Skip to main content
themarinacc
themarinacc
Known Participant
Nov 8, 2026 11:19 PM UTC
Open for Voting

Align buttons in Move tool options bar stay disabled after Cmd+click layer selection + Select All

Environment
- Adobe Photoshop 2027, version 28.0.0 (20261027.r.20 3951c45), arm64
- macOS 27.2.0
- Apple M4 Max, 64 GB RAM
- GPU: Apple M4 Max (GPU and OpenCL enabled)
- Display: Studio Display 5K, HDR enabled
- No third-party plugins installed

Steps to reproduce
1. Open a document with several layers.
2. With the Move tool active (Auto-Select off), Cmd+click a layer on the canvas to select it.
3. Press Cmd+A to select the entire canvas.
4. Look at the align buttons in the Move tool options bar.

Expected result
The align buttons are enabled, so I can align the selected layer to the selection.

Actual result
The align buttons stay disabled (greyed out). They only become enabled after I click the same layer in the Layers panel, even though it is already the selected layer.

Notes
- This looks like an options bar refresh issue: the layer is correctly targeted, but the align controls don't update.
- Workaround: clicking the layer in the Layers panel, or using Layer > Align Layers to Selection.
- Reproducible: always

 

      5 replies

      jane-e
      Community Expert
      jane-eCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      Nov 8, 2026 11:32 PM UTC

      ​@themarinacc 

      Please show your Layers panel with 2 or more layers (or layer groups) selected in the panel.

      Jane

      Translate
        themarinacc
        themarinaccAuthor
        Known Participant
        Nov 8, 2026 11:43 PM UTC

        Hi Jane, thanks for looking into this.

        To clarify: I'm not aligning multiple layers to each other. I'm aligning a single layer to the active selection (Cmd+A, Select All), which Photoshop supports with just one layer selected.

        The point is that the same single-layer state behaves differently depending on how the layer was selected:
        - Layer selected by Cmd+click on the canvas, then Cmd+A: align buttons stay disabled.
        - Same layer clicked in the Layers panel, then Cmd+A (or Cmd+A first): align buttons become enabled.

        Attached is the Layers panel in both states, with the same single layer selected.

         

        Translate
          themarinacc
          themarinaccAuthor
          Known Participant
          Nov 8, 2026 11:45 PM UTC

          Update: I tested what you asked.

          - Cmd+click on 2 or more layers on the canvas, then Cmd+A: align buttons are enabled.
          - Cmd+click on a single layer on the canvas, then Cmd+A: align buttons stay disabled.
          - Same single layer clicked in the Layers panel, then Cmd+A: align buttons are enabled.

          So the issue only happens when a single layer is targeted via Cmd+click on the canvas. Aligning one layer to a selection works when the layer is targeted from the Layers panel, so it looks like the options bar isn't refreshing in that specific case.

          Translate
            Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
            Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices