How to Recover Unsaved/Deleted/Previous Version of InDesign Files on Mac

Updated to Home > HowTos > File Recovery Tips on Mac by Robert on Mar 18, 2024 | Approved by Jennifer Allen

We all know that InDesign is a handy software. People often use it to create posters, brochures, magazines, books, eBooks, newspapers, and so much more. And it can be frustrating when we lose the InDesign files due to a random mistake, system crash, accidental deletion, or virus attack. But now you don't have to stress to recover InDesign files on Mac.

Here, we will take a look at the methods on how to InDesign revert to previous save and recover permanently deleted InDesign files on Mac, which got lost. Let's begin.

Quick Navigation
Part 1. How to Recover Previous Version of InDesign File on Mac
Part 2. How to Recover Unsaved InDesign File on Mac with AutoSave
Part 3. How to Recover Deleted/Lost InDesign Files on Mac

Part 1. How to Recover Previous Version of InDesign File on Mac

Like other software, InDesign also stores a previous version of the files. It means that we can recover previous version of InDesign file on Mac and get it back. Whenever a user edits files with InDesign, the software performs a mini-save every minute. Such data are saved in the Recovery folder, and when you save the changes in the file, the temporary file gets deleted automatically. So, when the software doesn't close properly, the file is not deleted and can be used for recovery of the original file.

Step 1: Open the InDesign application, and the file that was lost will appear in the InDesign document itself.

Step 2: Go to the File option and select "Revert" option to restore the last saved version of the document. It will save the document without the changes made recently in the file.

Part 2. How to Recover Unsaved InDesign File on Mac with AutoSave

Like we stated earlier, the InDesign software has an Auto Recovery feature, which serves as AutoSave like in MS Word or other applications. When this feature records a change, it gets written to the recovery file. This feature prevents the user from losing more than a few minutes of work due to any problem. And you can always to InDesign revert to previous save on Mac.

Step 1: Open the InDesign application, and the auto file recovery process is also launched automatically. Once the recovery feature locates the file, it will open in the InDesign window itself.

Step 2: Then click on the File option and select the "Save Project As" option to save the the recovered unsaved InDesign file permanently.

However, if the application fails to load the files, we can find the InDesign Recovery folder on Mac and retrieve the file from the folder.

Step 3: Open Spotlight Search and type the following path: Users/[User Name]/Library/Cache/Adobe InDesign/Version[#.0]/InDesign Recovery

And the recovery folder will open up. You will find the draft for your project, which can be opened. If there were no names given to the files, it would be labeled as Untitled Project 1, 2, 3, and so on.

Step 4: Click on the File option and choose the save option to get the unsaved InDesign file back.

However, sometimes, the recovery file is too damaged to open, which makes recovery impossible.

Part 3. How to Recover Deleted/Lost InDesign Files on Mac

Now that we know that the InDesign recovery files on Mac won't be possible in some cases, it is time to use an alternative. Fortunately, we have access to iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac, which serves as a professional InDesign Recovery tool. Whether you have lost the files accidentally or they get deleted due to a system crash, virus attack, or corruption, iBeesoft can get them back for you.

There is a significant possibility that the AutoSave feature hasn't saved the InDesign files, which resulted in data loss firsthand. Therefore, iBeesoft will come in handy in such situations with its wide array of features.

Your Safe and Effective InDesign Recovery Mac Software

(Trust Score 4.8 by 1597 Users)
  • Fast and efficient recovery from all data loss scenarios such as deletion, formatting, corruption, virus attack, system crash, power failure, etc.
  • Two recovery modes, i.e., Quick Scan and Deep Scan to ensure that that InDesign file recovery is always possible
  • Perform recovery from SD card, Mac disk, USB drive, Flash drive, and other external devices as well.
Download for macOS Download for Windows

You just need to download-and-install the application on your Mac system directly from the website. When the setup finishes, follow the guide on how to recover InDesign file on Mac is given below.

Step 1: Run Program & Start Recovery

Launch the software, and you will see the supported file types on the home screen. You can select or de-select the file types that you want to scan with the software. Hit the "Start" button in the middle of the screen to begin the process.

Step 2: Specify the Location

In the next section, you will be prompted to specify the location of the files that were lost accidentally. Select location and again press the Scan button to recover permanently deleted InDesign files on Mac.

Step 3: Recover and Preview

If there were multiple files lost or deleted accidentally, then the scan will take a while. Otherwise, it will finish quickly, and the scan results will appear on the screen shortly.

From the left side panel, filter the results of the scan and select the files that you wish to get back. Finally, hit the Recover button, and the InDesign files will be recovered. If, somehow, the quick scan mode doesn't give desired results, you can also use the Deep Scan mode to find the InDesign folder and its files.

Now we know how to recover InDesign files on Mac whenever you want. It is apparent that we cannot always avoid the conditions where data loss occurs. Hence, knowing the methods of InDesign recovery files on Mac will allow you to prevent important files from getting lost permanently.

Furthermore, iBeesoft Data Recovery software is available for both Mac and Windows systems so that no one has to lose any type of data. Tell your friends and family about the software to help them to recover deleted files on Mac in similar situations.