Free transform widget missing in Illustrator on macOS

Hello, I know this problem had been solved. But I just wanna add an alternative solution for those who are having this issue. 

In windows CC, there's an option to choose to make your toolbar display more advanced features. To do it, just go to the tab Window > Toolbars > Advanced.

Hope it helps,

Flitz

Hi Carl,

Thanks for reaching out. As per your query, when you click on Free Transform Tool, the widget (highlighted in Red) is not visible.

I would like to know if the suggestions shared above worked for you? If not, please share the following details:

• Exact version of macOS and Illustrator
• Is the issue related to a specific document(s)/asset(s)? If yes, could you please share the document(s)/asset(s) with us? You can upload it to the creative cloud and share the download link.
• When did this start happening? Are there any recent changes made to your system? For example, any antivirus, system updates or web extensions installed recently.

Regards,

Srishti

I suppose that by "transform widget" you actually mean the palette (including four transform options) that usually appears when the Free Transform tool is active.

This palette sometimes is a little rascal that hides behind other palettes.

With the Free Transform tool active and at least one object selected, you can uncover it by pressing the F key two times and then drag it to a position where it is not covered by other palettes.

Did you select the path with your direct select tool?

When you say "free transform widget" do you mean the little icon that appears when you have the Free Transform Tool chosen and you hover near a selected object? That is what you should expect and what I just tested and saw with CC 2019. (As of CC 2018 the tool itself is bundled with the Puppet Warp Tool).  If you are not getting the icon I mentioned then you may have to reset your Illustrator preferences. Hopefully, when you have reset the program to its defaults the full function of the Free Transform tool will return.

To reset Illustrator preferences on a Mac:

The User Library folder in which Illustrator’s preferences are stored is hidden by default on most Macintoshes. To access it make sure that Illustrator is closed and click on the desktop to launch a Finder Window (Command-N).With this window in column view follow the path User>Home folder (it’s the folder with an icon that looks like a house—it may have the user’s name rather than “Home”) and click on the Home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. “Library” will now appear within the Home folder. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the folder called “Adobe Illustrator <Version #> Settings” (earlier versions of Illustrator might just say “Adobe Illustrator”) and the file called “com.adobe.Illustrator.plist” and delete both that folder and that file. When Illustrator is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

The advantage of manually deleting preference files in this manner is that after you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, you can create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

Have you first selected a path?

Peter