Stylus input stops working after hover – MacBook Pro M1 Pro + Photoshop & Illustrator

Hello Adobe Support Team,

I’m experiencing a recurring issue when using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator with my Wacom tablet on macOS, and I’d like your help in investigating the root cause.

System details:

• Computer: MacBook Pro M1 Pro

• Operating System: macOS Sequoia 15.5

• Adobe Apps affected:

   

  • Photoshop (version 26.8.0)

  • Illustrator (version 29.6)

   

• Adobe Apps NOT affected:

   

  • Adobe XD

  • Adobe Acrobat

   

• Tablet: One by Wacom - CTL472

• Wacom Driver: 6.4.10-3

Problem description:

When using Photoshop or Illustrator, the stylus stops responding as soon as I lift it slightly above the tablet surface (out of hover range). Once this happens, the only way to get the pen working again is by switching between apps (e.g., using Command + Tab) or by clicking with the trackpad.

This issue does not occur in Adobe XD, Acrobat, Safari, or Finder — which suggests the problem is related to how stylus input is being handled specifically in Illustrator and Photoshop.

Troubleshooting already performed:

• Reinstalled the Wacom driver (clean install);

• Verified permissions in macOS System Settings > Privacy & Security (Accessibility and Input Monitoring);

• Disabled “Use System Stylus” in Photoshop;

• Disabled GPU acceleration in both Photoshop and Illustrator for testing;

• Created a new macOS user profile — issue still occurs;

• Tested other apps — no issue in XD or Acrobat.

Observation:

This feels like an input focus bug — as if the stylus is no longer recognized once it leaves hover range in these Adobe apps, and only re-engages after an external system event like app switching.

If this is a known issue with macOS + M1 compatibility or if you have any potential solutions, workarounds, or beta builds to test, I’d be happy to try them.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Best regards,
Bruno