Contextual Task Bar InDesign

[vevegirl13]

Okay, I don't know if anyone else has this problem; however, I keep having it, and it's really annoying and frustrating because for some reason the Contextual Task Bar in Illustrator or InDesign keeps acting up by only moving in one place up and down not all over the screen like it should be and I've tried to save all my stuff, exit out, and reopen as well as turning it off in the Window section of both applications and nothing and I have no idea how to fix this so if anyone knows a permant solution to this please tell me cause I'm lost and I would really appericate it so much! Thanks so much in advance!

-vevegirl13

[Barb Binder]

Hi @vevegirl13:

I can't tell if you want it off or on. 

What version of InDesign are you using, exactly?

What operating system are you using, exactly?

Is this new behavior for InDesign?

~Barb

[Eugene Tyson]

I just leave it off - no use for it really, seems superflous and counter-intuitive, my workspace is clean, with panels required docked and only thing I want to see on the pages when I'm working is stuff on the pages. I don't like panels floating about obstructing the page, that's just me. 

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If it's not behaving as expected

Try resetting your preferences:

InDesign 19.3 and newer go to Preferences > General > and click on "Reset Preferences on Quit" and then quit and restart.

Or
Windows: Start InDesign, and then press Shift+Ctrl+Alt. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference files.
macOS: While pressing Shift+Option+Command+Control, start InDesign. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference files.
A dialog will appear asking to delete the InDesign Preferences, select 'Yes' on this dialog.



More in-depth cleanse of preferences

https://helpx.adobe.com/in/indesign/kb/indesign-preferences-support-file-locations.html

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Reinstalling rarely fixes everything - you can do a complete reinstall using the
Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

[melissapiccone]

I have the same issue - it's stuck on the wrong screen and only moves up and down. It's been happening for a while in both 2025 and 2026. I need it to teach live classes and record training.

[Barb Binder]

Well hello, @melissapiccone !

Try this link: https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-rebuilding-preferences-cache/ or follow Eugene's link. 

~Barb

[Pariah Burke]

I turn it on only to teach the generative AI features in InDesign. I turn it off for everything else. Like the Content Grabber, Content Collector, and (half the time) the Properties panel, the Contextual Task Bar is just another thing that makes InDesign harder for new users to learn.

[melissapiccone]

@Pariah Burke Pariah - I don't disagree with you at all - I don't use it in InDesign... but it should still behave properly. 

@Barb Binder Barb - just resetting prefs with the button did nothing. Renaming the folders made it go away completey, lol. Now I can't get it to show up at all. And - wish I could have seen your face in person last week!