InDesign 2025 Lagging on MacBook Air with M3 Chip

[Tronski]

Something terrible happened after InDesign upgrade to 2025 version, MacOS's spinning beach ball spins every time the cursor moves, and InDesign is lagging soooo badly (I work on MBA 15” M3, RAM 24GB, macOS Sequoia 15.0.1). Have you experienced something like this? Is there any solution for this?

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[Ranessa]

Yes have had no other problems since I removed all the 2025 updates from my computer and reinstalled 2024. Everything is working fast and as smoothly as before. There’s something wrong in the 2025 update.

Hope this helps!

[wotUwant]

I am very happy with the Mac OS. All other Adobe Apps – and other vendors' apps – are working as expected, I do not believe Adobe are even following this thread, as it has been well over a month now without comment from them or a solution to the issue. Many years ago I remember this kind of experience with Quark Xpress – when I and many others migrated to Adobe. Adobe needs to know how much designers love and rely on this package, perhaps they will spend some time on it then. However, that being said, I do not need regular updates, I just need the ones they upload to be fully tested.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@wotUwant

By any chance you've Magnet app installed? Turn it off.

[wotUwant]

Thank you for your message, interesting, but no I do not – unsure why I'd need it to be honest.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Thank you for your message, interesting, but no I do not – unsure why I'd need it to be honest.

By @wotUwant

I'm not a Mac user but a lot of people are using this app and reported instant fix after disabling it. Maybe not always related to the overall slowdown of InDesign - but sometimes it helped. 

[hm zurigo]

same with me: Mac mini M2 16gb RAM, indesign 2025 is extremely slow. Preferences are deleted, screen preview switched off, taskbar hidden. But ID 2024 works perfectly.

[terris98348581]

Just purchased an iMac, 4 series chip, 32gb, 1T and InDesign is extremely slow. I'm working on a large book file and when I scroll down a few pages it takes the screen several seconds to catch up. The pages window stays white for a while then will visually kick in. Have only had the computer for 4 days. Not sure if this iMac can handle the demands of CS or is it an ID issue? Not happy with the performance of either: the new computer or the 2025 upgrade. My 9 year old desktop and 2024 version was less problematic and efficient. 

[Ranessa]

I bet if you take all the 2025 updates off and reinstall 2024 it will all be good. Had the same problem. Very frustrating.
Sent from my iPhone

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@terris98348581

Right now, downgrading to 2024 / 19.5 is the best solution.

[wotUwant]

Hang in there, your Mac will not be the issue, you have bought a really superb, high spec,  iMac – especially with the new series M4 chip, I am positive it is the 2025 InDesign upgrade, this has been going on for quite a while now without any suport from Adobe. The 2024 InDesign works very well on Sequoia 15.1.1, I am currently working on two large books and I have not had an issue since I reverted to 2024.

[HD Schellnack]

It's not your new machine, it's 2025, we all have the same problem, 2024 version runs perfectly, but ID20 is a mess – even after an .1 update, so far no fix for the lagging issues. Indesign per se is not a problem at all for the M1—M4 SoCs, although GPU-usage by Adobe and working in high-res mode still isn't as smooth as it could be with these chips. 

[Laubender]

Hi @HD Schellnack and all experiencing the lag,

are you working with Document Fonts folders where the specific font files are stored and made available with your projects?

Just an idea what could cause the lags…

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[HD Schellnack]

Dear Uwe, same for both scenarios: I usually do not have the pfm/pfbs anymore in the old fonts folder (which will be missed, switching off old type-1-support will be a real pain and legal grey area), but I also opened an archived file with a /document fonts folder, no difference. The usual setting is OTF installed via the regular fonts management of MacOS. Works fine with 19, 20 is laggy even after the first update. Which is weird especially as there is no new features that should cause this, the new-KI-stuff is on top and doesn't seem to be the cause, it's a text-render/font-issue, at least it seems that way. It is pretty much the same regardless of the machine (MBP/Studio), couldn't say if 20 works on Intel-Macs. 

[thomas schweiger]

Hi Uwe, i am also not working with Document Fonts folders but am still experiencing the issues as many other mac users – i am still using inDesign2024 since it runs flawless

Best Regards, Thomas