Scroll to Zoom not working in After Effects 25.3 on macOS

[AlfredoArvizu]

In After Effects 25.3 on macOS, using mouse scroll or Option + mouse scroll no longer zooms in the composition panel. Instead, it pans the view, regardless of modifier key. This function worked fine in version 25.2. Tested on multiple Macs with clean installs and no tablet drivers.
Please restore the ability to zoom with scroll in a future update.

[Amir Stone]

Alfredo,

This functionality has not been removed. If you're using a touch pad you can use two finger scroll to pan and pinch to zoom.

Additionally there is a new preference in Preview which allows you to go back to zooming when scrolling with a touchpad if you prefer that.

See more details here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-beta-discussions/new-in-beta-welcome-to-smooth-zoom-in-...

[BHMESS]

This is not a functional solution. I use an Apple Magic Mouse that doesn't support pinch, meaning my entire workflow is broken because there is no longer a modifier key to swap between scroll and zoom. Please bring back the modifier key rather than expecting everyone to change their workflow on hardware that will not support it.

[loyal_Whirlwind98A4 · Accepted solution]

Thankfully, this solves the issue

[kenwong4250]

Thank you! I came back to AE after a few months and was freaking out why the scrolling was not working like how it was. Such an unneccessary change! 

[nelson_6089]

I agree with you.

[AlfredoArvizu]

Thank you! You helped me a lot in finding this new setting and restoring scrolling functionality to its used to.

[steve_4231]

This just changes the mouse scroll to zoom but removes the ability to pan. Is there any way to change the settings back to what they used to be (mouse tracking = pan but cmd+mouse tracking = zoom)?

I want to quickly change between panning and zooming like I used to be able to, not be limited to just one or the other.

[Roel S]

100% agree with Steve. This does not fix the issue.

Previously I was able to pan by 'scrolling' and then zoom by pressing 'option + scrolling'. Is there a way to reinstate the modifier key. 

[Amir Stone]

Could you share whether you are using a mac, or win, and what specific mouse you are using?

[Roel S]

I'm using a Mac and an Apple Magic Mouse.

[wax.zip]

Thank you, this fixed it! However, I have to change the setting every time I reopen After Effects which can be quite annoying. Has anyone found a way to save this setting as the default like other options in settings? Thanks in advance.

[MariartDesign]

Yes, this solves the issue (the issue being some muppet decided that this update should f@ck around with our work processes). Please STOP damaging this product, Adobe. I have already changed to Resolve for editing and I am at my witts end with you after 26 years!

[Cheese33058824lqp6]

I thought either my AE or mouse was broken but turns out its a new "feature". I almost lost trying to figure out whats wrong.

[abuse removed by moderator]

[Future Kid_Marketing8308]

I tried reinstalling the application, cleared the preference but the option + Mouse scroll doesn't zoom in and out in the comp which is very frustrating as it works in Photoshop & Illustrator. but not in After Effects.
I am using the iMac M3 with the latest After Effect version.

[nishu_kush]

Hi there,

Thanks for writing in. Please check out the following community thread and try the steps mentioned in the correct answer: https://adobe.ly/4kOZRNh

Let me know how it goes.

Thanks,
Nishu

[Jorge38251367ydql]

Tha answer does not solve the problem, it just creates a new one, now a can´t pan, I´m going back to the previous versión until you solve this problem.

[Robert32194799hqfj]

Hasn't this been made worse now? What was wrong with how it worked before?

[user3462704]

The "solved" answer does not solve the problem. I want to be able to pan AND zoom, like I did before with using the command key. Macbook User with Magic Mouse here. Please give us that feature back. I can't see the reason why you removed it, you did not replace it with something different, it's just... gone. 😞

[Badams7]

100%, this is really not helping... I need access to both pan and zoom quickly to have any kind of efficient workflow on iMac desktop.

[Bas | Peakfort]

This still seems like an issue? How has this not be corrected yet?! 

"Correct" answer does not solve the original function of pan and zoom via mouse. 

[JohnColombo]

@Bas | Peakfort, @Badams7, @user3462704, and others,
Thank you for bringing it this up. We are currently investigating what the right behavior might be to restore, but we haven't been able to reproduce the behavior with a Magic Mouse that is being described.

In previous versions of After Effects, scrolling would always zoom and holding Option would toggle between zooming to view center or zoom to the mouse cursor—panning using scrolling gestures was not supported as it is now. Would you be able to share a screen recording of the panning behavior in prior versions of AE and which model of Magic Mouse you are using? That would be a helpful reference to us as try to improve the zoom behavior to a more familiar state.

Thanks again,
- John, After Effects Engineering Team 

[Bas | Peakfort]

Hi John, thanks. 
I'm using MX Master 2s. That did the horizontal scrolling in my case. 

The "old way" is simply more intuitive. Panning is hardly needed as you can quickly option zoom to move around the canvas. After Effects has had the option/alt fuction for years, as Figma and many other design apps. 

I can fully understand that AE needs new/quicker ways of working, but add the option to choose between the "legacy" setting. In the past week i've taken more time using H/hand to move around the artboard than panning/scrolling/zooming. 

Thanks