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InDesign window hides behind other apps - macOS 26.3.1

Forum|Forum|5 months ago
March 23, 2026
24 replies
481 views

Mac, OS Tahoe 26.3.1 (a)

In the past I have had this problem with Illustrator and Photoshop. Now it sometimes appears with InDesign as well. If I try to drag the active window to another place on my screen, by dragging from the top of the window, it disappears behind all other apps currently open. Oddly, any free floating palettes stay on top. If I can still see a part of the window, I can click on it to bring it back to the front. If not, I have to go to the dock to bring it forward.

Nothing is lost so this is an annoyance rather than a real problem, but why does it happen and why is it now happening with ID as well as the others?

Correct answer Abhishek Rao

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for sharing the details, screen recordings, and all the testing you've done.

I wanted to let you know that I've now logged a bug for this issue, and the product team is actively investigating it. I'll keep this thread updated as soon as I have any progress or news to share.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, could you please test the same workflow on the latest InDesign 21.4.1 build and let us know whether you still experience the issue there? Your feedback will help the team determine whether the behavior is still present in the latest release.

Thanks again for your patience and continued support.

Abhishek

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L

leon12345ss

Participating Frequently

I have the same issue for more than a year. It started with Illustrator but now it does the same thing with Photoshop and InDesign. I have Mac Studio and I am running the latest updates in OS and Adobe apps. As I mentioned it is more than a year, and my older posted in older thredas did not give answers.

simonr21091620

Participating Frequently

I have the exact same problem, trying to drag the window results in clicking through to applications below it.

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @simonr21091620,

Sorry to hear you’re running into this issue, I understand how disruptive it can be. I tested this on Windows 11 and macOS Tahoe 26.3.1 with InDesign 21.3 and wasn’t able to reproduce the behavior on my end.

Could you please confirm if this happens only when using an external monitor and whether things work fine on the primary display. Also, as Anubhav suggested earlier, it would be helpful to try this in Safe Mode on macOS to rule out any interference from desktop or window management utilities.

If the issue still persists, please share the exact InDesign version, your macOS details, and a short screen recording demonstrating the issue so I can check this further with the team.

Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

simonr21091620

Participating Frequently

This describes my problem, It didn't do it under indesign 2025. This is what AI has to say.

InDesign (particularly on macOS) often behaves as if only the extreme left or right edges of the application bar can drag the window, especially when the Application Frame is enabled or when using multiple monitors. This is a known, long-standing issue often referred to as the application frame getting stuck behind the menu bar.

Here are the solutions and workarounds for this behavior:

Immediate Fixes to Drag the Window

Drag from the Far Left: Click and drag in the small, empty area to the left of the "Home" icon in the Application Bar.
Drag from the Far Right: Click and drag on the far-right side of the bar, near the minimize/maximize buttons.
Use Mission Control (Mac): Trigger Mission Control to see all windows, then drag the InDesign window from its title bar to a new position.
Temporary Display Change (Mac): Go to System Settings > Displays and change the resolution to something smaller, then back to default. This often forces the window back into view.

Long-Term Solutions

Disable Application Frame (Mac): Go to Window > Application Frame and uncheck it. This turns InDesign into floating windows, allowing you to drag them by their individual panel title bars.
Reset Workspace: Go to Window > Workspace > Reset [Workspace Name] to restore default docking, which may fix the drag area behavior.
Trash Preferences: Immediately upon launching InDesign, hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or Cmd+Ctrl+Opt+Shift (Mac) to reset user preferences, which can solve erratic window behavior.

If the issue persists, ensure you are using the latest update, as Adobe sometimes fixes these display behaviors in minor updates.

leo.r

Community Expert

I wonder if some of the new window management options of macOS can cause this. They’re in System Settings > Desktop & Dock.

Anubhav M

Community Manager

Hello @SilbStu

I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind sharing more details, such as the version of InDesign installed, whether this started happening after a recent update or when specific apps were open, and a brief screen recording of the problem, so we can better assist you?

Also, try running InDesign under a different administrator account (macOS) and after rebooting your computer in Safe Mode (macOS), and share your observations.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Anubhav

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