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Known Participant
Dec 15, 2023 1:57 PM UTC
Answered

Shortcut keeps reverting to previous tool

For well over a year I've had this issue and I thought at first it was a bug that would be corrected in the next update. A ridiculous amount of updates later (seriously, why so often?) and its still happening. I use keyboard shortcuts for tool selection, most commonly the clone stamp, the brush, and the spot healing or remove tool. when I hit the keyboard shortcut to change from remove tool to clone stamp (for example) it switches to the clone stamp tool for less than a second then back to the remove tool. Sometomes I have to hit the shortcut three or four times to get the selection to stick. Its so consistently bad that I've started hitting the shortcut four times by default to make sure. It's a huge time and attention drain. Anybody got any fixes?

    Kevin Stohlmeyer
    Kevin StohlmeyerCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    Dec 15, 2023 4:03 PM UTC

    @stockphotog.miller go to Photoshop settings/Tools and uncheck "Spring Loaded Tool Shortcuts".

    20 replies

    GilmourB
    Inspiring
    Oct 7, 2026 6:14 PM UTC

    This has been an issue for years, maybe decades, in my workflow. Tap shortcut, brief tool change then reversion after a moment.

    It has happened across generations of PS, across many computers and keyboards.
    It’s not, “a feature”. 
    It’s a bug. 

    Clearly this functionality has problems. 

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    Corporate photographer based in Calgary, Canada and Oviedo, Spain. Making portraits, architectural, industrial and advertising photography for national and global brands.
    Kevin Stohlmeyer
    Community Expert
    Kevin StohlmeyerCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    Dec 15, 2023 4:03 PM UTC

    @stockphotog.miller go to Photoshop settings/Tools and uncheck "Spring Loaded Tool Shortcuts".

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    Known Participant
    Dec 15, 2023 4:11 PM UTC

    @Kevin Stohlmeyer I thought you were being sarcastic at first lol, but it seems like that fixed it! Very much appreciated sir!

     

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    Peru Bob
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Dec 15, 2023 3:13 PM UTC

    Since you previously posted in the Photoshop forum, I've moved this from the Using the Community forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums) to the Photoshop forum.

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    Peru Bob
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Dec 15, 2023 3:11 PM UTC

    Try resetting the tools and/or preferences.
    To restore preferences quickly using a keyboard shortcut:

    Press and hold Alt+Control+Shift (Windows) or Option+Command+Shift (Mac OS) as you start Photoshop. You are prompted to delete the current settings. The new preferences files are created the next time you start Photoshop.
    Note: Using the keyboard shortcut, preference files for custom shortcuts, workspaces, and color settings will also be reset to default.

    from here:

    https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html#restore_preferences

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    Known Participant
    Dec 15, 2023 3:30 PM UTC

    @Peru Bob, won't I lose my custom shortcuts? I have quite a few.

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    Peru Bob
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Dec 15, 2023 3:39 PM UTC

    Yes, resetting the preferences will set the shortcuts to default.

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    kglad
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Dec 15, 2023 2:36 PM UTC

    what app?

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    Known Participant
    Dec 15, 2023 3:28 PM UTC

    @kglad, Photoshop. I didn't realize any of the other programs used clone stamp.

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    kglad
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    Dec 15, 2023 3:38 PM UTC

    quite a few substance 3d apps have a clone tool, and there are probably others.

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