High GPU usage by WindowServer on Mac mini M4 Pro (MacOS 26 Tahoe) when running the latest version Adobe InDesign 20.5
High GPU usage by WindowServer on Mac mini M4 Pro (MacOS 26 Tahoe) when running the latest version Adobe InDesign 20.5
WindowServer process consistently shows 60-80% GPU utilization in Activity Monitor when running Adobe InDesign
The problem began specifically after updating from macOS Sequoia to macOS Tahoe. WindowServer should maintain low GPU usage (3-5%) when applications are idle or performing basic tasks, as it did in macOS Sequoia 15.x..
When InDesign is opened WindowServer consistently uses 60-80% GPU, leading to:
- Increased power consumption
- Potential thermal throttling
- Reduced performance for other applications
The problem occurs when:
- InDesign is running in the foreground (active app)
- InDesign is running in the background (with a document open)
- InDesign is running in the background (without a document open)
Temporary workaround:
Only when the InDesign startup window and all other InDesign windows and documents are closed does the GPU usage drop to 0%.
Casimiro
shared this idea
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Philippe Blanc
commented
An example of using GPU with inDesign open / closed
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Philippe Blanc
commented
Switching to Presentation Mode immediately reduces WindowServer GPU usage to normal levels.
However, this is not a practical workaround because the editing interface and tools are hidden.
Unlike Illustrator, there is currently no equivalent working mode that keeps the editing interface visible while avoiding the excessive WindowServer GPU usage.
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Philippe Blanc
commented
Hello,
I am reporting this issue here following a suggestion from the Illustrator team.
I first reported the problem in the Illustrator UserVoice forum:
The Illustrator team investigated the issue, identified its cause and fixed it in the current Beta (30.8.72). I have tested the Beta and can confirm that GPU usage is now back to normal.
However, InDesign still exhibits what appears to be the same behaviour.
Configuration
* MacBook Pro 16” M1 Max
* macOS Tahoe 26.5.2
* Latest InDesign versionObserved behaviour
* WindowServer continuously consumes a large amount of GPU while InDesign is visible.
* InDesign CPU usage remains low.
* GPU usage depends on the visible size of the application window.
* Minimizing or hiding the application immediately returns GPU usage to idle.The symptoms are extremely similar to those previously seen in Illustrator before they were fixed in the Beta.
I hope this information helps your team investigate the issue.
Thank you.
