Spacebar not working as quick hand tool on MAC – Adobe Illustrator

[fernandam88771201]

I have the latest Illustator and Photoshop version and in both of them the spacebar ain't working as quick hand tool on Mac.

[stevenb39501585]

Having Safari open also is disabling the Spacebar/Hand also for both Illustrator and Indesign 

[nhat thanhh99376]

I was using Chrome when also using Illustrator, the other times it worked again when I restarted the computer but not today.

I tried all the method. Chrome extensions, keyboard preferences services, etc.. but nothing works. Surprisingly, I checked all the tab and I ve read that people got problem with Outlook app but I only got a Chrome tab that opened Outlook mail. I closed and the hand tool and zoom worked again. 

Try this also if you run into this matter again! THANKS everyone!

[Jason31475948sgn7]

I tried all of these suggestions and none of it works for me. I still can't use my spacebar shortcut on adobe programs.

[Monika Gause]

I tried all of these suggestions and none of it works for me. I still can't use my spacebar shortcut on adobe programs.

By @Jason31475948sgn7

Which suggestions?

THere is most probably some third party app interfering - so did you shut them all down?

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @JonVernon-DIRECTV,

I understand that you've tried various suggestions, but the spacebar shortcut still isn't working for you in Adobe programs. To further diagnose this issue, I recommend trying the following:

• Safe Mode: Boot your system into Safe Mode  (Mac/ Windows) and try launching Illustrator. Safe Mode loads only essential system processes, so if the spacebar shortcut works here in Illustrator, it could indicate that some third-party application or process is interfering with Illustrator. Try opening other apps that you typically use to identify any potential conflicts.

• Reboot: Sometimes, certain processes or applications can temporarily interfere with keyboard shortcuts. A simple reboot of your system might resolve the issue.

• Reset Preferences: If the problem persists, you can try resetting Adobe Illustrator's preferences. To do this, hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift (Windows) or Cmd + Option + Shift (Mac) while launching Illustrator. You'll be prompted to confirm the reset.

Please try these steps and let me know if any of them help resolve the spacebar shortcut issue.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[JonVernon-DIRECTV]

Hi @Anshul_Saini ... thanks for your reply.

I've tried all of those solutions in the past and none of them resolve the issue.  Luckily, I've been able to narrow it down and have discovered that my VPN connection for work is what's causing the issue.  Unfortunately, I can't figure out WHY that's happening.  All I know is if I'm on VPN, the spacebar shortcut for the hand tool doesn't work... if I'm NOT on VPN, it works fine.

Even funnier is the fact that this applies to the latest versions of Photoshop and Illustrator... but not XD.  All I know is I have to disconnect from VPN if I'm going to be working in PS for longer than 2 minutes because I use that shortcut so much.

[Anshul_Saini]

Thanks for sharing this information, @JonVernon-DIRECTV. It's indeed strange that your VPN connection seems to be causing this issue. The fact that it affects Photoshop and Illustrator but not XD is puzzling. It's possible that the VPN is conflicting with specific keyboard shortcuts or system interactions in these applications. While we may not have a direct solution, your insight is valuable for troubleshooting. If possible, you might want to reach out to your IT department or VPN service provider to see if they have any insights or settings that could be adjusted to resolve this peculiar issue. In the meantime, disconnecting from the VPN while working in Photoshop is a reasonable workaround. Also, would you mind confirming the VPN app/ service you are using?

Please feel free to reach out if you have any more questions or run into other issues.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[dmnyc]

It's weird that this has been a known issue for years yet Adobe has never fixed it.

Meanwhile I can use the space bar on Figma to do the same thing just fine.

[Monika Gause]

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@dmnyc  schrieb:

It's weird that this has been a known issue for years yet Adobe has never fixed it.

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Just turn off whatever is intercepting the keystrokes and complain to that manufacturer for programming so lazy that it disturbs other applications.

[kylep39142506]

@Monika Gause Thank you but, why do you assume mosty of us haven't tried that yet. We come here as a last resport after we have no results from diagnosis and trouble shooting. What would be nice is if there was an actual answer for this rather than people being negative. If you aren't experencing this distuptive issue then you won't understand.

[Monika Gause]

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@kylep39142506  schrieb:

@Monika Gause Thank you but, why do you assume mosty of us haven't tried that yet. We come here as a last resport after we have no results from diagnosis and trouble shooting. What would be nice is if there was an actual answer for this rather than people being negative. If you aren't experencing this distuptive issue then you won't understand.

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There is not *the* one answer. There is a different answer for everyone.

If you can't find it on your own try and contact Customer Care. https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html 

[Eduardo33734146egsv]

Ful Keyboard Access has to be off. They are so smart with the new implementations...

[xavier31321330otb6]

@ adobe.. any news?/ extreamly frustrating.. I've updated PS and it happens just as much..

I've tried the MS close trick but nope.. 

anyone figure this out?? I haven't ran into this issue in Ai but hourly in PS..

[dmnyc]

Restarting whenever this happens has been my only reliable fix.

[kylep39142506]

Have you tried putting your computer to sleep? After 2+ years of trying to figure this out outting it to sleep is the only thing that was worked work me.  Saves way more time than the dredded restart.

[Monika Gause]

THere are a couple of apps known for causing this, such as:

• WebRoot
• Apple Terminal
• Word, Excel, Powerpoint
• »Enable Full Keyboard« in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard on Mac OS
• Apple Mail, Outlook
• Spacebar is used as a shortcut by the system
• Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari
• Wacom Desktop Center, Wacom settings
• Windows Touch Pad problem
• LastPass, Bitwarden (password managers)
• The VPN

[kylep39142506]

After 2+ years of this issue, someone recommended putting the computer to sleep. It worked for me and it doesn't require a restart! I hope it works for you too!

How to:

Go to the apple in the menu bar. 

Put the computer to sleep.

Wake it back up and it should work again.

[Nicole231658774s0i]

In mt case it was Webroot being the spacebar thief.

[reddragonfly]

What you mean by "webroot" ?

Thx

[Monika Gause]

That is an app.

[Nicole231658774s0i]

It is a virus scanning app

[chriss99633793]

I have Webroot running when I force quit it the hand tool comes back

[Nicole231658774s0i]

Yes you have to turn on manually the "pause secure entry" each restart 

[tylerster1]

wow. closing notes did it for me ! thank you for the s-tier advice