Changes to Generative Fill

[ArtificialSweetener]

Adobe Photoshop version 21.6.0
Windows 11 24H2, 26120.2222

Steps to produce problem: Make a selection, type a prompt into the generative fill box, click "generate". Changes happen far outside of the user selection, impacting many pixels out.
Expected behavior: Generative fill previously only effected pixels within the selection, or maybe 1 or 2 pixels out from the selection at most.

It's unclear if the recent changes to generative fill were intentional, but they are definitely bad. The tool is worse than it was.

Previously, generative fill worked based strictly on your selection. Now, generative fill has a huge buffer zone outside of your selection that it can also alter, it really seems like between 10 and 20 pixels out from the selection can be impacted by the change.

This takes away the previously "surgical" nature of Generative Fill which myself and others greatly appreciated. So far as I can tell, these changes were rolled out without any way to customize back to the original behavior. The change takes precision and control away from the artist.

[J E L]

Hi @ArtificialSweetener, I just ran three tests and can't reproduce the issue. In fact, Generative Fill doesn't fill out the entire selection at all, it's always smaller than what I selected (Windows 10; Photoshop 26.1.0 Release). We can try a test with your photo and prompt to see if we get the same result.

ETA: Maybe it does extend beyond the selection area? Hard to tell with this image.

[ArtificialSweetener]

Here I've selected a piece of hair near this ear. Notice how I've pain-stakingly selected around the ear so that it does not get included:

I click generate with no prompt. Even though no part of the ear was selected, the ear has now been changed:

Let's try to contract our selection. We'll contract it by 5 pixels, like so:

It's more subtle, but even with a 5 pixel "buffer zone", the tip of the ear has been altered by Generative Fill:

It's not possible for me to give an exmaple of the previous behavior since this is a change on adobe's end, but previously even with very close selctions, details outside of the selection weren't changed like this.

You can try for yourself:

[ArtificialSweetener]

Correction: Photoshop 26.1.0

[Kindhearted_Gleam9686]

I'm seeing this issue as well. I reverted back to 26.0 so I could continue my work. Otherwise I would post some screenshots. FWIW, my working image is 3680x689, RGB, 8 bit. I made a  small ~10x10 selection with the polygonal lasso tool, clicked generative fill, then generate. The resulting mask for the generative fill layer was always larger than my original selection in an octogonal shape with feathered edges. I tried several times and tried different selections. Same result for all.

TIP: Hold Alt while clicking on the layer mask to view the layer mask itself.

I'm not sure why you're not seeing the issue but it looks like you're making a much larger selections than I was. Also you might try making sure the the image is on a layer rather than the background.

Using Windows 19045.3324

[ArtificialSweetener]

@Kindhearted_Gleam9686does reverting to 26.0.0 actually revert this change? It's driving me crazy. I didn't even realize I updated.

Obviously not a permanent solution.

[ArtificialSweetener]

I reverted to 26.0.0 and generative fill is behaving like it did. I'm shocked.

I'm hoping Adobe does not decide to keep the change, here, or lets us choose between "tight" and "loose" generative fill selection. Generative Fill is the whole reason I pay for Photoshop, seriously! I'm begging you guys, don't mess it up!

[Kindhearted_Gleam9686]

@ArtificialSweetener - Updates cause bugs all the time, hence the constant need for more updates. In any case, it's good to hear reverting to 26.0 worked for you. Make sure you disable auto-updates for Photoshop otherwise it will just reinstall 26.1 the next chance it gets.

This appears to be a bug rather than a feature, so I would expect Adobe to fix it at some point. Depends on priority though. The more people that report it, the better, I assume. Since @J E L didn't see the issue, it's probably isolated to specific conditions that not everyone will see - file type/mode/size/layers/etc, hardware?, other?

[taylorg81009603]

This bug basically breaks the entire Generative Fill feature, rendering it unusable. Please fix this ASAP Adobe. Reverting to 26 for now.

[Kindhearted_Gleam9686]

@taylorg81009603 be sure to upvote the top post since that's likely how Adobe gauge's priority. Also see my post about the same issue for additional info. Please consider an upvote there as well. I did some experimenting to discern what's happening and posted the results.

@J E L  @ArtificialSweetener  see my post for additional info on this issue and consider an upvote. An "Adobe Employee" replied that this is expected behavior which it's clearly not since the 26.1 update obviously changed the way generative fill manipulates initial selections. So techinically it's not a bug but it's still very disconcerting that they consider this to be normal. Hopefully the examples I posted will help them understand the problem.

26.1 update causes generative fill mask to be larg... - Adobe Community - 15002552

[justinsanity]

Installing version 26 did not fix it for me. Is 26 still working for you?

[Kindhearted_Gleam9686]

@justinsanity Yes 26.0 is still working for me. Note that it's possible to install multiple versions of photoshop so be sure to confirm that you are indeed using 26.0—Windows: Help > About Photoshop...; Mac: Photoshop > About Photoshop

If you have confirmed that you're using 26.0, please describe in detail the problem that you're seeing.

[blastframe]

I am also having this issue. Generative Fill is expanding the selection. This is VERY unwanted behavior.

[MeredithStotzner]

Hi all,

Thanks for alerting us to this issue. I'm sorry that its affecting your productivity 😞 
I can confirm the pixel buffer spread is larger in 26.1 than 26.0
We'll let you know here when we have a solution (other than the work around to fall back to v26.0)
Thank you,
Meredith

[Fo2graf1]

This problem has yet to be fixed in 26.9, and is so horrible as someone editing tons of product photos that I either need to do things manually, or find a better alternative to photoshop.

[Justin24815580wtt9]

Yes! Just noticed the same issue, so frustrating. The Generative Fill used to operate almost flawlessly and now it's grabbing / trying to generate outside the area I selected. i.e. remove a highlight on a nose or forehead and its changing the nose/eyebrows too.

[Dance Model Club]

I have the same problem. Generative fill is no longer constraining to make changes in the selection area. Is it just the beginning of the Terminator "Doomsday" takeover?  I need the changes that Generative Fill to work only within the parameters I set with a selection box. PLEASE FIX ASAP.

[Kindhearted_Gleam9686]

Note that downgrading to 26.0 or before "fixes" the issue. Just make sure to disable auto updates for Photoshop or it will just re-install 26.1.

If you haven't already, consider an upvote on this post to help prioritize it.

Also see my post about the same issue for additional info. Please consider an upvote there as well. I did some experimenting to discern what's happening and posted the results.

[Davidshutt]

How can you make something worse when updating it, how is this a beneficial change when it just f*cks things up that we haven't selected

[MalcolmAH]

Having the same issue and it is really bad. It is impossible to make small corrections with gen AI now as the area is expanded and to much of the original picture is destroyed. Adobe: please fix this or give us the option to choose.

[Kindhearted_Gleam9686]

The 26.2 update does not fix the issue. When can we expect a fix?

@MeredithStotzner @J E L 

[TheWanderer77]

When is this going to be fixed? It has been months already.  How is it that a paid subscription product like Photoshop can't address obvious bugs in its generative AI promptly, especially when AI tech is advancing rapidly - even the free products. And yet, here's Adobe spinning their wheels and lagging two months behind. This is unacceptable. Please fix it ASAP!

[McRumpel]

I can also confim that there was a major decline in how well genfil and remove tool works. I just tried rolling back to v 26 and it fixed it.

[Kindhearted_Gleam9686]

See my post about the same issue for additional info. Please consider an upvote there as well. I did some experimenting to discern what's happening and posted the results.

[WillD81]

Here we are in April of 2025 and the problem STILL exists! I have to remove someone from a photo that is literally up against the person next to them that has to remain in the photo.

I have even tried to make my selection MANY pixels away from the main subject but then the results try making another human. The closer I go it starts to alter the main subject. Ear goes all out elf or no ear at all, cheek gets bloated, arm gets bloated, adds extra fingers... The mask doesn't even help because the results are adding to the main subject, therefore, if you trying erasing in mask to get the original back the parts of the unwanted person come back as well!

This is EXTREMELY ANNOYING!!! AND VERY TIME CONSUMING!!! My selection is larger than the recommended selection size but it's filling in a background that has a lot of depth so I'm not too concerned.

Adobe, as long as you've had this technology around, you are only getting worse while others are far exceeding you! I stick with you because I pay for the full suite and use it quite extensively. Having to pay additional for another program to do what adobe can't is insane.

PLEASE FIX THIS!!!