InDesign 2026 hangs indefinitely at launch. Stuck reaching Adobe font service; opens instantly with internet disabled
InDesign 2026 (version 21.6.0.57) hangs for 80–175 seconds on every launch and then either crashes or has to be force-quit. This happens consistently, on every attempt.
What I've already tried (none fixed it):
- Full uninstall via Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool + clean reinstall (updated from 21.5.1.73 to 21.6.0.57 in the process)
- Deleted InDesign preferences and cache (~/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign, ~/Library/Caches/Adobe InDesign)
- Fully removed Wacom tablet drivers and rebooted
- Validated all fonts in Font Book — no issues found
- Disabled Adobe Fonts / Creative Cloud font sync in preferences — no change
Diagnosis: I captured a macOS hang report (stackshot) during the freeze. It shows the main thread stuck at launch inside:
CInitializer::Register → IDResourceShell::EnumerateResourcesByType → IDFeatureManager::SetFloodGateSDKObj → libtypekitC4Release.dylibThis repeats identically across multiple hang reports (different launch attempts), always in the same font/Typekit-related initialization code, even with Adobe Fonts sync turned off in preferences.
Confirmed cause: When I disable Wi-Fi entirely and launch InDesign, it opens instantly with no hang. With internet on, it hangs every time. This strongly suggests InDesign is making a network call to an Adobe font-activation service at startup that never returns or times out, rather than failing gracefully.
System info:
- macOS 15.7.7 (24G720)
- MacBook Pro (MacBookPro15,2), Intel
- InDesign 21.6.0.57 (21600)
Can you advise on how to fix this without needing to launch with internet disabled every time?
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