Unwanted beta features

[spyro]

A recent update seems to have left me with a beta version of Indesign. I have popups like 'Generative Expand beta'. I’m not a casual user, I use Indesign for paid work so don't want beta stuff. Also I'm quite competent so don't need 'ai' doing stuff for me. Perhaps we need ‘ai’ and ‘non ai’ update options? Sorry if I sound a bit annoyed as I don't know if Adobe read or reply on this forum. I see others have posted issues with different unwanted features. Advice for how to get rid of or disabling beta features (on an iMac) would be appreciated.

[Mike Witherell]

I fully agree.

In InDesign 2025, if you turn off the toolbar named Contextual Task Bar, you won't have the AI features.

The trouble is, currently there is no way to turn off the "feature advertising" boxes that popup. 

Got it. Got it. Got it. No I got it. Really I got it. Yes, I said I got it. I told you I got it!

For the experienced user, It should be in the preferences to really turn them off.

[spyro]

Thanks for that, seems I'm stuck with it. This kind of thing seems to annoy users so Adobe needs to think about simply giving us the option to turn off what we don’t want. It has a strong market share but I remember Pagemaker and later, Quark used to be the go-to apps. Things change and whilst Affinity isn't there yet it's close enough for me to start testing it. It's more stripped down but works fast and sorting out some layer issues & other quirks would give me a fully usable alternative.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @spyro,

Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I completely understand how frustrating this situation can be, especially when you're using InDesign for professional work. Let me guide you through the options to minimize or disable beta and AI-related features:

1. Turn Off the Contextual Task Bar: Go to Window > Contextual Task Bar and uncheck it. This will disable the Generative AI and other contextual AI tools tied to this feature.

2. Disable Pop-Up Notifications:

Unfortunately, there’s currently no universal toggle for turning off all pop-up prompts for new features. Adobe regularly updates its software, so I recommend keeping an eye on updates for improvements in this area.

3. Revert to a Stable Version:

 If the beta features persist, consider reinstalling a non-beta version of InDesign:
 - Open Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop App.
 - Navigate to InDesign, click the three dots next to it, and select Other Versions.
 - Install a previous stable version without beta features.

Your feedback is valid, and Adobe does monitor these forums for insights from its user base. I encourage you to also share your thoughts through the Adobe InDesign uservocie to help prioritize changes that matter to professionals like you.

Let me know if these steps help or if there’s anything else I can assist you with. I’m here to help!

Best,
Abhishek

[spyro]

Thank you for the advice, much appreciated! I'll look at turning off the task bar. Jumping to suggestion 3, reinstalling earlier software could be an issue as co-workers using the latest version may have to backsave files for my use? It's something I'd prefer to avoid. I guess my workflow does not require much new functionality so all I need is 'fast and stable'. Maybe a print oriented download for people like me who are still doing 'old school' print based design and an ai version for people who want to explore computer generated a/w might be better.