]

We need the logs to further investigation, can guys send out the logs?

[NetEng01]

What logs are you looking for?  I have a user with this issue.

[ChrisGates41081]

Where do we load the logs to? My brand new Mac air is seeing the same issue

[Stephane Cohen]

Hello Hui 

I might have seen the same issue (Ciscosparkhelper running 100% CPU). 
I have uploaded the logs a few mins ago (13:54 local time - CET) - I hope this will help.

Stephane

[yukti.makkar]

Can you please let us know what logs you are looking for and where to upload. The slowness in mac because of CISCO Webex taking 80+% CPU is ridiculous

[atoprak80]

Hello, Any update regarding this issue ?

I have the same issue and this is not normal. I am so frustrated with this situation 

[JonAtLargeRetailer18984]

Heh - we call WebEx the "Macbook Windmaker".  As soon as someone's otherwise quiet Macbook starts sounding like it's ready to take flight (with the loud jet-like noise from the fan), the "fix" is always "Kill WebEx / Restart WebEx".  Unfortunately, it doesn't always take a live session - WebEx often sucks CPU first thing in the morning (especially if the network is busy/flaky) or in between sessions by hours.  

At my employer (Fortune 200) we reopened use of Google Hangouts soon after COVID hit to reduce usage of WebEx load, and we're frequently enjoying the use of Zoom to work with other organizations (governments, auditors, etc.), so it will be interesting to see if we keep WebEx Teams after all this.  

[GiovanniTeruzzi]

I've the same problem... worst when I close lid to use in docking configuration.

macOS Catalina 10.15.4

MacBook Pro Retina 13 mid 2014

[jmecklenburg]

We have the same problem here, macbook pro mid 2014 and Webex use the 99% CPU.

I have the last webex client version. 40.7.2.15

[thorstenhirsch]

It's the same with more recent versions, e.g. 40.2.7.7. We're in a video conference with ~10 people and the WebEx client consumes 50% CPU. I already switched from the browser plugin to the macOS app, but it made no difference.