P: Adjusting layer properties doesn't work for Hue/Saturation/lum. HSL layers

[Sam Singleton]

The tab to click on and change the properties for an adjustment layer randomly disappears. Quitting and re-opening the app solves the issue, but it will happen again within minutes, usually when switching between different projects or different app on the computer. 

On Photoshop v26.6 - Mac Mini M4 pro, 32gb ram, 1tb ssd.

Any help would be appreciated!

ss

[Pavel3780683024mb]

I have been a loyal Photoshop user for over 6 years, but I must express my extreme disappointment with the latest updates.

Once again, the UI has been completely restructured, making it extremely difficult to access and use essential functions, especially within Adjustment Layers like Hue/Saturation. Instead of focusing on stability and performance, it seems the team is constantly rearranging UI elements without real user benefit.

As a professional and an Art Lead managing a studio team, this update has caused a full day's loss of productivity. Important features became inaccessible or confusing, and numerous bugs appeared. For the first time, basic functionality such as using the keyboard with non-English layouts is broken. I cannot even add a Hue/Saturation layer easily anymore — and I can't tell if it's a bug or simply an unintuitive new workflow.

Small but critical issues are piling up with each update, undermining trust in Photoshop as a stable tool for professional work. This situation is forcing me — for the first time — to seriously consider switching to alternative software for my studio.

I urge Adobe's management to reconsider the current approach: stop unnecessary UI changes and prioritize stability, reliability, and user workflows.

Deeply disappointed,
A long-time user seeking ways to roll back to an older version immediately.

[kglad]

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.

<"moved from cc desktop">

[davescm]

Hi,
'...I cannot even add a Hue/Saturation layer easily anymore...'

What is it that you see different about the Hue/Sat adjustment layer? The only difference I see here is that the drop down menu of target colour ranges has been replaced by a set of clickable circles. The shortcuts to those colour ranges work the same as in earlier versions (Alt+2, Alt+3...etc.)
The adjustments panel used to have reveal arrows for presets and single adjustments. Those now appear as tabs, rather than reveal arrows, but it doesn't seem any more or less convenient particularly as the last tab used sticks. The panel also lets you arrange the icons as a list or in rows and again the setting sticks. Shortcuts can of course still be assigned to the adjustment layers.

I agree that there are some long standing bugs I would like to see fixed.

As far as roll back, you can install the current and previous versions from the CC app and, if you uncheck remove previous versions, they can stay on your system through future updates. I have several versions installed here (mainly for testing).

Dave

[Aleke]

Hi @Sam Singleton! Welcome to the community!

I tried testing around but couldn't reproduce this issue, unfortunately. Have you found any way to consistently cause the adjustment layer properties to disappear? Is this only happening with the Hue/Saturation adjustment layers?

For now, one thing we could try is resetting preferences. This will restore Photoshop to its default state and often helps with miscellaneous errors. Just make sure to create a backup beforehand, as it will reset your workspaces, brushes, and other settings.

Thank you! 

Alek

[cworkman]

BUG:

Maybe I'm doing something wrong but when I use the 'default' colors and adjust my yellows to change the hue (using the slider) I see a change to both the image and the circle thumbnail. BUT when I use the 'prominent' colors and adjust the yellow nothing happens to the thumbnail and the image ONLY gets partially adjusted: the photo's yellow tones shift with my adjustments but the solid block of yellow remains unmodified - the hue does not shift to pink. This is contrary to changes we see using the 'default' color choices.

Secondary example when I use the 'prominent' color and adjust the beige thumbnail you see a color adjustment to both the image and the circular thumbnail. So in this instance the beige gets adjusted and the thumbnail shows a split for before and after colors.

NOTE: the bear and yellow block are one layer - not stacked layers. something seems broken here.

please see the attached snaps for reference.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Please provide the file with the Adjustment Layers. 

[cworkman]

hi again. sorry to have not posted the original file - which is long gone. that said i just re-created a more robust version of the file and see this problem is more wide-spread than i thought - it applies to yellow and anything the code perceives as being in the yellow family i.e. ochre - when you use the new 'prominent' color option the program does not modify anything in this yellow range. other colors yes - or at least the ones i tested. hopefully the adobe coders can fix this.

and i’d love to upload the .psd file but i don’t see any option to do that - only options to insert code, link a video, attach a static image (png, jpeg, etc.) - if you send the steps i’ll upload the layered file with all the layers and adjustment layers.

[AxelMatt]

... and i’d love to upload the .psd file but i don’t see any option to do that - only options to insert code, link a video, attach a static image (png, jpeg, etc.) - if you send the steps i’ll upload the layered file with all the layers and adjustment layers.

By @cworkman

You can use Dropbox for example. Upload the file to Dropbox and post here the link.which points to the file.

[LEMONardo]

I have been running into the exact same problem. Yet to figure out how to reproduce it.

At first I blamed my outdated Intel iMac, because it does tend to happen during heavy workloads, as the whole system gets laggy. But now I see that it happens on the latest Apple Silicon as well.

I could add:

1. It returns to normal just after you close and re-open the PSD, without having to restart Photoshop.

2. If you try "Refresh prominent colors" from the contextual bar, you see an error says 'Could not complete the Refresh prominent colors command because of a program error."

[cworkman]

okay. so just signed up for a free dropbox account and here's the link to the multi-layer psd file that shows the issues...ps: gellan gum is a thickener used in dairy products. no significance to the adobe issue whatsoever - just an image i had on hand.

 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pgcnyvdw3hyuvu7g4jp1p/gellan-gum-in-cream.psd?rlkey=urno8lhjvh93o3fow... 

[nazameijide]

Hola a todos,

Actualicé hace unos dáis a la última versión de Photoshop, la 26.6.0, y han cambiado la interfaz de funcionamiento de tono y saturación. 

El problema es que, después de un rato de estar trabajando con la aplicación, no se abre la opción de propiedades en dicho ajuste y no puede usarse.

A alguien más le pasa?

Además hubiera agradecido que en la nueva versión hubieran añadido la opción de transición a la herramienta quitar (la tirita con función generativa) o poder poner, por fin, un comando a la opción de enmascarar.

Mil gracias!

[melissapiccone]

Hue Saturation hasn't changed, are you using an Adjustment layer in the Adjustment panel or from the Image > Adjustments drop down?

If you are using the Adjustment panel maybe you are selecting the Mask icon instead of the adjustment icon? Screenshots would help me understand the problem. 

For the second comment - are you saying you want to be able to add a prompt to the remove tool? That isn't what it's for. If you want to make a selection and add a prompt, use the new selection brush tool to paint over the area and you can add a prompt. 

[NCP design]

Latest PS 2025 intermittant bug issue with Hue Sat adjustment layer. 

Loading a new Hue Sat adjustment layer into a layer stack, intermittantly the H/S layer does not show the adjustable propeties as it should ie the properties area is blank. The ajustable Hue Sat propeties is only visible and accessible once you quit PS and restart. 

[AxelMatt]

In a first step try to reset the preferences of Photoshop using the steps described here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html#reset-preferences

It's recommended to backup your settings before resetting the preferences.

See here:  https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html#backup-photoshop-preferences

If this doesn't help, try to disable the option to "Use Graphics Procesor" from Photoshop by going to Preferences, then Performance. Once done, quit & relaunch Photoshop to check if that helps.

If it helps, you can check out the steps suggested here:  https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/troubleshoot-gpu-graphics-card.html

[Vinnie Finn]

This is an intermitent problem for me running photoshop 26.6.0. When making a Hue/Sat adjustment layer the tool in the Properties panel will only show the mask adjustments and not the Hue/Sat tools. Restarting the program seems to fix this issue for a time and then when swtiching between adjustment layers it occurs again.

[melissapiccone]

Try resetting your preferences. 

[Cerezine]

I'm facing the exact same issue but on the latest 26.6.1 update on MacOs Sequoia. Didn't notice the issue on 26.6.0. Already done a clean install and the problem persists. Restarting the program or duplicating the open file seems to solve the problem temporarily, because after a while it reoccurs. One thing I noticed was that the color slides now appear in the "Contextual Taskbar", but the Properties panel stay grayed out.

[redflyr]

Before the most recent update I ran, when working with a Hue/Sat Adjustment Layer, any time you clicked on the layer you would see the Main/Defualt/Master/All colors view, you could then switch to and modify a channel, but when you came back to the layer it would take you to All Colors page again.

Now, when you navigate to a different channel, leave the layer, come back, it will just be on the last channel that was open (not the last channel that was modified) until you close the file.

This means that I can never assume I know which channel is active when I click on a Hue/Sat Layer, which sucks when you're trying to work quickly and in a flow state.  Yeah, clicking off the layer and back when you were in a specific channel is anoying, but not functioning in a realiable and consistant manner is much more anoying.

Please rethink this functionality.  It needs to work in a more predicatable way.

PS 26.6.0, MacOS 15.4.1

[Six topics that do not apply removed by moderator]

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you post screenshots just to make sure? 

Hue/Saturation does not operate on channels per se, so what do you mean by »which channel is active« exactly? 

If I understand correctly the old behaviour (displaying »Master« in the Properties Panel on reselecting the Hue/Saturation Layer) did not indicate the last edited range, either, so how would that be better than the current one? 

[Sef McCullough]

Same issue here @Cerezine . Duplicating my file seems to temporarily fix the issue. I've posted in the private PS Prerelease forums as well, let ya know if I get some deets.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I cannot reproduce the issue (Adobe Photoshop 26.6.0 on Mac OS 14.6.1) so far. 

Can anyone trigger it at will? 

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @redflyr

Sorry for the inconvenience you're experiencing. We recently addressed a similar issue in the latest 26.7 update. I’d recommend updating to this version and letting us know if it resolves the problem. 

Update the App Try out the latest Features and Enhancements in Photoshop.

Update Photoshop v26.7

Use this link to update Photoshop to v26.7. Click "Update" in the Creative Cloud desktop app next to Photoshop.

If the issue persists, please share the details requested above so we can assist you further.

Regards,

Srishti

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @Sam Singleton @LEMONardo 

Sorry to hear you're facing issues with the adjustment layer. We recently addressed similar problems in our latest release (version 26.7). I’d recommend updating to this version and letting us know if the issue persists. Looking forward to your response!

Regards,

Srishti

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @Vinnie Finn 

Sorry to hear you're facing issues with the adjustment layer. We recently addressed similar problems in our latest release (version 26.7). I’d recommend updating to this version and letting us know if the issue persists. Looking forward to your response!

Regards,

Srishti

[Monroe23977549yy9g]

Hi there

I don't know in which comunity I'm supposed to post this.

I'm having this bug with photoshop Hue And Saturation. It does not happen all the time so I don't know the pattern/reason. The change color is all white, and the properties box does not have any colors. I don't know how to explain the issue as English is not my first language. I attached a screenshot.