Adobe Acrobat Pro DC on Mac freezes not long after opening, regardless of the file and even without

[mrsteveholland]

As per title

Mac OS 10.15.3 (latest version)

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2020.006.20034 (latest version)

The software freezes a few seconds after it opens. It happens with any and all PDF files and even happens if I open the application without a file.

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the software via the Creative Cloud app and it has made no different. The problem still occurs.

Any ideas/suggestions?

[merleg16724931]

Update: This was not a perminate solution. It seems the only way is to kill the "Adobat Acrobat Synchronizer" And that only last for a little.

[Carles5C45]

Hi there! 

I am using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC in my MacBook Air (M1) and have the same issue. The problem fixes if first you open Adoble Creative Cloud, log out your account and log in again. Now, open any PDF file and the program will not freeze. 

The problem is that if you open Adobe Acrobat Reader DC without refreshing your login the program does not synchronize properly with your account nor with the cloud so it freezes. That's why some people get it fixed by quitting the Adobe Cloud Synchronizer. 

Hope it helps! By the way, I don't really know why the **** anyone in the Support Team from Adobe is able to figure out this simple thing and why is this bug even happening. 

[Carles5C45]

The issue has come back after 20min of use. I repeated logging out and in Adobe Creative Cloud and is working again. 

...

[ranpan1990]

You are correct! I have noticed the same exact thing. Works for a little while after logging out. It is really frustrating that there is no fix so far.

Do you know if there is an offical bug report on this?

[thomaspd]

Yep, same here, just started hanging.  Have updated, uninstalled, (I'm not stupid) restarted, logged into and out of the creative cloud and nothing.  Used to be my go-to .pdf, heck it was the best out there but not if it hangs.  Spent hours messing with it and am going to move on to something reliable.  Tried everything listed below.....zip.  Junk and not to be expected from Adobe.  They should be all over this...and no, it isn't the doc, it is non-responsive on EVERYTHING.  

[Chris232651951jwf]

Having the same issue on my work MacBook. I saw this once before a month or so back and then suddenly it resolved itself. If this is related to cloud accounts, is there a chance that it's a server-side issue?

[abhiram234018974tco]

I found a simple workaround!

Do these steps:

1.  force quit the Adobe Acrobat Reader application
2.  right click on any pdf file and open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader application
3.  You'll see a sign-in dialog box
4.  enter your credentials and signin. that's it!

My Adobe Acrobat Reader version: 21.11.20039.0

macos version: 10.15.7

Intel CPU

I tried restarting the Adobe Acrobat Reader application, restarting my laptop, but nothing worked.
(resetting the application preferences using app cleaner also works, but the above workaround is much much better and simpler)

[Pavneet25121783gusz]

The problem is happening when your session has timed out and you open Adobe Acrobat Reader DC directly. The synchronization for the account times out and freezes the reader. The workaround from Abhiram works as expected. Please see the spin dump attached along for more details.

Architecture: x86_64
Processor: Intel
Build: 22.1.20142.0
AGM: 4.30.117
CoolType: 6.2.1
JP2K: 2.0.6.50420

[Kathleen27073214xt1d]

You lose your unsaved edits if you force quit.

[Scott5EE1]

Once I removed Acrobat from my computer, all of my issues went away. I even dusted off an old Mac that was giving me issues and the problems on that machine went away as well once deleting Acrobat. Sad Adobe cannot figure this out.

[michaelm93484798]

Just for the record, I'm having the same problem, Acrobat hangs a few seconds after opening any document on MacOS. It's happing on both a Mac Mini (Intel) and a MacBook Pro (M1), so nothing to do with the chip. Killing the synchroniser doesn't help. Acrobat DC is unuseable on MacOS and I am ditching it for something else...

[Laurent27203909yl12]

I think I found the solution. Within Adobe Acrobat, go to "Preferences," then to "Adobe Online Services," and then unselect "Sync preferences across devices and document services." Seems to have stopped the freezing shortly after starting the app or opening a PDF file. 

[tormodg30836595]

That setting is greyed out on my Mac. I have been unable to use Acrobat Pro for a long time now. Incredible performance from Adobe.

[Susan32834116dxvd]

You'll need to sign in (see top right corner) to be able to un-grey the check box. Unchecking it solved the repeated hanging, spinning beachball of death issue for me. Phew. So frustrating!

[c33079873i2kw]

sadly signed in to account and it's still geyed out for me. Deeply frustrating

[modestojr]

Apparently it will be fixed with the next update but just two months from now.

[soulfab]

Unchecking the "Sync preferences across devices and document services" box totally solved my freezing and lagging issues.  Thanks! 

[modestojr]

Didn't work for me, sadly.

[TiRiCREO snc]

Hello, i had the same problem. I found the solution and solved the issue using this simple guide:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-defau...

After reset predferences, every PDF is opening fine. No more freezes! I use mac os Ventura 13.6.4

[jos5E90]

Apple M3 Max, 15.3.2 (24D81)
Exactly this: adobe acrobat dc 25.001.20432 hangs after startup. I try to log in but I can't log in fast enough to "counteract" that hanging. 
I disinstalled my old acrobat and then installed the new one again and same problem.
This ticket is already open since 2020.  This is a disgrace for Adobe. It is clearly reproducable. 

And they dare to ask money for this? Or ask to make it the main PDF viewer? 

[AnandSri · Accepted solution]

Hello @jos5E90!

I hope you are doing well, and we apologise for the trouble you had with the app.

Please ensure you have the latest version of Acrobat installed on the machine: 25.001.20458 Planned update, Apr 15, 2025. Check for any pending updates from the Menu > help > check for updates, install the updates, restart the app and the machine, and check. For more information, see this: https://adobe.ly/42n8HLl

If the app still freezes with the latest build, please collect the logs from the affected machine and share them with us for further investigation.

Thanks for your time and cooperation.

Anand Sri.

[Goldie 214]

I have just had the displeasure of dealing with John at Adobe support for Acrobat. My system keeps freezing when attempting to open and work with a PDF. This has been going on for some time. During the process John took control of my computer which was great and then everything went down hill. He attempted to repair and then he uninstalled and reinstalled and then said it was fixed when it wasn't. The freeze continued and then when I questioned him on that he went back in and dearmed my security and the 'read all' function. When I questioned him on that he reinstalled these functions. Then he went back and said that he fixed it and all was resolved as he had fixed a glitch. 4X I asked him what the glitch was and he said don't worry about that it is fixed (or something very similar). So I have been lied to, had security dearmed and rearmed and another major function i have paid for removed and put back. AND FURTHER IT STILL f#@%ING FREEZES. Surely there must be some recourse for this. PS it is also happening to my wife. Also John said don't worry I have had a few people with this problem I will fix it. Nope!! Would love to hear from someone from Adobe.

[Tariq Ahmad]

Hi @Goldie 214,

We are truly sorry to hear about your experience, and I appreciate you taking the time to share it in detail.

This clearly wasn’t the support experience you deserved. We sincerely regret the confusion, lack of clarity, and the fact that the core issue — Acrobat freezing — remains unresolved after multiple steps.

Your concerns about security settings being modified and vague explanations being provided are taken seriously. We are escalating this case internally for review, and we want to ensure the root cause of the performance issue is thoroughly investigated.

 To move this forward, here’s what we’d like to do:

1. Collect diagnostic logs

   Please use our Acrobat Diagnostic Utility: Download the Diagnostic Tool

• Run the tool, click Start Diagnostics (make sure Advanced Logging is checked)

• Reproduce the freezing issue

• Then click Stop Monitoring and copy the Log ID

2. Collect crash logs (if applicable)

       📄 How to collect Acrobat crash logs

1. If your wife’s device is also affected, we’d like to gather logs from her setup too.

Also, let us know:

1. Acrobat version installed:   https://adobe.ly/3PQQ7nE
2. OS name and version.

Once we have these details, we will set up a meeting to check the workflow. For example, is Acrobat freezing while editing a PDF, Creating a PDF, etc.?

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team

[Goldie 214]

Can someone please help me?

Goldie 214

Regarding this:

I have just had the displeasure of dealing with John at Adobe support for Acrobat. My system keeps freezing when attempting to open and work with a PDF. This has been going on for some time. During the process John took control of my computer which was great and then everything went downhill. He attempted to repair and then he uninstalled and reinstalled and then said it was fixed when it wasn't. The freeze continued and then when I questioned him on that he went back in and disarmed my security and the 'read all' function. When I questioned him on that he reinstalled these functions. Then he went back and said that he fixed it and all was resolved as he had fixed a glitch. 4X I asked him what the glitch was and he said don't worry about that it is fixed (or something very similar). So I have been lied to, had security disarmed and rearmed and another major function i have paid for removed and put back. AND FURTHER IT STILL f#@%ING FREEZES. Surely there must be some recourse for this. PS it is also happening to my wife. Also John said don't worry I have had a few people with this problem I will fix it. Nope!! Would love to hear from someone from Adobe.

Even the trouble shooting information is hard to follow. We pay you guys nearly $80AUD a month for this (I am sorry to say) Horrible product. I would like direct assistance ASAP.

Grant


[cid:image001.png@01DBFA47.09DA3900]

[Tariq Ahmad]

Hi @Goldie 214, 

We’re sorry to hear about the troubled experience you’ve had while trying to resolve the freezing issue with Acrobat. What you’ve described — including the system access, unclear communication, and unresolved issue — is definitely not the standard we aim to deliver.

We understand how disruptive this can be, especially when you’re paying for a professional tool and not getting the expected performance or support clarity.

Since you also mentioned the same issue affecting your wife’s system, it could point to a broader compatibility or environment-related problem. We’d like to ensure this is properly escalated and handled by someone who can dig deeper and avoid repeating ineffective steps.

We’ll route this to a senior team member who can follow up directly. Thanks again for raising this — feedback like yours helps us improve both our product and support experience.

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team