Text disappears when typing in text box

[Elaine5E3A]

I'm getting this issue where when I make any changes to text within a text box, like typing within it, cutting/pasteing, editing, etc. the text disappears. Sometimes it'll come back if I click out of the text box. Sometimes it comes back if I switch between normal and preview mode.

It doesn't happen every time, but often enough to be incredibly annoying.

I'm running:

• Mac OS 11.4
• Macbook Air M1 2020
• InDesign 16.2.1

[shannonwbrown]

The Prerelease did not work for me. I used it for two days on my M1 Mac Mini and I had the same issues.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @shannonwbrown,

We are sorry to hear that. But would it be possible for you to confirm, or do you recall the Prerelease version you installed?

Was it a v17.2 or v17.7.1?
I am asking this because people have mistakenly installed prerelease version 17.7.1, which did not contain the fix.
Only the prerelease version 17.2 contains the fix.

I will be looking forward to your response.

Regards,

Anshul Saini

[A John Prine Fan]

Hello! This pre-release has worked well for me. It got really wonky when I opened a document and duplicated it to create another like it (a funeral program) - it was crazy - kept blanking out - not moving when I made any edits. So I opened it on my late 2012 and finished it there. I'm thinking maybe this pre-release will work best on NEW documents - not ones created before the pre-release? Anyway - it's much better now. Thank you and PEACE to UKRANE.

[tonyr3704728]

Does the 17.2 release fix this issue? (text dissapperaing. It is driving my wife insane. It happens to my mac but very rarely.) We run the same everything.
I am wondering if we upgrade from 17.1 to 17.2 will it fix the issue??

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @tonyr3704728,

Yes, 17.2 addressed the issue. Many users have confirmed this by now on this community post and other Adobe Channels. Also, v17.2 will be released publicly in less than a couple of weeks. However, in the meantime, you can try installing the prerelease version. Steps are shared on this correct marked answer.

Please feel free to reach out if you need further assistance installing the prerelease version. I'd be happy to help.

Thanks & Regards,

Anshul Saini

[nessavay]

Thank you, Anshul! I downloaded the prerelease version and, while I haven't tested it significantly, it is working as it should. I really appreciate you working on finding a solution for us. I honestly didn't expect a response, let alone one so quickly. Keep up the good work!

--Vanessa 

[PedroSutter]

Sorry I am using version 17.4 and I have lost a major job because I can't apply changes to a 160+ page book, which was recently printed as a test. I use Mac11.6.8. Pages keep disappearing, text flow doesn't happen, the red cross does nil; It sticks to the first 40 pages of the book, alas.

[Laubender]

Hi @PedroSutter ,

I'd suggest you open a new thread with your specific problems.

This thread is too huge to bring the issue any further.

When you do a new thread describe the issue in more details, especially what the document contained. Any endnotes, any footnotes, a lot of tables, one stream of text through all the pages? Are there anchored images? Did you flow in the text from placing a Word file? Things like that.

FWIW: Overset (the red cross) could happen for various reasons.

We have to discuss your case in a separate thread. Not here…

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[JeBauer]

Same here. This has been happening ever since I upgraded to new Mac chip in July 2021. I've lost all patience. I've sent the information you outline via the cloud. PLEASE FIX THIS.

[Jamie23056763x855]

Is there an update on this? I'm using v17.1 on an iMac (OS 11.5.1) and the issue is making it almost impossible for me to get any work done. 

[jeffhalmos]

Because everyone needs a good laugh about this, on the bug report pages for InDesign there are posts from August of 2017 that you would be unable to discern from the most recent posts here about text dissappearing.

[egon225993894vag]

I'm joining the club. 

Having the same issue with a Mac Mini M1. 

[KrutschCOM]

It doesn't happen happens every time, but often enough to be incredibly annoying.

I'm running:

• Mac OS 12.2.1
• Macbook Pro 13 inch M1 2020
• InDesign 17.1

Yes, I can disable GPU Performance and this problem goes away... but then scrolling is so jittery as to make we want to return to Microsoft Word. 

[jeffhalmos]

OK, here's the deal:

Until Adobe releases a version of Id that once and for all solves this issue, you have to run Activity Monitor while using Id and try to keep your RAM usage below 85 – 90%. I have a 16 GB Mac mini M1 and whenever RAM usage ("Memory Used" in the Activity monitor window with "Memory" selected at the top) gets over 13.5 GB or so, Id with reliably have text editing issues. Keep it under 85% and all is well.

This is great because you don't have to have Overprint Preview off or GPU off (which both defeat the whole M1 thing) or zooming or Command + ; and it appears to be perfectly reliable. You just have to manage your open apps.

It's RAM thing.

[Rachel Guthrie]

Can you explain how to get the activity monitor up?

[jeffhalmos]

Search for it in the Utillities folder in the Applications folder or search for the app in Spotlight. 

[designer1955]

That is correct. Adobe assisted me in managing apps, and it turned out to be Oversight (monitors usage of mic and camera), using lots and lots of memory. After quitting that app it worked fine fo me.

[A John Prine Fan]

designer1955 - I am looking all over for OverSight! Is it possible I just don't have it to disable? Running M1 Monterey iMac

[designer1955]

It's a third party app. So it's possible you don't have it. But check activity monitor to see what process  is consuming a lot of memory. 

[j4m1eb]

Not sure I 100% agree, I've been monitoring my RAM usage all day and still had disappearing test when at 82% Ram usage.

[jeffhalmos]

Try getting it to 75% or 78%. The lines fairly specific where it would and wouldn't happen. 

[j4m1eb]

That's my point about MacOS you can't get it to stay that low, I've quit everything apart from Indesign, Ilustrator and photoshop, plus email client, font manager, browser and dropbox and then the usage drops to 70% as you close apps, but within minutes the system uses up the spare and it's back to 82%. I'm not going to run one app at a time or quit everything to just run Indesign.

[designer1955]

its usually one app that is really using a lot.  With me its was Oversight. The issue is ram related, and i have only 8 gb (ordered 8 gb extra six months ago but still not arrived...).

[j4m1eb]

what Mac are you using then if you can add RAM?

[AndersMak]

RAM issue or not, probably yes. Monitoring the CPU usage is as good as any partial fix we have found. They should test their software maybe in more reasonable scenarios. I need to be reachable for colleagues, I have Outlook open, Teams, Onedrive. Input comes in excel & word files and the occasional idiotic Powerpoint. I need to switch between Illustrator and InDesign often. I have a browser open looking for images. Some occasional photoshop. It all works flawlessly. I have no issues at all. Just one really annoying time consuming demotivating bug. I'm sure they will find a decent and sustainable fix. I don't think Apple will return to Intel processors, so if Adobe want to stay relevant for Apple users they surely will fix this. Soon? Right? Right... ? ... One year later ... Soon.. Right?

For now I prefer refreshing the screen with a shortcut over closing all other software. What's next. One dedicated machine just for running InDesign, haha.