Replace Background Feature Not Working on Mac

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
December 13, 2022
2 replies
1218 views

I have a 2016 MacBook Pro, running the latest macOS Monterey 12.6.1. I’m trying to replace a background in Photoshop Elements 2023 (v 21.0), using the ‘Guided’ / ‘Special Edits’ / ‘Replace Background’ feature. Step 1 says to select the subject in the photo, which I do. Step 2 says to choose a new background by clicking “Import a photo,” but nothing happens when I click on it.

I tried rebooting the computer, re-opening Elements, and the “Import a photo” button just does not work. My sister has the PC version of Photoshop Elements 2023, and this function works fine for her. I cannot find anything online that addresses this issue.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Medha_Sharma

Adobe Employee

Hello @whydavewhy,

Please try resetting the preferences as shared by Peru Bob and let us know if that helps. If the issue continue to persists after this step, please confirm if the File Menu > Open option in the Quick/Expert workspace opens the Finder.

Regards,

Medha

W

whydavewhyAuthor

Participant

Thanks for the tips, but I believe I can rule out the idea of damaged preferences causing the problem. The problem is related to the original SOURCE of the photo, and an incompatibility (bug) with both Mac and PC versions of Elements 2023...

In both Photoshop Elements 2023 for Mac and Photoshop Elements 2023 for PC, the “Replace Background” Guided Edit feature will not work with any photos taken by an iPhone; even if the photos have been converted from the original .HEIC format, to .jpg format. (Elements will let you open the photo and select a Subject, but when you click the ‘Import a photo’ button, nothing happens.)

I have also tried this on a “clean re-install” of Photoshop Elements 2023 on a Mac, and by creating a new user on the Mac, and even trying it on a PC running Elements 2023; the problem persists on all platforms.

Since iOS 11, Apple has used the .HEIC container format to save iPhone photos. But even after iPhone photos have been exported as .jpg format, they still do not work with the Replace Background feature in Elements 2023. (Non-iPhone .jpg files work fine.) This must mean that there is still something remaining from the .HEIC shell that Elements cannot process. I assume this also means that Adobe only used non-iPhone .jpg images, when beta-testing the Replace Background Guided Edit, and they did not test ones from an iPhone source. This will need to be fixed in both the Mac and PC versions of Elements 2023, via a software update.

Medha_Sharma

Adobe Employee

Can you help with a screen recording that illustrates this issue? Would help us in debugging this further.

Thanks,

Medha

Peru Bob

Community Expert

Try this:

Restore default preferences
Preference settings control how Photoshop Elements Editor displays images, cursors, and transparencies, saves files, uses plug‑ins and scratch disks, and so on. If the application exhibits unexpected behavior, the preferences file could be damaged. You can restore all preferences to their defaults.

Note: Deleting the preferences file is an action that cannot be undone.

Do one of the following:

Press and hold Alt+Control+Shift (Mac: Option+Command+Shift) immediately after Photoshop Elements begins launching. Click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Elements settings file.
Go to Edit > Preferences (Mac: Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General), click the Reset Preferences on next launch button, and then click OK. When you restart Adobe Photoshop Elements, all preferences are reset to default settings.
A new preferences file is created the next time you start Photoshop Elements Editor. For information on a specific preference option, search for the preference name in Help.

from here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/preference-file-locations-photoshop-elements.html

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