P: Eyedropper tool not working to pick color outside Photoshop

[Eric3721277257xr]

I have tried just about everything to get this to work. I am not sure when exactly it stopped working but I am guessing during one of the updates for some reason that got screwed up. It works on all my home computers and my work laptop but not my desktop. 

I have unistalled and reinstalled, tried less up to date versions, turned on and off the screen recording for photoshop in my settings, restarted my computer, none of it has solved the problem. This is so frustrating and I haven't found anyone else having this issue besides people that forget to turn the screen recording button as I mentioned.

Also I should mention with all my other Adobe products that fuction works just fine. If I am missing something here please let me know because I need a solution to this madness.

[davehutch]

I shared the files via Dropbox link to your private messages using @sammer K as instructed on March 11 and haven't heard back since?

[wolfward]

I also have the same issue! I have a MacBook Pro M4. Also I always got a 50% gray instead of any colors outside of Photoshop window! I cannot even select the color of my workspace!

[Srishti Bali]

We've been able to replicate the issue, and the product team is actively working on a fix.

[Srishti Bali]

Hi All,

Just confirmed with the product team—color sampling outside of the Photoshop application has been intentionally disabled due to frequent security prompts from the OS. As a workaround, you can take a screenshot of the area outside the app, open it in Photoshop, and sample colors from there.

Regards,

Srishti

[davehutch]

The suggestion to make a change to the  PSUserConfig.txt file worked perfetly. Thank you

[BenjaminZeman]

The fact this has been disabled should absolutely have been announced in the last update. I just wasted 2 hours trying to fix this, and it's just added another thing in the box of reasons I'm really disliking Adobe over the last year. Is this not a frequently used feature for many designers? Just disabling it without telling anyone is such a terrible approach.

[littlebabypuncher]

@davehutch What was the change made to the  PSUserConfig.txt file?  Have been looking for a fix for this issue myself, and I find Srishti's answer unacceptable tbh. The only info I see on my Config.txt file is "TransformProportionalScale 0". 

[Sameer K]

Hi All! While color sampling outside of the Photoshop application has been intentionally disabled, you can re-enable it via an optional extension, but it'll be tricky. 

1 - Follow the steps here to create & save a PSConfig file to Enable eye dropper outside of Photoshop.

Thanks!
Sameer K

(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

[bellevue scott]

Thanks for this. What I don't understand is that PS has this issue, and it's basically a permissions issue with screen recording, but OBS, a free screen video capture SW still works with no issues. 

I understand that the Mac security has introduced some unnecessary bugs, but what I don't understand is why a free open source SW like OBS can figure it out but Adobe can't. 

[littlebabypuncher]

@Sameer K Thank you so much! Your directions and instructions are a game changer and once again all is well with photoshop, for now.

[bellevue scott]

@Sameer K This is awesome. Silly question. It says to create a text file and add the lines you want to that text file. But what do you name the text file?

[davehutch]

PSUserConfig.txt

[Jeff Arola]

Sameer K,

Photoshop 2024 (ps ver 25.12.3) has the same issue as well on macOS Sequoia 15.5

Is there a chance we can get a PSConfig file for Photoshop 2024 Enable Eye Dropper outside Photoshop on macOS?

[wireless200]

Thank you Sameer, but Adobe what are you thinking, I've been using PS for many years, the feature always worked and now had to spend the time to research this bug, a bit absurd for this mature product! 

[bonnie2266572497fs]

Hi All! While color sampling outside of the Photoshop application has been intentionally disabled, you can re-enable it via an optional extension, but it'll be tricky. 

1 - Follow the steps here to create & save a PSConfig file to Enable eye dropper outside of Photoshop.

Thanks!
Sameer K

(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

Where can I download PSUserConfig.txt file?

[TDC3000]

@Sameer K 

Thank you for this helpful fix. Unfortunately, it displays some of the same problematic behavior from before the fix - I can sample the color outside of Photoshop, but the color picker either shows a gray color, or the foreground color appears to change, but when I brush with it, it brushes with the previous foreground color. I seems I have to resample from the foreground color chip for the sampled color to actually stick. Can this be looked at? Attaching screen shots that hopefully show what is happening and/or to allow you to replicate.

[Simon329743443c30]

Same here. I'm using Photoshop Beta 26.11.0, the foreground or background (by holding option and sample) color updates while sampling, but when I click that color to open the color picker panel, it still shows a gray color.