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Answered

InDesign 2025 Performance Issues on Mac M1: Spinning Beach Ball and Crashes in 2024 Version

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
October 23, 2024
42 replies
39375 views

I installed the new Indesign 2025 and it has been unsuable (I get the spinning beach ball everytime I try to scroll). So I have gone back to 2024 but now have issues with it crashing and I lost work. Anyone else having big issues with 2024 since the update of 2025? Or anyone know how to solve the 2025 issues so it is actually usable? (I am on a Mac, Apple M1 Max chip, 64 GB memory running Sequoia 15.0.1). Thank you!

Bug

Correct answer Abhishek Rao

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for your patience and for staying engaged on this thread.

I wanted to let you know that our product team has made some performance improvements in the latest InDesign 2025 release (Version 20.1), now available via the Creative Cloud Desktop app. The issue with the spinning beach ball and general lag has been addressed as part of these updates.

If you haven't already, please install the latest version and let us know how it goes. We’re hopeful this resolves the disruptions you were facing, and we’d love to hear your feedback once you’ve had a chance to test it out.

Looking forward to your update!

Abhishek

B

BureauMarnef

Participant

After working in High Quality Display mode for several years without an issue, I finally had to go back to Typical. I'm on 25.4 and macOS 15.5 on an Apple M1 max with 32GB of RAM. Of the Indesign versions of the last few years I can't remember a single useful feature, the release cycle seems to exists exclusively to introduce new bugs and then patches for the new bugs.

J

Janne2596680603pr

Participating Frequently

That's rough, but a hard truth.

I switched to Typical too.

Abhishek Rao

Correct answer

Community Manager

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for your patience and for staying engaged on this thread.

I wanted to let you know that our product team has made some performance improvements in the latest InDesign 2025 release (Version 20.1), now available via the Creative Cloud Desktop app. The issue with the spinning beach ball and general lag has been addressed as part of these updates.

If you haven't already, please install the latest version and let us know how it goes. We’re hopeful this resolves the disruptions you were facing, and we’d love to hear your feedback once you’ve had a chance to test it out.

Looking forward to your update!

Abhishek

caleb.wilson

Participant

I have noticed signifigant slowdown of InDesign using version 20.4.1, on MacOS 15.5 (24F74). Everything I leave and go back to the program it freezes and has the spinning beach ball for 20-30 seconds. I turned of the contextual tool bar and that helped. It still stalls for 10 seconds everytime I leave and return to the program. I also tried lowering display quality to Typical but that seems to have no effect. Is there a new issue becasue nothing seems to be working?

D

DynaGraphics Reno

Participating Frequently

I have noticed similar results. Far better than it had been, but still lagging compared to the same software running on a 10 year old iMac.

More concerning… after updating Indesign CC2025 to ver 20.4(.0.52), now InDesign CC2021 ver 16.4(.3.166) is experiencing the same pause/recover when leaving and returning. (We use a 3rd party plugin in our production workflow that isn't compatible with newer versions of InDesign)

Mac Mini (M1 2020)
macOS Monterey 12.7.6

16 GB RAM

S

Spiny Norma

Participant

I am having this issue on a Macbook Pro running Sonoma (14.7.5). InDesign 2025 is unusable because of constant pinwheeling. I thought it may be fonts, but it does it even on files with only placed PDFs in them. I can get maybe 4-6 mouse movements at best before it pinwheels for 10-15 seconds. It does this even when just trying to close a file. Going back to 2024.

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @Alice373165806dlw,

Thanks for reaching out! I am sure it must be troublesome. Could you please confirm if you're using InDesign 2025 version 20.3.1 (the latest release) or a different one? You can check this by going to InDesign > Help > About InDesign. Also, let me know where the affected files are saved. Are they stored locally on your system drive, on an external drive, in a remote location, or in the cloud?

Moreover, please try reproducing the issue in Safe Mode and also after logging into a new local admin user account on your Mac. This helps us rule out any third-party services or user-specific settings that might be interfering. In case it helps, here are a couple of links with steps:
Start up your Mac in safe mode
Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac

Let me know how it goes or if anything's unclear.

Looking forward to your update,
Abhishek

W

wlym

Known Participant

InDesign 20.2 on new M4 MBP with 48GB RAM -- with no pluggins and no fonts in the Document fonts folder -- still laggs for several seconds upon opening a 2 page document with nothing but text. InDesign 19.5.3 does not lag (same document opened at the same time on the same machine). How is this still an issue Adobe? Maybe ask your AI to do something useful instead of mediochre photo background replacements?

S

Sadie5CF8

Participant

Macbook Pro Nov 2023

OS 15.3

Indesign 2025

If I just move the mouse or click on something or try to scroll, I get a spinning wheel for 3-5 seconds. This is nuts.

leo.r

Community Expert

Indesign 2025
By @Sadie5CF8

what's your exact InDesign version - is it updated to 20.1?

S

Sadie5CF8

Participant

Yes, 20.1

C

Craigvs

Participant

InDesign 2025 is horrible. Mine keeps crashing when I click and drag any element. Besides all the lagging and the screen not updating. This has been going for over 4 months now Adobe???

leo.r

Community Expert

InDesign 2025 is horrible. Mine keeps crashing when I click and drag any element.

By @Craigvs

Does it happen when you actually Option-drag an object to make a copy? If so, then it's a known bug in InDesign 20.1. Try to roll back to InDesign 20.0.1 (Creative Cloud app > InDesign > Other Versions menu). Although earlier versions have their own sets of issues.

Also, what's your macOS version?

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

Just a note about an M1 Mac...

With the latest OS update 15.3 and InDesign update 20.1, I am not experiencing any delay.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

M

Manuel27255616t5uh

Participating Frequently

Hey guys – same Problem with an Macbook Pro 16", Nov. 2023 – Apple M3 Max – 64GB

the wheel keeps Spinning on allmost every action since the update to 25.

Thats not wat InDesign should do – FIX ASAP!

M

Manuel27255616t5uh

Participating Frequently

In addition I have to say that we are a Creative Agency – we depend on Adobe working.

My collegues have the same Issues …

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

@Manuel27255616t5uh

Can't you go back to 2024?

C

Carla_L

Participant

I was having the same problem. I couldn't do anything in Indesign 2025 without having to wait ridiculously long for the program to respond. It was using up more than 100% of my CPU. I found out that using PDF images inside of my document was what was causing it. I opened up Photoshop and converted my images to JPGs and created a new Indesign 2025 document with those instead, and no longer have the problem with getting the spinning beach ball all of the time and having very long lags. If you are using Indesign 2025 on a MacBook Pro and it keeps freezing up and not responding, and using up high amounts of your CPU, make sure you are not using PDFs in your document.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

Did you upgrade to 20.1 yet?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

C

Carla_L

Participant

Yes, I updated to 20.1 as one of the things that I did to try to troubleshoot the issue. Unfortunately, updating to 20.1 didn't work. I still had the same problems with high CPU usage, spinning beach ball, program freezing and lagging. However, it does work fine as along as I don't use any PDFs in my document.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

InDesign 2025 (version 20.1)

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/fixed-issues.html

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