Unable to Zoom out with Alt key when text is selected in Illustrator 2019-2021 on macOS & Windows

[GrangerMorton]

Hi

I click on spyglass, spyglass turns to "+" I zoom in.

With 2019 (and end cs6 before that) I hold down 'alt' and it turns to "-", enabling me to immediately zoom out.

Wit 2020 the Alt thing doesn't work immediately, I have to pick another tool, then go back to spyglass, then do Alt. Sometimes I have to pick another tool twice.
I've got to the point where I have to solve this. It's now intolerable, why is it that these updates impede my workflow, why the hell don't they leave it alone?? I'm fine with 2019  (I'm fine with cs6) but now I have all these clients sending me buggy 2020 files so I have to use it.

Anyone got a solution??

Grahame (about to launch iMac out of the window)

{Renamed by MOD}

[GrangerMorton]

by the way, "Alt" brings up the hand tool.... same as spacebar.  I can't seem to edit my original topic

[MagnusKallas]

I can confirm it has been issue for ages. Different Windows computers, different Adobe versions.
Came here with search - at this very moment ALT automatically turns into Hand Tool. I noticed the latest AI (2024) seems to do this more often than previous one.
And indeed, it happens rather randomly.

[Monika Gause]

Alt turns into the hand tool when the cursor is in a text. Is that the case?

If not, you might want to look for the app that interferes witb your key presses.

[Monika Gause]

There's probably something interfering with your keyboard input.

Known for this are: browsers, antivirus, banking software, email, screensharing, adware and a couple of other apps might be affected as well.

Reboot the computer, shut down all apps other than Illustrator and try again.

[GrangerMorton]

Thanks Monika

still works fine with 2019 and cs6 though. Alt also works fine in every other appplication.

It will work if I pick a different tool and go back to spyglass, sometimes have to do twice.  Drives me nuts!

[GrangerMorton]

I just want this stuff to work properly, I pay for it to work propeerly.... it's not like we get a reduced price for seconds is it?

[Monika Gause]

Can you please just try this?

I'm not Adobe staff, I'm just someone answering a lot of threads in this forum. You can believe me that shutting down other apps has solved this issue for most people. Google doesn't care if their browser interferes with your modifier keys. And yes, this has happened in all the versions for different people. It's just unpredictable.

Or don't believe me and wait for someone else telling you the same.

[GrangerMorton]

Sorry, not having a go at you,

I'm in the process of trying shutting down, I just have to get an artwork to a client

will get back to you ... thanks for your help..... all I seem to do is get frustrated by Illustrator nowadays, I used CS6 for years without any problems, it was like a solid workhorse, it did everything I needed. Since CC, I've had many issues.

[Doug A Roberts]

I can reproduce this in 25.4.1, Windows 10. Only when text is highlighted, as Ton describes.

[GrangerMorton]

so not just a mac issue then?

[GrangerMorton]

It was just working ok so I went through the tools one by one.
This problem seems to occur after I have used the Type tool.
Does that offer any helpful info? Is there a setting that changes stuff after using the type tool?
It does happen in 2019 but not cs6

[Ton Frederiks]

I can confirm that it works in CS6 with selected highlighted text.

But in CC 2017 and later it does what you described.

When text or other objects are selected with the section arrows, holding down the alt wit the zoom tool works as expected.

[GrangerMorton]

I restarted, nothing running apart from Illustrator (CC2020). I've checked 'login items' and nothing running there. I checked  this before firing up Safari.
(I do realise that there prob are other things running in the background somewhere)

I have realised that if I highlight text or have cursor flashing to insert text (not just select text box) and the go straight to spyglass, I'm unable to zoom out using "Alt" (it changes to the hand).
If I 'click out' so no text is highlighted or the cursor isn't within an existing line of text, everything works as it should. I can have a text box selected (with the black arrow) and all is ok.
CC2019 is the same.

CS6 works fine, I can't break it.

[GrangerMorton]

Hi Monika,
unfortunalety, the same issue with a restart and nothing running (nothing obvious, I know lots of 'stuff' goes on in the b/g). I don't have any antivirus, banking I do via a browser, have rum Malwarebytes and that came up clear. Interesting though that this also appears to be an issue on Windows.
You mentioned that you've come across this before? Did it get solved?

[Doug A Roberts]

Given that I can reproduce exactly what Ton describes (and he is a Mac user), I am relatively certain it is a bug introduced in a CC version that has never been identified and fixed.

I found this on uservoice, but no one seems to identify the text tool as a link. Is that the only circumstance it happens for you?

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/33339316-zoom-t...

[GrangerMorton]

yes, it's the only circumstance I have found although, to be fair, I only realised it after reading Ton's post today.
I've now had a look around and it seems to have been an issue for a while, even after an update to 2020.
Is 2020 the most recent version?

[Doug A Roberts]

The most recent version is 25.4.1. See what version you're using under Help > About Illustrator.

[GrangerMorton]

24.0.1 here

[GrangerMorton]

still an issue in 25.4.1?

[nadworks-cb]

I have exactly the same issue. When I'm editing text (i.e. when the cursor is in text editing mode), the zoom+ALT (Windows 11) turns into the hand. This must be some sort of bug in Illustrator because this behaviour makes no flipping sense.

[Monika Gause]

---

@nadworks-cb  schrieb:

I have exactly the same issue. When I'm editing text (i.e. when the cursor is in text editing mode), the zoom+ALT (Windows 11) turns into the hand. This must be some sort of bug in Illustrator because this behaviour makes no flipping sense.

---

What's happening is that switching to the zoom tool does not automatically take the cursor out of the text. So even when the zoom tool is active, you can still type text. Under that condition this behaviour makes some sense, because in text editing mode, the Alt key gives you the hand tool temporarily. 

If you want to report this as a bug, you need to do so over there: https://illustrator.uservoice.com 

[Monika Gause]

I can use the zoom tool with the Alt key on a Mac to zoom out if text is selected.

Usually when text is selected, the Alt key switches to the hand tool, so in order to even work as a modifier for the zoom tool, you have to hold down the mouse with the zoom tool and then press the Alt key afterwards.

I don't think that's a bug, because it makes a lot of sense to be able to switch to the hand tool when text is selected (but obviously you cannot use the spacebar in that situation).

And to answer the question: a lot of people have reported a long list of apps that interfered with keypresses for them. And once they turned them off or changed the settings, the keys started working again.

[Doug A Roberts]

Looking at it again I think I agree. It may well have been a design decision.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi there,

We are sorry to hear about your trouble. I agree with @Monika Gause on this. It is expected behavior.

• First Scenario: If No text is selected, then we can use the zoom out using the Zoom tool as expected with the alt/ option key.
• Second Scenario: The Hand tool with option/ alt + spacebar keyboard shortcut won't work as the text is selected, then the alt/ option key automatically becomes the Hand tool.
  We need to use mouse scroll down while pressing the alt key or drag down two fingers on the touchpad to zoom out using the Zoom tool.

If it is not working as explained above, then I would request you to please try booting the system into Safe Mode (Mac / Windows) in your free time and see if Illustrator is working as expected. In Safe Mode, your system starts to perform certain checks and prevent third-party software/ services from automatically loading or opening, or running in the background.

I will be looking forward to your response.

Thanks & Regards,

Anshul Saini