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Answered

What is this blue pulsating circle?

Forum|Forum|9 months ago
May 4, 2025
15 replies
4002 views

This is a screenshot of the circle I'm referring to. It was changing over time, sort of pulsating. The screenshot is of a portion of the screen showing my browser window. This blue circle stayed in front of any screen I switched to, until I switched to Photoshop. Then it disappears. That leads me to believe it's Adobe software doing it. I'm using a 16" M4 Macbook Pro. Searching the internet for explanations I see other Adobe products are implicated in this same issue.

What is the animated icon meant to represent? How can I prevent it in the future? I really don't know what I did to have triggered it. Hovering over it and clicking it did nothing. So it's a useless feature. Worse than that, it's an annoyance, since it encumberts other applications.

macOS

Correct answer luciano_6348

I am having the exact same issue. The other "fix" I've discovered is if you click into that lightbulb (What it's circling) and enable "workspace map" and then disable, the blue circle will disappear for a little bit but return shortly after. Someone please let me know if there's a fix!

P

pansensory

Participant

This is the culprit, indeed. I have that pulsating blue ring overlaid over any other app when I cmd-tab switch out of Photoshop.

L

luciano_6348Correct answer

Participant

I am having the exact same issue. The other "fix" I've discovered is if you click into that lightbulb (What it's circling) and enable "workspace map" and then disable, the blue circle will disappear for a little bit but return shortly after. Someone please let me know if there's a fix!

XYPHERX

Participant

thanks! That fixed it for me as well.

mattk50879414

Participating Frequently

I'm getting this too now, since the '26 update. It's only there is Photoshop is minimized, and disappears as soon as I go back into Photoshop. If I click it, Photoshop opens. But it also opens if I click the Ps icon or the minimized window so what's the point?!? MacBook Pro running 15.6.1 (24G90)

K

karli_7654

Participant

im having this problem too. super annoying and distracting

L

leanne_5425

Participant

same issue, but it's a half-circle anchored to the center of my window, and only in photoshop

W

wonderstrong

Participant

Same here! Noticed it in the last few days. Mine stays where it is regardless of if I zoom in on or move around in the image.

M

Michael302964558deg

Participant

I was able to remove it by going to Window and removing the check next to Options. Hope this helps.

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nicolasr90588425

Participant

Same issue, M4, sequoia 15.6.1

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landonk2368678

Participant

I've noticed this, too. It appears around the "Explore Starter Tutorials in Photoshop" button and takes up a spot on the dock. It seems like a glitch, but I'm not sure what you need to do to get rid of it, because it is annoying.

Homicidal_Pixels

Participant

I'm also having this issue: Apple M2 Max running Sonoma 14.7.6 -- PS version 26.10.0
Really distracting and annoying. Though mine does not persist over other applications, it minimizes a few seconds after I minimize the PS window.

T

Tom_Cheatle2588

Participant

I was also having the same issue purely in lightroom, closed and reopened and it has disappeared.

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