P: PS 26.9 Erractic Zoom tool behavior with CTRL (+/-) shortcuts

[stevenb91886122]

wild zoom tool photoshop trouble update 20.9.0

{Title rewritten by moderator for discoverability}

[Robert27409827tp88]

Just updated to 26.10. Zooming is still wonky. Zooming with CTRL + and - still works better when the contextual task bar is hidden. Really hoped Adobe would have fixed it by now.

[iSec_1234]

 I've encountered a bug in both the official and Beta versions of Photoshop 2025. After changing the layer thumbnail size in the Layers panel from “Small Thumbnails” to “Medium” or “Large,” the zoom shortcut (Ctrl + + / Ctrl + -) starts behaving abnormally. As long as the Ctrl key is held down, the zoom keeps repeating automatically, causing the canvas to zoom in or out continuously. Even reverting the thumbnail size back to “Small” doesn't fix the issue. The only workaround I've found is to reset Photoshop preferences, which temporarily resolves the problem. This suggests the bug may be triggered by a specific preference setting related to thumbnail size.

Environment:

• Photoshop version: 2025 (official release and Beta)

• OS: Windows 11

• Input method: Keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + + / Ctrl + -)

Photoshop 2025 缩略图设置导致缩放快捷键异常

我在 Photoshop 2025 的正式版和 Beta 版中发现一个 Bug：当我将图层面板中的缩略图大小从“小缩略图”改为“中”或“大”之后，使用 Ctrl + + 或 Ctrl + - 进行缩放时，只要不松开 Ctrl 键，缩放操作就会持续进行，导致画面不断放大或缩小。 即使我将缩略图大小改回“小缩略图”，问题仍然存在。 只有在重置 Photoshop 的首选项后，这个问题才会消失。 这可能是某个首选项设置引发的 Bug，希望 Adobe 团队能关注并修复这个问题。

环境信息：

• Photoshop 版本：2025 正式版和 Beta 版

• 操作系统：Windows 11

• 输入方式：键盘快捷键（Ctrl + + / Ctrl + -）

[iSec_1234]

Additional Information: After resetting Photoshop preferences this time, when using Ctrl + + or Ctrl + - to zoom, holding down the Ctrl key causes the zoom action to repeat twice (instead of once). If I then change the layer thumbnail size in the Layers panel (e.g., from “Small Thumbnails” to “Medium” or “Large”), this behavior changes to infinite continuous zoom until the Ctrl key is released. I am currently attempting to completely resolve the issue by uninstalling Photoshop and deleting the preferences file.

补充情况： 在我这一次重置 Photoshop 首选项后，使用 Ctrl + + 或 Ctrl + - 进行缩放时，长按 Ctrl 键会连续触发 两次 缩放（而不是一次）。 当我再次修改图层面板的缩略图尺寸（例如从“小缩略图”改为“中”或“大”）后，这个行为会变成无限连续缩放，直到松开 Ctrl 键为止。 目前我正尝试通过卸载 Photoshop 并删除首选项文件的方式来彻底解决这个问题。

[Mariam Hovhannesyan]

Hello, did you try to turn off your gpu performance of photoshop 

Test with GPU Acceleration Disabled

Several layers-panel oddities or UI glitches in Photoshop have been linked to GPU issues. Disabling GPU-related options may help isolate the problem:

Go to Preferences → Performance

Uncheck options like Use Graphics Processor, as well as anything mentioning OpenCL, Use Legacy Compositing, or Use Hardware Accelerated Rendering

Restart Photoshop and test the behavior again

[iSec_1234]

Thank you for your suggestion. I disabled the GPU-related settings as advised, but unfortunately the issue remains unchanged.

[Ged_Traynor]

@iSec_1234 it's a known issue, as a workaround hide the contextual task bar

[iSec_1234]

oh okay thx

[Chris Maddrell]

Ctrl + +/- zoom etc has gone bonkers!!! One click used to do about 25%, now it does c.250%!! Windows 11 with wired mouse & keyboard. 
Is there a new way of zooming?!
Ta

[Ged_Traynor]

@Chris Maddrell it's a known issue in versions 26.9 and 26.10, as a workaround hide the contextual task bar

[Chris Maddrell]

Thanks for the tip. I did search for this problem in the community before posting my question and no info came up!

[JonasRogne]

This major bug is STILL here in version 26.9, and the beta of 26.10. 

Tested on two separate machines.

Breaking basic shortcuts for zooming in/out is a rather bad bug - this needs to be higher priority.

[MLip]

I've updated Photoshop to v26.10.0 and I'm still having the same issues.

Another issue I'm having is when I'm using Curves (not as an Adjustment Layer) Example: adding a point for example Output 29 Input 42 but when I try to adjust the Input value with the Up or Down arrows the Input value doesn't change. Not even with the Shift up/down arrows. This does however work when a a Curve Adjustment Layer is added.

[Andrew45881134zx13]

When using Ctrl + Numpad (+) or Ctrl + Numpad (–) to zoom in or out on an image, Photoshop performs the zoom action twice per keypress instead of once. This makes the image jump by two increments, which is inconsistent with the top-row +/– keys.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Open any image in Photoshop.
2. Press Ctrl + Numpad (+) to zoom in.
3. Observe that Photoshop zooms two steps instead of one.
4. Press Ctrl + Numpad (–) to zoom out.
5. Observe that Photoshop zooms two steps instead of one.
6. Repeat with the top-row +/– keys (above the letters). Those zoom correctly by one step.

Expected Result:
One zoom increment per shortcut press, consistent with top-row +/– behavior.

Actual Result:
Two zoom increments per shortcut press when using the numeric keypad.

System Info:

• Photoshop Version: 26.10.0 (Windows)

• OS: Windows 11 (fresh install)

• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti

• Preferences tested: Animated Zoom OFF, GPU on/off both tested, issue persists

• Keyboard: Same hardware tested on previous PC without issue

Notes:

• This only happens with Numpad shortcuts.

• Other applications (browser, Word, etc.) interpret Ctrl + Numpad +/– correctly.

• Disabling GPU, disabling Animated Zoom, and resetting Photoshop preferences did not resolve the issue.

• Top-row +/– keys work normally.

[Ged_Traynor]

@Andrew45881134zx13 it's a known issue since the release of version 26.9, which was not fixed in version 26.10, for a workaround hide the contextual task bar

[Art of Walls]

Windows 11 and Photoshop 26.10.0

When I zoom in or out with CTRL + "numkeypad +" or CRTRL + "numkeypad -", the zoom instead if jumping one step, jumps two or more steps (as an example, instead of jumpig up from 100% to 200%, it jumps quickly to 300% or even 400%). Also, if I hold the CTRL key but release the numkeypad key, the zoom keeps changing like one time per second either in or out.

Also, when pressing CTRL+ALT+"numkeypad 0" to zoom to 100%, the zooming is done but as soon as I release the keys, the zoom changes to fit the window. I have noticed this only happens when the ALT key is released just an instant before the CTRL key. So the app is getting a ghost CTRL+"numkeypad 0" press. This error doesn't appear when I release CTRL before ALT but this is not my case most of the time so it is very annoying.

I have discovered that if I disable "enable modern user interface" in "Technology previsulizations" (sorry, translating from Spanish here since I also can't change the user interfece language to English), then zooming with keys works as usual and all the issues disappear.

The issues also disappear when I disable the new contextual bar.

[Don NFLX]

As the subject says, zoom using Ctrl + and Ctrl Alt + is zooming multiple times rather than one zoom level at a time.  This makes it very difficult to zoom to the correct level.   It makes zooming like spinnning a "wheel of chance" and hoping that it lands on the right spot.  This odd behavior started for me this morning 9/22/2025.  I'm on a PC running the latest Windows 11 version 26100.6584, and my Photoshop version is 26.10.O.

Steps to reproduce:
Use Ctrl + and Ctrl Alt + to zoom in and out.
Expected Result:  Each time you press the Ctrl + or Ctrl Alt +, you zoom in or out one level.
Actual Result: Each time you press the Ctrl + or Ctrl Alt + you zoom in or out multiple levels

[Don NFLX]

In case is isn't clear, the problem also happens when you zoom out by pressing Ctrl - or Ctrl Alt -

[CMass]

Hey @Don NFLX, 

Thank you for sharing all these details and a video of the issue. Sometimes, things like this happen when a driver is out of date, but not always. Can you share your system info? You can find this by going to Help > System Info. Copy and paste that into a text file and share here. This will give us an idea of that might be going on. 

^CM

[Glenn 8675309]

I generally use the scroll wheel on my mouse to zoom in or out- can you do that?  

IF SO: does the same problem happen?

ABOUT YOUR KEYBOARD:  Do you have another one you can plug in and see what happens with a different keyboard?

ANY PLUGINS?   In looking at older posts about this:   ROBOHELP seems to cause problems simliar to yours.



Zooming with my scroll wheel on my mouse has made zooming very easy- I prefere to use it, other that keyboard shorts poeple usually use.

[Don NFLX]

Zooming with the mouse wheel works fine.   I did manage to isolate the problem to the + and - key on the number pad.  If I use the + and - key on the top row next to the backspace on a standard qwerty keyboard the zoom works as expected, and zooms in or out 1 level at a time.

[Don NFLX]

I don't have Robohelp or any other plugins installed.  

[Ged_Traynor]

@Don NFLX it's a bug that was introduced in version 26.9 and wasn't fixed in version 26.10, a workaround is to hide the contextual taskbar

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-bugs/p-ps-26-9-erractic-zoom-tool-behavior-with-c...

Edit: still not fixed in version 26.11

[Don NFLX]

System info is attached.

[gertl18670298]

After I have updated Photoshop to the latest public version 26.11, the zoom function with ctrl+ +/- has gone crazy.... sometimes it goes quickly all up to max 12800 percent, or down to the smallest size. Also sometimes it skips the uneven numbers, 16,7%, 33,3%, 66,7% etc.

Has anyone encountered the same........?

I'm on Windows 10.

Regard

Gert

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @gertl18670298

Thanks for reporting this. To help us understand the issue better, could you please share a few more details:

• Your system information (go to Help > System Info in Photoshop and copy–paste the full report here).

• Are you using a mouse, trackpad, or drawing tablet when the zoom issue occurs?

• Does this happen only with the keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl + / -), or also when zooming via the Zoom tool or Navigator panel?

• Did the issue start immediately after updating to 26.11, or was it happening earlier too?

This info will help us narrow down the issue and help you accordingly.

Regards,

Srishti