Active window in photoshop keeps moving to background when switching applications

[Joyous5ED6]

I've been having this issue on both Photoshop 2020 and 2021: 

I'm working with floating windows, not tabs. Using Mac OSX Catalina 10.15.7

If I switch out of photoshop, then back into the application, the window I was working in has moved right to the back of all the open windows.

I think I've identified that this only happens if I'm editing text in the window at the time I switch out of the application (which quite often happens if switching out to copy&paste text).

Photoshop still thinks the window is active - in the window menu, it shows as the curretn window, but in order to get it to show, I either have to move all other windows, or click to one other open window, then click back to the window I was using.

I've seen some old similar issues identified related to spaces, so have tried turning off all spaces options, but has not changed the issue.

Wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue? Or any idea what could be causing it?

I'm aware that switching to using tabs would probably solve this, but I'm used to working with floating windows and it's hard to break 20+ years of work habbits 😞

[daniels53766830]

Hi. I am having the same problem. It is extremly annoying. I cannot tell when it happens. But it happens so often that it annoys me very much! It is happening since i've switched to Big Sur .

[Joyous5ED6]

I'm glad it's not just me! Unfortunately, I still haven't found a solution to this. Tried reinstalling photoshop, upgrading OS, nothing seems to change. I'm sure it must be something specific to some settings I have, because surely it can't be a widespread issue, but I really can't figure out what it is...

[ickysan · Accepted solution]

I've noticed when I toggle bewteen screens (Control+Tab), when I come back to my Photoshop desktop, all my tools & windows are gone and my work is on a blank background. I can get them back, but it's really annoying to have to do that every time. Any workarounds?

[Bridges Art]

I cant give you a solution but I can give cold comfort as I am having a similar problem for the last year, when I accidentally deleted Photoshop 2019 which had no issues at all and updated to the latest 24.4 Photoshop release. Unfortunatly I couldnt cant get the older version back,  I had so I'm stuck with a lemon. Now as soon as I grab the top edge of the photoshop window and try to move it it suddnley goes to the background revealing all other application windows its so annoying. Photoshop is now so buggy its driving me nuts. I'm learning Affinity now because the latest Photoshop is turning into a nightmare with bugs and crashes. However there are things photoshop can do that Affinity cant so I end up having to go between both programs to avoid Photoshop crashes. I have lost count how many times hours of work has gone down the drain since I updated a year ago.  Ive been using photoshop since it first appeared decades ago. I'm finding the recent updates are the worst. To their credit I was on the phone with them for a long time trying to fix the problem but in the end I had to get on with work so just put up with the bugs for now. 

[Paul305017944a2u]

Probably unhelpful, but I also have the same issue with Venura 13.4 and Photoshop 24.5.  I too am finding latest PS has plenty of glitches and whilst I know about working in a disciplined way frequently saving, sometimes you just take a number of steps when you get involved in something and it is infuriating to lose it all.  Around the same time I noticed the jumping window, I also found that Lightroom doesn't update the libraries after an image download from any camera without my quitting and restarting the application, only then will I see a folder with that date on it.  This may be something I have done, but I cant see an obvious solution.  I know Adobe is some of the best and has so many capabilities, but the problems coupled with my experience of their customer service, make me wonder if they are in danger of becoming obscure.  Like others I am just putting up with this for now, but its not really good enough for what we pay.

[kimd25330051]

This is exactly what is happening with me! Just got a new Mac Studio, running the lastest Ventura. Totally clean Adobe software install PS v24.7.0, only moved over my data files. This is incredibly annoying, I hope they come up with a fix. Until then, I guess I have to make sure that Photoshop is the only thing open while I'm working.

[Steven305927024z5b]

I've had the same problem for a few years and the only work around for me is to use multiple monitors and keep only the PS file im working with, on the center screen. 

[Paul305017944a2u]

Thanks for that information Steven. I'll need a bigger desk I think

[jalex718]

Having the same problem. Adobe support is completely unaware of how to fix the issue. They say otherwise but each attempt is unsuccessful and I can't get to anyone who seems equipped to help.

[TommyOwenDesign]

Same issue here... Both Photoshop & Illustrator are doing this and I'm about to pull my hair out. I'm gonna try reverting back to a much older version of PSD and Illustrator but I doubt it works. I feel like this is more of a CreativeCloud + OS issue that will take a good while to climb up the priority list.

[TommyOwenDesign · Accepted solution]

Are you on a Mac Studio by chance?  You're using an older OS and also said PSD 2020 and 2021 is doing this, which tells me it might not even be an Adobe issue.... Are you also using multiple monitors?  If yes, what monitors? 

[Steven305927024z5b]

I am on a 2019 Imac - Ventura 13.4 - and Using Creative Cloud PS 24.6. 

As far as Monitors, I have the 27" imac in the middle and 2 24" Dell monitors on either side. I have disconnected the extra monitors with the same resulting issue. My system at Home uses a mac mini 2019 with Ventura 13.4 / PS 24.6

[Steven305927024z5b]

also on my Home system, I use a vizio 43' monitor with 2 vizio 32' monitors on either side. my home system doesnt have that problem at all

[TommyOwenDesign]

So you're using Ventura 13.4 on both machines?  Looks like that is the common denominator here!

[TommyOwenDesign]

I too have V13.4.

[Steven305927024z5b]

you may be on to something because I dont recal this happening before updating to Ventura

[Steven305927024z5b]

but I use Ventura at home without this issue

[Joyous5ED6]

Was on  a Mac Book Pro. The OS was current when I posted the issue about three years ago. But for me the issue did seem to start soon after updating the OS, and I found some info that said people had similar issues caused by various features of OSX's "spaces". I tried turnign all the spaces features off (which I don't generally use anyway, and tend to get enabled when new features come out) that didn't immediately fix anything. However, for me, the issue did eventually go away – I can't tell you why exactly, it was sometime after disabling spaces settings and removing then re-installing photoshop, but certainly wasn't immediate, so I can't say it was either/both of those things or whether they helped. Super frustrating.

[default9cy0b3a8792n]

rrrrggggg me too. I need to click in work area to bring window back to front. When I click on top frame to move window window frame is thrown to back - I can still move but moves behind all other items - finder items and my browser for example. Madening. 15-inch, MacBook Pro Ventura 13.4 

[Tommy24863830lkrj]

Are you using any external monitors?  What fixed it for me was upgrading my OS, and downgrading Illustrator. Issue gone.

[spear285]

Hi All, I've also been having this extremely frustratingissue with photoshop for the past few months

 Model Name: iMac

 Model Identifier: iMac18,3

 Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Ventura 13.4.1

I think I've solved my issues by resetting the PS settings files on PS startup
hold shift - option - command while starting photoshop....PS will ask to delete settings files - hit yes and bingo! Worked for me, my window is now taking prefence over everything else no more jumping to the back. Was making navigation an absolute nightmare.
Good luck and hope this solves the issue for everyone else.

Cheers all

[Beeldbewerking]

Thank you @spear285 , I had the same problem for some weeks. I followed your instructions but accidently hit control-option-command, got a window about scratch disks, hit cancel and voila, problem solved. Strange because I think nothing is reset. 

[spear285]

@Beeldbewerking Haha well at least it solved the promblem even without resetting anything :).
Glad its all sorted for you. Hopefully will solve the problem for everyone else also.

[Steven305927024z5b]

fixed my problem immediately. Thank you.