Inspiring

Answered

InDesign 2025(version 20.3) Selection not working(mac only)

Forum|Forum|10 months ago
March 3, 2025
9 replies
6151 views

I am trying to use the new 2025 version of InDesign - but it is really unusable. Running latest version (20.3) on Macos (15.4). Mac Studio with M2 Max CPU and 32 GB memory.

One major issue I am having is that when I select a text box, it will actually not select the box until I move the mouse again. I click the box and nothing happens. When I start moving the mouse - it suddenly gets selected. If I do not move the mouse - nothing is selected - until I move the mouse. This makes it impossible to use.

I've seen some tip on Document Font folder or Contextual Task Bar or Magnet app - but none of those are relevant for me.

InDesign 2024 version (19.5.2) works fine and it does not have these issues.

I did a test on my Macbook Pro (Apple Silicon) - and no issue there - even using the same mouse as on the Mac Studio.

I see some posts that Adobe has fixed InDesign with latest update - but that is definitely not correct...

I uploaded a video to YouTube showing the issue. In the video one can see the pointer icon changing to the selection symbol when I actually click, but as you can see, the text box is not actually selected until I move the pointer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erPZA0_w7gM

Any ideas?

Bug

Correct answer Abhishek Rao

Thanks for helping out. I tried HDMI directly - but no difference there.

BUT I think I might have found something. I have another external monitor that I tried - and that worked fine. I saw in preferences that it says "Compatible GPU and Monitor detected". So with this monitor it can actually use GPU. But what is even more interesting is that if I disable GPU (remove checkmark in "GPU Performance" - then the bug is back! So it seems that this bug is present if GPU is not used in InDesign - either by having some incompatible monitor (as it seems I have) or by disabling GPU. So maybe you are able to reproduce by disabling GPU Performance in your settings too.

Additionally:

Also, I think I originally wrote that Indesign Preferences stated that it said "Compatible GPU and Monitor not detected" under GPU. But when testing now with original monitor it says "Compatible GPU and Monitor detected". I am not sure if it said that originally also - and that I read wrong. But what is strange is that even if it says that GPU and monitor is compatible now (both with and withough dongle), the "GPU Performance" is disable, but the checkbox is greyed out - so I am not able to turn GPU on! So it is kind of in a "middle state" where it thinks HW is compatible, but I am not allowed to turn it on. And that is probably why it show the same bug as if I turn it off when I tested with the new monitor. But is is really strange that Indesign cannot use GPU properly with this monitor - it is an Eizo CS240 monitor, which works fine with GPU in other Adobe apps.

Hi @Stein99,

Thanks a lot for the detailed follow-up.

I was actually able to reproduce the issue on my end with InDesign 20.3 on macOS when GPU Performance is disabled. So yes, you're absolutely right, this bug seems to be triggered when GPU is off.

I'll go ahead and log a bug for this and will keep you posted with any updates I receive from the product team. Really appreciate you sharing all your findings.

Let me know if you come across anything else in the meantime!

Abhishek

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

@Abhishek Rao I installed version 20.4 when it recently was released, but it was not fixed in that release either. Do you have any ETA on the fix for this issue? Version 2025 (20.x) is not usable because of this - and I am stuck with using version 2024 (19.x).

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @Stein99,

I wanted to let you know that our product team has already worked on this and the fix is available in the latest InDesign 20.5 release. Please update to 20.5 and give it a try, it should resolve the selection issue you've been experiencing when GPU performance is off.

Do let me know how it goes once you've had a chance to test on your setup.

Best,
Abhishek

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

I can confirm that the fix is working in 20.5 - thanks!

But there is an issue which I think is related - that still is an issue. When zooming in/out using mouse wheel+Opt key, sometimes the document is not refreshed until mouse is moved after zooming (it shows the old zoom level). This is kind of the same issue as here - where the selection was not done until mouse was moved. Can I send you a document that has this issue for you to investigate/reproduce?

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Sanyam Talwar

Community Manager

@cyclopsdx The issue is fixed in InDesign 2024 v19.5.3 and later versions. Also, please update to InDesign 2025 v20.3.1 as it contains critical bug fixes.

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

@Sanyam Talwar The issue IS NOT fixed in 20.4. I am still stuck with 19.x.

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defaulttdqpgd7j97yv

Participating Frequently

It is absolutely not fixed here either. Very disapointing.

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cyclopsdx

Inspiring

Updated to 20.3.1 today and, oh my word, yet another issue. With GPU switched off, when selecting an item (picture box, text box, etc.) it doesn't show up as selected BUT when you move the cursor away from the selected item it immediately shows the item as selected. When GPU switched on, this issue doesn't occur BUT the previous problem does! This version is so, so bad.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Brainiac

Updated to 20.3.1 today and, oh my word, yet another issue. With GPU switched off, when selecting an item (picture box, text box, etc.) it doesn't show up as selected BUT when you move the cursor away from the selected item it immediately shows the item as selected. When GPU switched on, this issue doesn't occur BUT the previous problem does! This version is so, so bad.

By @cyclopsdx

There was at least one thread recently, with exactly the same problem.

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cyclopsdx

Inspiring

Hello @cyclopsdx,

Would you mind sharing some more details, like the exact version of the OS, system config (CPU/GPU/Memory), if Illustrator behaves this way with all files, and a screen recording of the problem, so I can better assist you with this?

Also, check if you have any plugins/window managers enabled, and temporarily disable them, and share your observations.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav

Hi @Anubhav M

Here's my system config below. This is actually an InDesign issue, hence posting in this thread.

I've also included a screen recording of the software behaviour.

It's really not great, is it? We're trying to run businesses here and these constant problems aren't helping.

Regards

Eddie

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @Stein99,

Thanks for the update! Please toggle the 'Automatic graphics switching' option in your system preferences. You can find it under System Preferences > Battery > Automatic graphics switching. This could help with the GPU detection issue and potentially resolve the lag you're seeing when selecting objects in InDesign. Reference: https://adobe.ly/4d4waok.

Once you've had a chance to try this, let me know how it goes.

Abhishek

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

The issue is not on my Macbook Pro - there it actually works. The issue is on my Mac Studio - and there are no GPU settings for auto switching there.

And it is not really a lag either - if I select an object - it will never actually select it until I move my mouse. So there seems to be missing a "redraw event" when I click and object, and the mouse moving forces a redraw event.

There must be some difference between 2024 and 2025 versions in how screen drawing are done - since it works fine in 2024 version.

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @Stein99,

Thanks for the clarification! I initially suggested checking the graphics switching option since you mentioned it works fine on your MacBook Pro (Apple Silicon), so I assumed the issue might be on an Intel-based Mac. Could you please confirm the connection type you're using with the monitor(is it via Type-C or HDMI)? If possible, try switching the connection and let me know if that changes anything. Also, please share the make and model of the monitor.

To help isolate the issue further, does this behavior occur only with a specific file, or are you seeing it across all documents, including newly created ones? It would also be helpful to test InDesign in safe mode and under a new local admin user account to see if the issue still occurs. Here are the steps to try that:

https://adobe.ly/4jYLTYg
https://adobe.ly/4jSYprY

Additionally, could you confirm whether the affected file is stored locally on your system drive or being accessed from an external drive, remote server, or cloud location?

Let me know your observations.

Looking forward to your update!
Abhishek

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

I see that in preferences under GPU it says: "Compatible GPU and Monitor not detected". Can this be related somehow?

Robert at ID-Tasker

Brainiac

Are you using Magnet app?

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

No, I am not using Magnet app

Barb Binder

Community Expert

Hi @Stein99:

I'm not seeing this. Have you tried rebuilding cache/preferences?

~Barb

M1 Max 64 GB macOS 15.4.1

InDesign 20.3

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

@Barb Binder Yes, tried to rebuild cache/preferences. No help. I think I even tried reinstalling the whole app.

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cyclopsdx

Inspiring

Since the numerous problems I was encountering with 20.2 I have been using 19.5.2 version for weeks and I have LITERALLY just opened up my files this morning and this issue has started. It seems to be older (2023-ish) files. Luckily I had the idml vesions to hand and when I opened those I didn't get the issue. I've resaved the .idml files as .indd where I can but I've also just noticed a 19.5.3 bug fix available - does this resolve the issue? Madness that this is only just happening for me when I've been using it for weeks with no problems.

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

I am trying to use the new 2025 version of InDesign - but it is really unusable. Running latest version (20.1) on latest Macos (15.3.1). Mac Studio with M2 Max CPU and 32 GB memory.

One major issue I am having is that when I select a text box, it will actually not select the box until I move the mouse again. I click the box and nothing happens. When I start moving the mouse - it suddenly gets selected. If I do not move the mouse - nothing is selected - until I move the mouse. This makes it impossible to use.

I've seen some tip on Document Font folder or Contextual Task Bar or Magnet app - but none of those are relevant for me.

I had to downgrade to 2024 version (19.5.2) which don't have these issues and are usable.

I did a test on my Macbook Pro (Apple Silicon) - and no issue there - even using the same mouse as on the Mac Studio.

I see some posts that Adobe has fixed InDesign with latest update - but that is definitely not correct...

I uploaded a video to YouTube showing the issue. In the video one can see the pointer icon changing to the selection symbol when I actually click, but as you can see, the text box is not actually selected until I move the pointer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erPZA0_w7gM

Any ideas?

leo.r

Community Expert

It looks like you're describing a bug that was introduced in InDesign 20.1 (there are multiple recent threads about similar issues). Try to revert to InDesign 20.0.1 (CC app > InDesign > Other Versions menu). Also, InDesign 20.2 has just been released today although it's not available in all countries yet.

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Stein99Author

Inspiring

~~Yes, seems like you are correct. It works fine in 20.0.1. Lets hope it is fixed in the new version - does not seem that I have access to it yet though.~~

@leo.rUnfortunately, the bug still exists in 20.2.

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