Known Participant

P: Smart Layer Changes Keep Getting Lost – Please Fix This!

Forum|Forum|6 months ago
November 6, 2025
9 replies
222 views

Finally fix the bug where, when working with smart layers and going back to the main layer that contains the others, it doesn’t remember the changes made!

Desktop-Windows

Chad Rolfs

Adobe Employee

@artur_0832 Did any of those insights help? Any updates?

artur_0832Author

Known Participant

I wrote a rough pipeline in my previous comment on how to reproduce the bug. I don’t know if many in the community work with cloud documents (though it’s high time they started), especially with nested smart objects, but this bug has existed for about 8 months now.

Perhaps it’s been around even longer, but I haven't worked with Adobe cloud files before.

What is still unclear to me is exactly how many levels of hierarchy are required for the bug to manifest (I know for a fact that 4 is enough, and perhaps even far fewer).

I suspect—though I am no expert in this—could it be that the link to the smart objects in cloud files is being lost due to a poor internet connection?

chad.rolfs

Participating Frequently

Thanks for all the detailed steps and workflow. Yes, updates for nested smart objects within artboards in Cloud Docs can run into network and dependency issues. :(

One additional question as I still have not been able to repro and I’m wondering if it has to do with how the Cloud Doc is constructed. When you embed the smart object documents, are they individual .psb files on your local hard drive that you then nest by opening each and going to File > Place Embedded..., or do you create the file and then right-click on layers > Convert to Smart Object? I created 4 separate .psd files and then nested them inside each other and then finally embedded them into the Cloud Doc’s Artboard and then ran the test but couldn’t repro. Even though I only changed the last nested embedded smart object, I was prompted to save each document when backing out.

Chad Rolfs

Adobe Employee

Hi @artur_0832 ,

I haven’t been able to repro the issue on my end.
Embedded Smart Objects in Photoshop not updating usually happens because the object was duplicated using "New Smart Object via Copy," which breaks the link between instances. To fix this, use Linked Smart Objects or replace contents, ensuring you edit the correct source PSB file, save it (Ctrl/Cmd+S), and allow the main file to refresh.
Copying a Smart Object across artboards can sometimes fail to update. Try replacing the content in the target artboard.
You can also try a Force Update: -> Go to Layer > Smart Objects > Update All Modified Content.
If none of these solve the issue, would you be willing to share one of your files that exhibits the problem to see if we can repro the problem with that file? If we can repro the problem, we can fix it.

Thanks,
Chad

artur_0832Author

Known Participant

To reproduce the bug, you need to:

⚠️ Important: For the bug to trigger reliably, you need to have multiple different artboards, each containing a smart object that has another nested smart object inside it, and these must not be linked to the smart objects on other artboards.

Have one smart object on an artboard.
Select this smart object and double-click it to drill down into it.
For reliable reproduction, repeat this action once more (i.e., you have nested smart objects within smart objects).
After working for a few minutes, making various changes, saving, and returning to the original layer on the artboard while saving the internal smart object tabs you were in, you will notice that at some point, the changes stop updating on the initial smart object.

⚠️ If that doesn't work, try making changes not on the last level, but on the 2nd or 3rd, and save. At some point, the smart object updates will stop working when returning to the first nesting level.

⚠️⚠️⚠️ BUG This bug occurs in both the release and beta versions.

CShubert

Community Manager

Thanks all, the team will look into this.

Thanks,

Cory - Photoshop Product Manager

artur_0832Author

Known Participant

Thanks, but I've been reading these same reassurances about Adobe 'working on it' for 7 months now from various reps, including customer support. Knowing Adobe's reputation, I highly doubt this issue will be resolved anytime in the next decade.

CShubert

Community Manager

Hi @artur_0832 to confirm, you are still seeing this issue with the latest Ps Beta build?

Adobe Photoshop Version: 27.7.0 20260429.m.3521 d10d509 arm64 (beta, PublicBeta)

Please share your sysinfo in your reply: Help/System information. Copy and paste here.

Thanks,

Cory - Photoshop Product Manager

artur_0832Author

Known Participant

Hello @CShubert ,

I’m seeing this issue not only in the Beta version but also in the stable version for more than half a year now. This is a bug that can be reproduced on different computers, both at work and at home.

I’d like to remind you that the update of smart layers within smart layers is broken when working with PSDC cloud files; from time to time, it just doesn't happen.

I want to emphasize once again that we are talking specifically about PSDC.

System info.txt

artur_0832Author

Known Participant

@Srishti Bali
@CShubert
@Sameer K
Hello, could you please provide an update on the progress of fixing this bug? You do realize how critical this is, don't you? This issue completely breaks the entire cloud workflow. It is impossible to work properly when changes inside smart objects fail to save at random intervals.

artur_0832Author

Known Participant

Adobe?
@Srishti Bali
@CShubert
@Sameer K

artur_0832Author

Known Participant

I reset all my Photoshop preferences but the bug is still there. It appears when I work with multiple artboards and PSB files inside smart layers. I run into it every day.
I recorded my workflow. At 4:56 you can clearly see that I save the smart layer, and when I return to the main composition with the artboards, none of my changes are applied.

CShubert

Community Manager

Hi @artur_0832 we are not seeing this issue.

First, make sure you have the latest Ps Beta: Adobe Photoshop Version: 27.2.0 20251112.m.3292 95003d4 arm64 (beta, PublicBeta)

1. Try resetting Prefs for the Beta:
/Users/yourname/Library/Preferences/ Photoshop Beta Settings (Mac Ventura)
/Users/yourname/Library/Preferences/Adobe\ Photoshop\ \(Beta\)\ Settings (Mac) 

C:\Users\user name\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop (Beta)\Adobe Photoshop (Beta) Settings

Launch BETA Photoshop While Pressing The Keyboard Shortcut
With Photoshop closed, press and hold Shift+Ctrl+Alt (Win) / Shift+Command+Option (Mac) on your keyboard and then Launch Photoshop the way you normally would.
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html#Manually 

2. It may help if we could see your Photoshop beta System Info. Launch Photoshop beta, and select Help >System Info...and copy/paste the text in a reply.

Thanks,

Cory - Photoshop Product Manager

artur_0832Author

Known Participant

Here’s the issue: when I edit a smart object and save it, the changes don’t get applied to the original parent smart object.

CShubert

Community Manager

Hi @artur_0832 could you share your workflow, steps to see this issue? Any screenshots or messaging?

Are you on the latest Ps Beta? Adobe Photoshop Version: 27.2.0 20251109.m.3288 7a0357a arm64 (beta, PublicBeta)

Do you have the same issue with Ps release version?

Thanks,

Cory - Photoshop Product Manager

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