Critical InDesign Hotfix Available – Update Your InDesign to Ensure Continued Feature Access

[Abhishek Rao]

Hello InDesign Users,

We are making important updates to how certain features in Adobe InDesign are supported. Without the update, certain features may not function as intended in some versions. To ensure a smooth and uninterrupted experience, we have released critical hotfix updates for the impacted InDesign versions.

Update the App Try out the latest Features and Enhancements in InDesign.

Update InDesign

What you need to do:

Please install the appropriate hotfix version by following these steps:

• Open InDesign and go to Help > About InDesign to check your current version
• Open the Creative Cloud Desktop app
• Go to the Apps section
• Find the InDesign card and click the three dots (•••)
• Select Other Versions
• Locate the latest version available for your InDesign release
• Click Install

We understand this may require a few extra steps, but applying the hotfix update is important to maintain full access to all features.

Let us know if you have any questions.

If this was helpful, please click the Upvote icon in the top left corner of this post. Your feedback helps us improve the experience. Thank you!

Have questions? Click 'Reply' below to ask.

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[elmethra_clarisa]

and it still crashes. 

I work on 4 magazines a month by myself and can't afford crashes, corrupting or damaging files or spend time troubleshooting....

I export and then update text on Google drive using a plugin called Docsflow.

Usually it's when I'm updating or tweaking the text that's linked, that crashes that occur.

Sometimes the crashes are random. I usually have 3 magazines open simultaneously. Please may i have some sound advice on how to manage? I have fonts that are all fine. 

[sharon_creative_studio]

Same here - I've lost 2 days this week and shockingly poor support 

[TᴀW]

Something is strange about the wording of this message. At first you say, "We are making important updates to how certain features in Adobe InDesign are supported." So the update fixes HOW certain features are supported. So this is not a bug fix.

But then you say, "but applying the hotfix update is important to maintain full access to all features" – so that kind of sounds like it is a bug fix.

Anyway, can we have a few more details about what this hotfix does to InDesign, so we can decide whether we really want to install it or not?

[TᴀW]

Gemini expresses it better than I did, perhaps:

The message states that "without the update, certain features may not function as intended," which implies that the update is crucial for the software to work correctly. However, it then calls the update a "hotfix." A hotfix is typically a patch for a specific, urgent bug. The word "critical" is used, but the overall message is unclear about what, exactly, is being fixed. It doesn't specify which features are impacted or what the specific problem is.

This creates a contradictory situation where a "critical hotfix" is presented as a necessary measure for future functionality, rather than as a solution for a current, known problem. This leaves the user wondering if the software is already broken, or if it's an update to prevent it from breaking later. The lack of specific details makes the announcement vague and potentially concerning to users who rely on the software for their work."

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @TAW,

Thanks for calling this out. To clarify, the hotfix is not just a bug patch but an important update to ensure that all current features in InDesign continue to function properly moving forward. Some underlying platform changes mean that without the hotfix, certain features may not behave as expected in older versions.

So while the wording might feel like a mix of 'critical' and 'hotfix', the key point is that installing it makes sure your version stays stable and fully functional. If you're already on the latest major release, you're covered, but if you're on one of the impacted versions, applying the hotfix will prevent any interruptions.

I'd recommend updating through the Creative Cloud Desktop app to stay on the safe side. 

Best,

Abhishek 

[TᴀW]

Thanks for trying to clarify.

It's still strange.

I have old versions of InDesign installed on Windows 11 and functioning fine. I really don't want to update or touch them.

Now you're saying that Adobe really wants me to update them so they continue to work "going forward"?

Going forward where? Why shouldn't it stay stable and fully functional?

Has Adobe anticipated a Windows upgrade issue that will prevent old versions of InDesign working?

(Maybe it's an Adobe licensing thing? Are you planning to change your licensing system, and previous versions will continue to work even if the customer stops paying, unless they update their old versions to be compatible with the new licensing system?)

Whatever, it's a bit of a weird announcement, is all I'm saying. Never heard of such a thing before.

[Brandon30664457a7lw]

Yeah, my INDD on MacOS is working fine, and I just got this hotfix message. (Which brings me to the creative cloud app that says "everything is up to date". No indication of the process described here in this post, quite confusing).

This leaves me at a crossroad - do I update because of this weird ominous message despite everything seeming to be fine, and risk new bugs? Or do I simply wait until the next big update that I actually want to apply?

[Brandon30664457a7lw]

lol actually as soon as I left that comment, I went through the three-dot menu as described, and I'm already on the latest version. Nothing but old versions exist for me to apply. Yet for some reason, INDD is prompting me to update with a big scary bar at the bottom of my document, similar to the one that appeared to warn folks of .ttf's going away. 

[BobLevine]

The only choice in the desktop app for me is to uninstall the latest version. I'm sorry, but none of this makes much sense at all to me.

[nikunj.m]

Hi all, 

We're sorry if the messaging caused any confusion. We’ve recently updated our apps to align with enhancements made to our backend infrastructure, which manages the visibility of certain features within the app. These updates were essential to ensure a seamless and reliable experience.

We truly appreciate your continued support.

Thanks, 

Nikunj

[Doc Maik]

The original post is from 21st of August, which is way after the release date of 20.5. I have 20.5 installed and the Cloud Client doesn't offer an update, also no hotfix. So what version are we supposed to update to?

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Doc Maik,

Thanks for reaching out. If you've already updated InDesign after August 28th, you should be all set, no further action is needed. This post was mainly to inform users about a backend change that could affect how certain features work in older installations. Reinstalling or updating ensures that these backend updates are properly applied. We always recommend staying on the latest version to make sure your app continues to run smoothly with full feature access.

Best,
Abhishek

[Brandon30664457a7lw]

What backend change?

What certain features? How would they be affected?

How old of installations? 

Your customers cannot make an informed descision when you are being so cagey about what the actual issue is. 

[Peter Spier]

Maybe you shouold tell us what these features are that may not function going forward...

[wnwka]

What a shitshow, these app's evolving backwards. Waiting for a hotfix on those prices.

[Randy Hagan]

Nah. Rather than upvote this I'll just tell you this isn't helpful at all.

What features are you disabling without this (mandatory? compelled?) hotfix?

For that matter, what, if anything, are you actually fixing with this hotfix?

This post has been up for three weeks and you're playing the sphinx about this.

I've got production clients running IDCC 2024 because the latest version of InDesign is so problematic.

Are you going to break their older, functional version of InDesign because they don't want to deal with the bugs and performance problems of the new one? Do you really think that's going to help?

I've already got clients asking me about alternatives to InDesign because they're tired of the problems they're having. This kind of messaging doesn't make advocating for Adobe and supporting my clients any easier.

Please. Come clean. So we can come clean with our clients.

Randy

[Peter Spier]

Amen

[Stellar_Wonderland5049]

Adobe has released a critical hotfix for InDesign to ensure continued access to certain features.

:wrench: What to do:

1. Open InDesign → Help > About InDesign to check your version

2. Open Creative Cloud Desktop

3. Go to Apps > InDesign > ••• > Other Versions

4. Install the latest hotfix version

Applying this update is essential to avoid feature disruptions.

[sharon_creative_studio]

I contacted you yesterday following the crash and loss of critical work and Deepak cut me off having put extra files on my computer without consent - I asked for a list of file names so that I could delete them and I asked for guidance on restoring lost image links. The missing font issue I fixed myself. Shocking support. Your hotfix for me does not show other items in the dotted menu. I've restarted the mac and things like central alignment, layering and other essentials simply do not work.  I should have gone to press yesterday with our main magazine and tomorrow with our suppliment and nothing is working! Step up and support your customers! I have not received a single correspondence from you on this and I've even filled in the feedback - which as you can surmise wasn't great.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @sharon_creative_studio,

I'm really sorry to hear about your experience and the trouble you've been facing with InDesign. I checked on this, and it looks like your previous case was closed after things started working again following a restart, but I'd still like to make sure everything is running smoothly for you now. Could you please confirm the version of InDesign and macOS you're currently using? 

Please also try manually resetting InDesign preferences and then relaunching the app to check if your tools and alignment functions are restored. Ref: Reset InDesign Preferences. 

If the problem continues, please share a short screen recording or a few screenshots showing what's missing, so I can look into it further. 

Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

[ceilr]

I am lost so am coming here and hope you can help.

I am on the community page; it says "Welcome to the Community."  But, I >do not see< anything to clock on to ask a question to the InDesign community.

I came to the Community page via the Help menu in InDesign on Creative Cloud.  All I see are questions, not where to post a question.

I have to say that, while I come to the Community infrequently, the screen appearance often changes in between and I have to figure out how to post a question every time.  I am desperate for consistency.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Randy Hagan]

It's there, but it's not especially clear. And you're actually very close to what you're looking for:

Just above that Welcome to the community tagline is a gray edit box with a magnifying glass and an edit box where you can search for previous posts on a given topic or enter a subject for the question you want to ask. It's just my assumption, but I think Adobe combines the two functions to encourage you to look and see if the question you want to ask has already been answered.

Once you type your subject into the edit box, it will show you previous posts that are most related to the info you typed, along with two buttons that will let you either 1) see More search results, which opens a longer list of associated posts to what you typed, or 2) open the form that shows up when you click on the Post to community button.

Clicking the Post to community button opens up the form where you can fill in the header you want to grab attention, and the text you'll use to ask your question.

Please do us all a favor. If this answers your question, click on the Correct Answer hyperlink at the bottom of my post. This alerts the moderators to archive this thread for other folks who may ask the same question or similar issues.

Hope this helps,

Randy