Need InDesign 16.4 installer for macOS Catalina 10.15.7

[junnajourney_9436]

Hello everyone,
I have a MacBook Pro (Mid 2012) running macOS Catalina 10.15.7.
The latest versions of InDesign in Creative Cloud are not compatible with my OS, and the "Other Versions" option is not available in my account.

I urgently need to install InDesign 16.4 (or any 16.x version compatible with Catalina).
If anyone still has access to the official .dmg installer for this version, could you please share the download link?

I have an active Creative Cloud subscription, so I will activate the software legally - I only need the installer itself.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards,
Junna

[Manan Joshi]

@junnajourney_9436 I think you would already know Adobe won't provide you an installer so old. And any installer you get on the internet may be rigged with malware/viruses so be cautious.

-Manan

[junnajourney_9436]

Thanks for the information!
I have an active Creative Cloud subscription and only need the official InDesign 16.x installer for macOS Catalina.
If anyone still has the original file from Adobe and can share it safely, it would be very helpful.
Thank you!

[leo.r]

InDesign 16.x installer

By @junnajourney_9436

The only entity that can potentially help you is Adobe support. Did you try to talk to them? In certain cases, they can provide installer links for older versions.

Also, I know that many users successfully install newer systems on unsupported Macs by using OpenCore Legacy Patcher:

https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/

In which case you should be able to use the latest InDesign versions.

I personally don't have any experience with OCLP and only post this as general info which you may or may not find useful. If you want to know more, I recommend to check forums on MacRumors.com - there are many active discussions on OCLP there.

[junnajourney_9436]

Hi Leo,

Thank you for taking the time to reply and for your detailed suggestions!
Yes, I have already contacted Adobe Support – unfortunately, they told me that they no longer provide the InDesign 16.x installer. They also mentioned several times that the only way I could possibly get it is by asking the community if anyone could share the original installer.

I haven’t tried OpenCore Legacy Patcher before, but I will definitely read about it. I’m just a bit cautious because my Mac still works perfectly on Catalina, and I don’t want to risk its stability.

If you (or anyone else here) happen to still have the original InDesign 16.x installer from Adobe and can share it in a safe way, that would be amazing.

Thanks again for your help!

[Peter Spier]

I don't have any Mac installers, but I made a point of downloading as many of the older versions installers for Windows as I was able to get through ProDesignTools.com before Adobe disabled the links they were using. The last version I was able to retrieve this way was InDesign 14, and to the best of my knowledge there were never offline installers avaialable for later versions except directly through Adobe suppoert, and I think those were limited to enterpise licenses and some special case uses.

The bottom line here is your chance of finding anyone with an installer that is safe and that will activate for you is pretty much zero.

[Pickory]

Hi, . Is it legal for these to be shared?

P

[junnajourney_9436]

I completely understand your concern. I’m only hoping to find the original Adobe installer from a licensed user, without breaking any rules. Adobe support kindly suggested that I reach out here in the community to see if someone might be able to help.

[junnajourney_9436]

This is a very helpful answer, thank you! Referring to what you’ve said, I can follow up with Adobe support to clarify whether it’s indeed impossible to obtain the file through the community. If neither support nor the community can help, I’ll know that all options have been exhausted.

[Pickory]

Hi, 

If a Moderator could confirm that it is 'legal', that would help.

I have a feeling you will only get the base version from the dmg files.

P.

Edited, it looks like my last dmg file is for 2020. ( sorry for raising your hopes )

[BobLevine]

Your computer is 13 years old. It's time to bite the bullet and upgrade to something new.

Even if you could upgrade the O/S and InDesign to something compatible, you're likely to suffer from some serious performance issues. Not what you want to hear, I suppose, but it's the truth.

[junnajourney_9436]

Thank you for your honest opinion, I absolutely agree – I’m just trying to find a temporary solution for this old-timer.

[BobLevine]

Old-timer? I've been using InDesign since 1999's version one release. Have you considered a Windows machine? You can get a lot of bang for your buck which will allow you to run InDesign. Once you start the app, there's virtually no difference between to the two platforms.

[junnajourney_9436]

That’s quite a journey with InDesign — impressive! 😊 I’m grateful for your input, but I fear we might be steering into the wrong waters here. I work on both Windows and Mac and own both, but as the title of my question clearly says, I’m currently trying to get InDesign running on a 13-year-old Mac sailing on macOS Catalina (10.15). Any tips that could actually help this old ship stay afloat for a while longer would be much more on course.

[BobLevine]

Okay then, but you do realize that you can only activate on two machines at a time, right? And what good does and old version on an old laptop do you when you need to work on something that's been created on a newer version?

The text is likely to reflow and any new features could screw things up further. The bottom line is that my best advice is to either provide us with a bit more information so we can understand why you need to do this, or to abandon the idea altogether. It's simply not supported which is going to leave you in an awkward position when something goes wrong.

[junnajourney_9436]

I’m reaching out for a little girl from a poor family who dreams of learning graphic design. I bought her an Adobe subscription and lent her my old computer (just until she can save up for a newer one of her own) so she could start — but it needs an older installer for macOS Catalina. Adobe support told me to ask the community, as some of you may keep archived files. If you can share the installer, you’ll help her take her very first step toward her dream. I’m sharing this background not because it changes my request, but so you know why it matters. And yes, I realize the most obvious advice might be “just get her a newer computer” — but for now, I’m hoping someone here still has that installer tucked away.

[BobLevine]

That's incredibly generous of you. Can the laptop be updated to a new operating system compatible with InDesign 2024 or 2025? If so, that's really the best course of action right now.

[Pickory · Accepted solution]

InDesign 2019 works on Catalina.

[junnajourney_9436]

Hi,

Your comment really helped me! 😊 I was somehow convinced I needed exactly version 16.4, but after your message I tried installing 18 (the oldest one Adobe support can provide) and — voilà! — it installed and works just fine. It’s only a temporary fix, but for now it’s everything I needed. I’m truly grateful for your kindness and attention to my question.

Warm regards,
Junna

[junnajourney_9436 · Accepted solution]

Oh, I feel so silly — turns out InDesign 18 installed just fine and works perfectly, so 16.4 is no longer needed. I was simply mistaken about which version I required. Everything’s sorted now, and I’m truly grateful for the time and attention you gave to my question.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Glad it worked out! Although I'm curious how v18 was still available.

[junnajourney_9436]

Version 18 is the oldest version that Adobe Support agreed to send me.
The consultant provided me with the link as an exception.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

@junnajourney_9436 Good to know that once you get the right person... things can happen!

[BobLevine]

Good to hear.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

"Is it legal"

Considering that even Adobe tech support is suggesting to find someone here with an old installer means they aren't too worried about it. Besides, it's useless without activation, so once it's activated with a valid subscription I'm sure Adobe is still happy they have a paying customer.

I know that's a wishy washy position legally, but there ya go.

That being said, offine installers for anything above CC2019 are needle-in-a-haystack anyway as most people installed the software through the CC App.