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I mostly use the PS App, suddenly the left toolbar is gone

Forum|Forum|28 days ago
September 8, 2026
11 replies
99 views

Hello, I an on-the-go type, not at my desk very often. I mostly use the PS app on my iPad whenever my needs are simple. Today suddenly the left-hand toolbar is gone. Which severely limits my usage! It looks like there has been an update. Maybe that has caused this? How can I get the toolbar back?? TY

Correct answer jane-e

@Krystal38908904blzl wrote: “the familiar tools were back”

Somehow you are opening two different applications. The “familiar” tools are when you are in Photoshop and the “unfamiliar” tools are when you are in Lightroom. We have to figure out why you are landing in Lightroom instead of Photoshop.

If I try to import a new file

Can you tell us the exact steps you are using to import a file? Are you launching Photoshop, then choosing “Import and Open”, or doing something else?

Also, what is the file type of the image that opens in LR?

Jane

H

happy_Lightningf356

Participant

If you're using Photoshop on an iPad, the left toolbar should normally be visible in the editing workspace.

First, try closing the current document and reopening it, then force-close and restart the Photoshop app. Also check that you're fully updated to the latest version of Photoshop and iPadOS.

If the toolbar is still missing after that, it may be a UI issue related to the recent update. In that case, could you post a screenshot of the Photoshop screen with the toolbar missing? That would help determine whether the toolbar is hidden or if the interface is not rendering correctly.

Adobe's current documentation confirms that the toolbar is part of the Photoshop on iPad workspace.

jane-e

Community Expert

@happy_Lightningf356 wrote: “If you're using Photoshop on an iPad”

Please read the thread. When the toolbar isn’t there, the OP is in the Lightroom app. The toolbar appears when she is in Photoshop.

Jane

jane-e

Correct answer

Community Expert

@Krystal38908904blzl wrote: “the familiar tools were back”

Somehow you are opening two different applications. The “familiar” tools are when you are in Photoshop and the “unfamiliar” tools are when you are in Lightroom. We have to figure out why you are landing in Lightroom instead of Photoshop.

If I try to import a new file

Can you tell us the exact steps you are using to import a file? Are you launching Photoshop, then choosing “Import and Open”, or doing something else?

Also, what is the file type of the image that opens in LR?

Jane

K

Krystal38908904blzlAuthor

Participating Frequently

Today the missing toolbar is back. Sort of. I am showing 3 screenshots, the first is a jpeg, second is webp (?) and the last one is png. Maybe the webp format is causing the PS toolbar to run and hide? I don’t like webp anyway, it always has to be converted.

Oh! I converted the rainbow scene to png and the PS toolbar is back, to stay, I hope! I never use Lightroom anyway, my only needs are in Photoshop 🩷

K

Krystal38908904blzlAuthor

Participating Frequently

Well, I hit Cancel and went back to the page where the elephant shows…tried choosing one of my images already edited (rather than importing new), and when that opened, the familiar tools were back, as you see in this screenshot:

However! If I try to import a new file, it reverts back to the way things look in my first screenshot—no left hand tools or much else…Lightroom. What am I doing wrong? I didn’t hit anything requesting Lightroom.

Maybe if I delete the app and reinstall?

jane-e

Community Expert

@Krystal38908904blzl

There are two things you can do to show the Toolbar again:

Window menu > Toolbar
All panels are available in the Window menu
Reset the Essentials Workspaces (or other saved workspace)
Workspace controls are in the Window menu

Jane

jane-e

Community Expert

Huge apologies Krystal, I just caught the word “app”.

I just tried on my iPad and the only way I can make the toolbar not show is to resize the window smaller and move it to the left so the toolbar is off the screen. Can you make sure your mobile app is full size?

If this doesn’t work, show a screenshot of your entire screen.

Jane

K

Krystal38908904blzlAuthor

Participating Frequently

Well, now I have another problem! In trying to make a screenshot, formerly I had the setting so that I could swipe a finger from the lower left corner of the screen to get it. Now for some reason that isn’t working anymore. I miss the days of the Home button, screenshots were so simple!

But yes, my mobile app is at full size. Nothing is hiding.

Yay! I was able to get the finger swipe on again. So here is a screenshot of my full screen and a piece of art pinched so you can see…nothing on the left side…

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