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.

[chrisr60465699]

I have the latest version of Photoshop (2024) fully updated, along with my Mac M1. I've granted the app all necessary permissions in my privacy settings, but I'm unable to sample colors outside of the app.

When I rolled back to Photoshop 2023, I received a prompt to allow it to screen record, and it worked perfectly after that. However, I didn't get a similar prompt in Photoshop 2024. Additionally, I would like to have the color picker ring as this doesnt seem to work either.

[Ged_Traynor]

@chrisr60465699 try manually resetting your Photoshop preferences
https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/photoshop/using/preferences.html#Manually
Remember to back up your settings before doing the preference reset
https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/photoshop/using/preset-migration.html

[chrisr60465699]

Hey @Ged_Traynor thank you for youre comment. After following ( welling trying to ) your instructions. I navigate to Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/ there is no Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings? 

[chrisr60465699]

@Ged_Traynor Upon futher inspection I found that folder, deleted it and it made no change. I tried both ways manually and automatic. Still no prompt or ability to sample outside of ps. I still also cannot get the colour wheel to show up when picking a colour.

[Conrad_C]

Just to make sure…check this specific setting in macOS:

System Settings / Privacy & Security / Screen & System Audio Recording / Adobe Photoshop 2024

If Adobe Photoshop 2024 isn’t in the list, try clicking the + button at the bottom of the System Settings window to add that application.

[chrisr60465699]

Hey thanks @Conrad_C Yeah, thats all checked. Ive also given it full disk premission as well. 

[TDC3000]

Having the same problem, have triple checked that Photoshop has the right permissions (MacBookPro M3, Photoshop v 25)

[TDC3000]

Before we nuke our preferences, It would be helpful if you are / are not able to recreate this issue on your system?

Wondering if recent privacy changes in MacOS Sequoia around screen recording are causing issues. Either way, if we know someone else using PS 2025 on Mac Silicon MacOS Sequoia is not having this issue that's super useful info. 

[TDC3000]

I deleted my preferences in Photoshop 25 and can confirm that the problem still exists. I cannot use the eyedropper to select a color outside of photoshop - it just selects a 50% gray when I leave the photoshop window..

Can this be filed as a bug?

Photoshop version 26.0.0 (I also tried this with Photoshop 2024  and had the same issue)

MacOS Sequoia 15.0.1

MacBookPro M3 Pro

Verified that screen recording AND full disk access are both enabled for Photoshop 2025.

Incidentally, I tried a similar workflow with Lightroom Classic (14.0.1) and WAS able to select a color outside the document window, if this helps understand what's going on.

[NB, colourmanagement]

@Conrad_C My Photoshop eyedropper doesn’t select colour outside Photoshop at all,

PS 24 doesn't show up in "Screen Recording" and I can't add it - [on Ventura],

PS25 does show up there (and it's now toggled ON)

but neither PS version allows any colour sampling outside Photoshop. Nothing is selected by clicking and there's no sample crosshairs target. 

I'm kinda wondering what use such sampling might be anyway given colour space differences between PS docs and the screen itself . 

have a good week
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'

[Conrad_C]

Because there are some new posts in this old thread, this is what I am finding today, it doesn’t mean it’s doing the same thing on all Macs though…

Photoshop 2025 (v26) on macOS 14.7, Apple Silicon Mac: Works great, can sample any color on screen as long as you start dragging the Color Picker eyedropper sampler on the canvas, not inside the Color Picker window.

Photoshop 2025 (v26) on macOS 15, Intel Mac: doesn’t work.

Photoshop 2024 (v25) on macOS 15, Intel Mac: doesn’t work.

Makes me wonder if Apple changed something on macOS 15 that just breaks this…

Here are a couple of workarounds I just tried.

Workaround 1, use the Apple Color Picker instead: In Photoshop, choose Photoshop > Settings > General, click the Color Picker drop-down list, and switch it to Apple. Now when you call up the color picker in Photoshop, it opens the Apple color picker. Click the eyedropper sampler icon in the Apple color picker and use that to sample any color on screen, because for some reason that still works great. However, watch out for color space conversions between the colors outside and inside Photoshop, I am not sure if the Apple Color Picker is making any color conversions to the sampled color based on the display profile etc.

Workaround 2, use the Digital Color Meter: Open the Digital Color Meter app that comes with every Mac. Read the reported color values under the pointer, and type them into Photoshop. However, there are some problems with this workaround…

• Digital Color Meter has the command Edit > Copy Color as Text, but it copies the RGB values as one line with a space between each value so that cannot be directly pasted into the Photoshop Color Picker. And it doesn’t seem to have a way to copy a hex RGB value that you could just paste into the hex field in the Photoshop Color Picker. So you have to write down the RGB values and type them in yourself.
• In Digital Color Meter you want to set the color space correctly, but it supports only a short list of standard spaces that might not necessarily include the color space of the Photoshop document you’re working with. 

[ksample_]

I'm having this issue as well.
Apple M1 Max
Running Sonoma 14.7.1

[Sameer K]

Hey, @Eric3721277257xr. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. I'll help you figure this out.

Just to be sure, ensure Photoshop has the required permissions on the macOS: https://adobe.ly/43zB3AJ 

Let me know how it goes. Thanks! 

Sameer K

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

[Eric3721277257xr]

All of these are turned on and it still does not work.

[Sameer K]

Please test and confirm if the issue exists with Photoshop (Beta). You can get Photoshop (beta) from the Creative Cloud > Apps tab > Beta Apps section. 

Sameer K

[Eric3721277257xr]

Installed the Beta, gave it all the permissions and it still does not work

[barbara_a]

You could try uninstall/reinstall with the Adobe CC Cleaner tool. It has a BAT fike that has fixed a couple of problems for me.

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

Im not able to repliate the issue.

I have to assume that you are using the eyedropper correctly, holding it down on a photoshop image and without letter go of holding down on the mouse, moving it outside Photoshop to copy a color.

[Eric3721277257xr]

I tried using that cleaner and re installing but still nothing. Clicking and dragging outside for whatever reason in PS alone does not work. My other apps work fine so it is quite frustrating. Havent replicated on any of my other computers except this one.

[davehutch]

Same here. Sequoia 15.3.1 and PS 26.3. Screen Recording permission set to on

[Eric3721277257xr]

Need some Adobe help on this isn't this why you guys have these forums

[WhoCares1799]

Same Problem here, Macbook Pro with M4 Pro the Eyedropper Tool worked until Version 2024 25.11(ish)

Can only pic Colors inside the Canvas.

Screen Recording is allowed and switching settings to Apple Eyedropper doesn´t work either. Rolled back to 2024 and now i am getting every time the suggestion to update to the newer Version, really annoying. All the other Apps (AI, ID, etc..) are working fine with the new Versions.

[Sameer K]

Hey, @Eric3721277257xr and @davehutch. Please share screenshots or a short video showing this behavior and the system info from Photoshop Help > System info > Copy and paste into a text document > Upload and attach here.

Also, specify the model of the Mac machine you're working on. 

Thanks! 
Sameer K

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

[davehutch]

Where do I upload and attach files?

[davehutch]

@Sameer K I have the video and txt doc but no way to send them to you. How do I attach?

[Sameer K]

Hey, @davehutch. You can share the details with me via direct message on my Profile and you can also use a cloud file sharing service to share a link here. 

Thanks!

Sameer K