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

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about this. Could you please share a few more details like:

• OS
• Do you get any errors while opening the file in v16.3? If yes, please share the screenshot.
• Are you able to see content on a newly created document in v16.3 onwards?
• Is the issue related to a specific document? If yes, could you please share the document with us? You can upload it to the Creative Cloud (https://helpx.adobe.com/in/creative-cloud/help/share.html) and share the download link.
• Where are you saving the files (Network Drive/ System HDD/ Shared Folder on System/ External HDD)?
• Does resetting InDesign Preferences (https://helpx.adobe.com/in/indesign/user-guide.html/in/indesign/using/setting-preferences.ug.html) help to resolve the issue?
  Disclaimer: Please note that resetting preferences will remove all the custom settings, and InDesign will launch with default settings. You can also take a backup of the folders in case you want to. Location is mentioned in the article.

Also, you may try re-installing the InDesign by uninstalling it using the Creative Cloud Cleaner tool first and then install it from Creative Cloud again and let us know how it goes.

Thanks & Regards,

Anshul Saini

[Ashutosh_Mishra]

Hi All,

Sorry to hear about your experience. We have launched Adobe InDesign 16.4 recently with multiple bug fixes and performance improvement.

Please update your app to the latest version. Let us know if you still have any issues. We'll be happy to help.

Regards,

Ashutosh

[bradw10905004]

Hello Adobe Community and Adobe. I too am experiencing this issue (very frustrating) and I am on a new M1 MacBook and have the latest InDesign version (16.4) installed. Working on a copy heavy project for a client and struggling to get through due to this issue… Help. Cheers.

[bradw10905004]

One thing that seems to fix the issue is to turn off ALL other open Abobe programs (e.g., PSD, AI, etc.) when running InDesign. Not super effecient when you need to utilize multiple programs to complete your project(s).

[_fisheater]

16.4 did not fix the bug, lol

[julies50418894]

Hi Adobe, I am still having this problem after trying all of the fixes below. I am on the current InDesign Update 16.4. It seems to happen when I copy and paste text from another program like MS Word into InDesign. The text is there initially, but as soon as I type it disappears. I then end up needing to zoom in and out to display it. Every change I make, the text disappears again!!! So extremely frustrating. I don't know what to do... I can see it's not just me?

[Ronale0D4D]

I am having the same problem, and I'm to the point where I'm not sure if I can use this program any longer. EVERY TIME I type something, all the text disappears. Then, I have to scroll down the page and back up to make the text reappar. I simply can't get my work done. I reported this problem a month ago, and I was told to upgrade to the latest version, which I did. It fixed the problem for a day, and then it started happening again, although only once in a while. Now it is EVERY TIME! What is Adobe going to do about fixing this problem?

[ubergreg]

It's very odd that Adobe hasn't formally acknowledged that this is an issue, or made any progress on it, even though it's been afflicting M1 Mac owners for months. The conditions under which the disappearing text occurs is, by many accounts, quite common and easily replicable.

This isn't a randomly occuring problem for users of M1 Macs; it literally happens every single time we edit text, and editing/laying out text is arguably the point of InDesign. This has had a disastrous effect on our daily workflows, of which InDesign is our main tool. Constantly zooming/scrolling/switching viewing modes is not a solution when you're typsetting/editing a 120-page document. This is doubly painful, because we are dutifully paying our subscriptions every month...

Adobe: do not be Quark. I was there when Quark got complacent and people switched away to InDesign. I have since purchsed a copy of Affinity Publisher and not only is it more stable and snappier than InDesign at the moment, it is fully optimised for the M1 architecture. A workflow switch would be painful, and I really like using InDesign, but I'm not sure Adobe realises how incredibly broken and unuseable it is right now. InDesign's fundamental raison d'être seems indefinitely kneecapped.

Adobe, please make this a priority.

[kamielk19930890]

I have the same problem

OS 11.6

M1 processor

Indesign 16.4

I have this problem now for more than 6 months

[Ronale0D4D]

One thing I've noticed that helps is when I restart my computer, the text will stop disappearing for a couple of days. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, but it is effective. I quit out of InDesign, restart my computer and then reopen InDesign. Unfortunately, after two or three days, the text starts disappearing again, and I have to reboot. But, at least I can work!

[Loney06]

I'm having the same problem. Running 16.4 in InDesign. I have the MacBook Pro M1 13inch. It's super frustrating because I cannot edit when my type keeps disappearing. I am hoping a new update will happen soon that will fix this issue??

[roberteblesse]

This is ridiculous! Adobe InDesign 16.4 has become unusable for me because any text I add to a document disappears and I must scroll up or down or readjust the textbox to get it to reappear. This has been going on for quite a while and it doesn't seem that Adobe is responding very well to the complaints people have about it. I'm going to have to install an earlier version of InDesign so I can work without this extremely annoying problem. The upgrade to 16.4 certainly hasn't fixed it!

Running: MacOs 11.5.2

Macbook Air M1 2020

Indesign 16.4

[SteveP56]

I quite agree. It’s almost unbelievable that Adobe’s way of managing this serious problem is to ignore it. Apart from the odd message from a developer, there has been nothing; no acknowledgement of the huge problem this is causing. Ensuring that Indesign is never running alongside any other Adobe programme seems to be a workaround, but it is not a fix. We need to be able to use all the suite together. A I have said previously, and as others have commented, this is what Quark did way back – and it became their undoing.

[mirkon34893792]

I am having the same issue. 

I'm running:

• Mac OS 11.6
• Macbook Air M1 2020
• InDesign 16.4

[Fearless_artist5E5A]

Big update today. 17.0.

wonder if they listened.

[johng2900620]

With hope I upgraded to Mac OS 12.0.1 and InDesign 17.0. Amazingly, the text issue is bad, worse than yesterday. How can this be going on for over 12 months without a solution? InDesign is cripled by the M1. I assume it is the M1 because my 2014 iMac with the same 8 GB of RAM performed far better with InDesign.

• Macbook Pro M1 2020
• Mac OS 12.0.1
• InDesign 17.0

[ddjanni]

I'm having this issue with text disapearing while typing or after. Only shows up again if I move the document with the hand tool. New Mac Mini. All updated Adobe programs (InDesign 16.4)

[ddjanni]

Feedback: One thing I have noticed is this only seems to happen in "High Quality Display" setting.

[ddjanni]

Nevermind, it's happening still in "Typical Display" setting.

[Ronale0D4D]

Yes, that seems to be the trend. Just when you think you've changed something to keep the text from disappearing, it starts disappearing all over again!

Ronale Tucker Rhodes
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[tomk66335482]

I'm using the Imac 2021 M1 and Indesign 16.4.
It seems like a visual glitch, that the text in Indesig is simply disappearing. It comes back by scrolling in and out – but this kills every workflow. The problem is so grave, that I had to abandon work and use my old macbook – please help @adobe

[jmlevy]

Turn off GPU in the preferences

[Luke Jennings3]

I believe this is a known issue and Adobe is looking into it.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/text-disappears-when-typing-in-text-box/td-p/121...

[Kay-Ann0101]

I have the same problem: when I work in a text box on an Adobe InDesign layout – rewriting text or cutting or pasting – the text keeps ‘disappearing’; I have to zoom in or out to make the text visible again.

I have a MacBook Air (M1 2020), it runs on Big Sur Version 11.5.2, and I work in Adobe InDesign 16.4. The laptop has only the integrated graphics processor.

[Bill Silbert]

Unfortunately, this seems to be an issue that still needs a solve. Until recently, InDesign did not even run natively on an M1 Mac. As with any new versions (especially ones that require writing new code that will satisfy a number of different processors and computer chips) it will still need some time to make everything work right.