I don't know what this floating panel is but I can't figure out how to hide it

[Russell241955630vsb]

I have this little floating panel all of a sudden and can't figure out how to hide it. I'll try and describe it. On the far left is a home button, next to it says Adobe InDesign 2023, to the right has a light bulb symbol and a blue share button, then my workspace name. then an Adobe Stock search bar. Its getting annoying just floating around. Its a horizontal skinny panel.

[Derek Cross · Accepted solution]

Try: Window > Application Frame

[Julian31626583zuh5]

Thank you Derek Cross! been looking months for this.

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

Hi @Russell241955630vsb:

Window > Application Frame on a Mac makes the Adobe apps behave more like Windows.

Long time Mac users tend to turn it off so that they can see their desktop, and if you do that, and then if you undock the Application Bar as you did in your screen shot, the Application Bar will float and get in the way. If you are a new Mac user, and would prefer your Mac to act more like Windows, then definitely go ahead and re-enable the Application Frame, as per Derek. That will take care of it.

Or if you disabled the Application Frame on purpose, you can just redock the Application Bar by dragging it up to the menu bar. Release the mouse when you see the blue horizontal bar. 

~Barb

[andyd13592988]

So my choices are:

• Work in the application frame (hate it).

• A floating bar that I never use blocks screen content.

• A docked bar that I never use wastes space.

Why force this one specific bit of non-critical interface on users who don't want it?

Great job.

[leo.r]

• A floating bar that I never use blocks screen content.

By @andyd13592988

Yes, it's a long-standing complaint. In the meantime, you can move the bar somewhere to a bottom corner so that most of the bar is beyond the display boundaries. This way it stays pretty much hidden.

There's also a way to hide the home bar by editing some settings file. I'll post it if I find it, but it's a messy process that doesn't always work.

[leo.r]

p.s. you can also vote for this request here:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/40086700-ju...

in the top reply there you can also find a link to the solution i mentioned above.

[andyd13592988]

Yeah, I had stashed it at the bottom right corner and forgotten about it, then I wondered what was covering up the bottom of my scroll bar and got annoyed again when I saw what it was.  🙂

[dieverdog]

Yes, I'm having this issue as well. It takes up too much space at the top and then I can't see/use my bottom scroll bar. If it's at the right at some point it gets in the way of the vertical scroll bar. It is not useful and should be able to be turned off. I never used to have this issue!

[Jennifer378815629mgc]

I stumbled upon a workaround...

Reset your workspace to "Essentials" and the annoying bar goes away.

Then open up all the tool panels you usually use, and save that as a custom workspace.

Enjoy the additional screen space you used to take for granted before this annoying 'feature' was added.

[Barb Binder]

Hi @Jennifer378815629mgc:

Just a quick clarification: resetting a workspace does not impact the floating Home bar which was what the OP asked about. This is a Mac-only issue because on Windows, the Home bar is integrated into the Menu bar. See labeled images, below.

Windows

Mac

As per the answers marked as correct above, redocking it or re-enabling the Application Frame takes care of the floating Home bar issue. 

Based on your suggested workaround, I think you are referring to the Control Panel—which can also become undocked (Mac or Windows) and get in the way. You can hide it or show it using Window > Control, and if you intend to use it but it is blocking content, you can redock it manually or restore any of the workspaces beside Essentials, which is the only one that hides it initially (out of the fear that all of the controls will intimidate a new user).

 

Restoring the Essentials workspace does restore the panels to the way InDesign a new user will see it after they install the application, and this includes hiding the Control panel and showing the Properties panel, which is a simpler variation of the Control panel—context sensitive controls for the selected object—but only offering commands that a new user might be looking for. I teach my intro students to use the Control panel from the beginning, but InDesign gives us options, and that includes preferring the Properties panel over the Control panel.

~Barb