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Answered

InDesign blank window when switching displays

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
February 1, 2024
168 replies
16288 views

When having a file open in InDesign 2024 on my Macbook Pro (Sonoma 14.2.1 OS), close the lid, plug into my LG UltraFine external monitor and wake the computer up, the InDesign window is still open and all the tool bars are visible and working, but the area where the artwork is becomes black/blank and I can't see the work. I can see the bounding boxes if I select all, but no image or text. The window is entirely blank. The same thing happens if I'm working on my LG monitor, unplug the display and then open the Macbook to work. I always have my Macbook closed when plugged into the LG display and use both an external keyboard and trackpad. The solution is to always save, quit InDesign and reopen. If I go through that it works again. Is it a bug with Apple? Is it a bug with Adobe?

My LG firmware, OS and Adobe InDesign are all updated to the latest versions.

Correct answer James3830878120u7

I don’t want to speak too soon but… I think this might finally be fixed? For the first time in years, I was able to switch monitors without the blank screen issue. I’m on a 2021 M1 macbook pro running MacOS 27.0.1 / InDesign version 21.6

*edit: oops didn’t see Abhishek’s post from two weeks ago - platform won’t let me delete my post, but anyway, confirming it’s fixed for me

J

James3830878120u7Correct answer

Participant

I don’t want to speak too soon but… I think this might finally be fixed? For the first time in years, I was able to switch monitors without the blank screen issue. I’m on a 2021 M1 macbook pro running MacOS 27.0.1 / InDesign version 21.6

*edit: oops didn’t see Abhishek’s post from two weeks ago - platform won’t let me delete my post, but anyway, confirming it’s fixed for me

prop281218

Participating Frequently

This bug is STILL present in the latest 21.5.1 version…. September 2026. Over two years this has existed, while every release adds some more novelty no one needs.

J

JEHD

Participant

I’m still having this issue -- am running 21.5.1 with an Apple Cinema Display. I’m so tired of having to close and reopen InDesign documents anytime my system goes to sleep -- or when I’ve switched to another app temporarily.

nik.m

Community Manager

Hi @JEHD, we’re sorry about the experience. The product team is working on a fix. Please stay tuned.

Could you please let us know the operating system version you’re using? We’ll add this information to the investigation.

Thanks,
Nikunj

J

JEHD

Participant

Sequoia 15.6.1

bread_first

Participating Frequently

I am on version 21.5.1 Adobe InDesign
I am on an Apple Macbook M4 Max
I am running Mac OS Tahoe 26.6.1 (25G76)
My external monitor is an Apple XDR Display
The issue persists both when I am working on my display, as well as on my laptop (disconnected from the display)—so it is not a monitor specific issue
At this point, I am having to quit and reopen InDesign about 8 times a day—basically every time I step away from my computer for more than 5 minutes.
Turning off GPU performance affects how colours are displayed. As a design professional, this is an absolute no for me. It also affects zoom functionality, and I find it makes the overall performance of InDesign very frustrating—so I end up quitting and reopening.

This issue has been around for more than two years, and it needs to be resolved! Adobe, please reach out if you need more information on the issue being experienced.

Thank you.

Anubhav M

Community Manager

Hello @bread_first

I’m sorry to hear you’re still having trouble with this. Kindly allow me some time to check this with the team. We will update this thread as soon as we have more info.

Anubhav

S

Susanne Sorgenfrey

Participant

Hi Abhishek,

I’m still experiencing exactly the same issue described in this thread.

I’m working on a Mac Studio with macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 and the latest version of InDesign. I always install the latest macOS and Adobe updates.

The problem is still the same: after leaving an InDesign document open and inactive for some time, the layout area eventually turns completely grey. Usually the only way to recover is to save, close and reopen the document.

Since Adobe confirmed in June 2025 that this had been logged as a bug and was being investigated, I wanted to ask whether there has been any progress since then.

Has this bug been fixed in a recent InDesign version, or is it still being investigated?

If there is a bug number or any current status information, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you!

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @Susanne Sorgenfrey,

Thanks for checking in, and sorry you're still experiencing this issue. The issue is still under investigation, and the product team has asked affected users to test the behavior in the latest InDesign 21.5.1.

Could you please update to 21.5.1 and let us know whether the blank/grey document issue still occurs on your setup? I'll keep the thread updated as we learn more.

Thanks,
Abhishek

islamfarid

Participating Frequently

Hi,

I updated to 21.5.1 and still have the same issues. Many of the issues seem to be related to the GPU with macOS and Apple Silicon, like flickering, weird text artifacts when scrolling, and when I update a paragraph style, the new text appears over the old text for a few seconds and I have to zoom in or out to render the updated text properly. It feels like I'm using an early app in an alpha phase, not even beta. I have a powerful machine, but the software is slow and glitchy.

Please invest more in this. The app is barely usable now!!

Thanks

B

btrhodes

Inspiring

Is Adobe actually working on this bug? IMHO It’s a serious issue… I’ve been experiencing this for what feels like over a year. Workarounds aren’t solutions, just more work.

This should remain an open ticket and conversation/issue and not marked as ‘answered’ because there isn’t a fix yet. TWO YEARS and still plaguing users workflows.

appreciate you staying with this and reporting back, @Abhishek Rao

Anubhav M

Community Manager

Hi @btrhodes,

Sorry you're still running into this. The bug is under active investigation with the product team, and I'll update this thread as soon as I have new information to share.

Feel free to reach out if anything changes on your end in the meantime.

Anubhav

islamfarid

Participating Frequently

Any update. I have the same issue on M5 Pro MacBook and the text frame flickering. I just upgraded my system and my investment is wasted with buggy software!!!!!

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @islamfarid,

Sorry you're still experiencing this issue. The bug is still under investigation, and the product team is actively working on a fix.

I'll be sure to keep this thread updated as soon as I have any new information.

Thanks for your patience!

Abhishek

Javier Gómez Laínez

Inspiring

Bug still present in latest version of MacOS Tahoma… So not sure if the product team is working on a fix or simply relying in us users to toggle GPU acceleration off anytime the bug shows...

A

Advl

Participant

I have this issue since the release of GPU performance. It has been addressed several times already and still no fix in sight. Disabling GPU performance is a workaround, not a fix. We’d like to be able to fully make use of the faster display that GPU performance allows.

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @Advl,

Sorry to hear you're still experiencing this issue. I understand how frustrating it is. This is a known bug, and the product team is actively working on a fix. However, they have not been able to consistently reproduce it on their end, so additional details would be very helpful.

Could you please share your exact macOS version, InDesign version/build, and the steps that reliably reproduce the issue on your machine? If possible, please also include a short screen recording showing the behavior from the moment you connect/disconnect the external display (or wake the Mac after switching displays) until the document area turns blank. This will help the team verify the behavior and continue the investigation.

Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

A

Advl

Participant

macOS 26.5.1, InDesign 21.4.1, MacBook M1 Pro. Steps: external monitor is main display and connected via HDMI. Put the MacBook to sleep and disconnect the external monitor. Wake up the computer > the application window switches to the built-in display and the layout disappears.

Sometimes, even after these steps, the bug doesn’t occur immediately. If so, click the Zoom button on the application window (with the green + sign), and the layout should definitely disappear.

K

Karbo222

Participant

this happens ALL of the time- for months. It’s really frustrating!!

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