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Shire23
Participant
October 18, 2023

P: Photoshop iPad - Brush Strokes Don't Appear Until I Lift Apple Pencil (Type-C)

  • October 18, 2023
  • 22 replies
  • 7117 views
  • Device: iPad Air (5th Gen) running iPadOS 17.2.
  • Stylus: Apple Pencil (USB-C) - A3085
  • Photoshop for iPad version: 5.4 (20231204.515)

 

When using my Apple Pencil in the Photoshop for iPad app, my brush strokes do not show up on the screen until I lift my Apple Pencil off of the screen.  When using my finger, my brush strokes show up as I make them.  Of course this makes the creative process difficult because you can't see where your brush stroke has been unless you lift your pencil off of the screen.

 

I have completed the following troubleshooting steps:

 

  • Tried this with my wife's Apple Pencil (same model) on her iPad (10th Gen) and hers does the same thing.
  • Unpaired and repaired my Apple Pencil
  • Restarted my iPad
  • Uninstalled and reinstalled the Photoshop for iPad app.
  • I tried the "Stylus only painting" option both on and off with the same results.
  • I have searched high and low online and have seen others with this same issue, but no resolution.  I'm 100% sure my Apple Pencil is genuine, so I know that's not the issue.

 

I have attached two videos.  One shows the behavior in Photoshop for iPad when using my Apple Pencil and the other shows the behavior of using my finger.

 

 

    22 replies

    F
    Feasty
    Participant
    June 18, 2025

    .i had the same issue with my iPad a16 2025 and Apple Pencil usb c but I used it tonight and it works perfectly? No delay Has it been fixed?, one thing I have done is charged my pencil up ????

    R
    richard_8516
    Participant
    May 13, 2025

    Product team,  you must realise this issue probably burns a lot of consumer trust and brand image in what is a premium product. When paying for a CC subscription users expect this to just work. It is not obsolete or low quality hardware. This hiatus makes the Photoshop iOS/iPad app looked severy crippled to pencil users and far from 'pro'.

    I hope the Photoshop product owner will reconsider.

    R
    richard_8516
    Participant
    May 13, 2025

    Still an issue as of May 2025. Please fix this. There's probably a good technical reason it has not happened but it is terrible UX.

    G
    gabriela_1203
    Participant
    May 9, 2025

    My stylus is not drawing in real time it means that the line which I draw by stylus is visible after I disconnect stylus from the screen

    I will add that drawing by fingers works without any bugs

    iPad10 / iPencil USB C / PHOTOSHOP 6.1.1

    J
    Juhani27891988biea
    Participating Frequently
    April 1, 2025

    It's fixed! At least my Apple Pencil works with Photoshop perfectly again. Thank you!

    O
    orion9282
    Participating Frequently
    March 19, 2025

    Yep having the same issue as the latest poster with the same hardware. Absolutely unacceptable.

      J
      Juhani27891988biea
      Participating Frequently
      March 18, 2025

      I tried to figure out more precisely what is actually happening: when you start to draw a line (with any brush or eraser) the line appears after aproximately 1 cm of drawing. It gets then visible of its whole length so nothing is missing. In that sense it is not lagging but delay.

        J
        Juhani27891988biea
        Participating Frequently
        March 18, 2025

        I use iPad Pro 12,9", iPad OS 18.3.2, Apple Pencil Gen 2. Latest version of Photoshop. A couple of weeks ago Pencil delay suddenly started. It's not lagging but more like delay when starting to draw a line. If you for ex. draw a circle quickly the line appears only after the circle is ready so there is a good chance you miss the starting point. And overall this sort of delay is very very annoying, it's like playing an instrument and hearing the sound afterwards. I use others applications too (Procreate and Clip Studio for ex.) but this delay only happens with Photoshop. I have been using these for years, it's not Photoshop Smoothing or anything like that, it's clearly a bug.

          S
          ShonTheLawn
          Participant
          January 22, 2025

          This is total garbage from Adobe. More shady business practices refusing to let anything other than the Apple brand stylus work on their program. I am not buying an Apple Pencil. I'll use Procreate, which is a $15 one-time payment and works perfectly with any stylus. Adobe sucks.

            J
            jordan_6984
            Participant
            December 31, 2024

            I hace the Apple Pencil usb c and i'm using it on the iPad 10th gen on iPadOS 18.2 bit for come reason when i use photoshop with the Pencil

            It has a Lot of lag and only appeers when I finish the stroke bot if I use mg finger the stroke happens at the same time Any advice to fix this would be great

             

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