How to resize an image while maintaining its aspect ratio without pressing Shift

[LucianoAntonini]

The Problem: Today I'm sitting inside a project and I insert an image in a new layer, I take my mouse to drag the image to make it bigger. Usually when I do this, the image I'm expanding will expand while maintaining its proportions (ex: If it's a square image, it will stay as a square as I drag its corners to make it bigger) however now, I go to grab a corner and expand it and the image doesn't maintain its proportions and becomes distorted. I now have to hold shift down while dragging for the image to maintain its proportions.

If there's some kind of setting that'll allow me to go revert back to how it used to be, that'd be great. If possible I'd rather not have to hold shift down everytime I want to expand an image/make an image larger withoit its aspect ratio being affected. I'm just not used to it and its just another extra button I have to press.

[John Waller]

Go to Preferences > General and Uncheck Enable Legacy Free Transform

Historically the default has always been to press Shift to maintain the aspect ratio. Without warning, during CC 2019, Adobe boldly reversed the old default behaviour.

There was an outcry from veteran Photoshop users about the new default of not pressing Shift. So the new preference was introduced by Adobe to give us the choice to set the default to Shift or Not Shift. Sounds like you prefer the new behaviour of not pressing Shift.

[Trevor.Dennis]

There was another post earlier today (NZ time) from someone who thought ths shift key interaction with aspect ratio had gone back to legacy.  Makes you wonder if something is going on with defaults.  Preferences wouldn't change with a minor update though.

[alexandren78219404]

For sure it has gone back to legacy.

But I like the way that it maintains the aspect ratio during resizing without pressing the shift key.

How do I get back to the last way?

[kemal5D64]

thanks

[kathydannelvitcak]

Pounding my head on my desk after the latest updates. My fervent desire is to resize a box and have the scale/proportions stay the same without touching the Shift Key. As soon as I get used to holding the Shift Key it will change and my muscle memory will revolt.  I thought I had followed the directions from your post, but I am still getting carnival mirror effects when I resize an image. Here is what my Settings are. Also, do you know of anywhere that the Settings are defined in a concise way? I always THINK I have them reset after updates, but somehow don't. I saved Prefernces to no avail (but, that might be me). THANK YOU!!! 

[melaniew84333835]

Lgeacy doesn't change it back for me, the only thing that seems to keep aspect ratio for resizing is the shift button like it was back 6 years ago. Sigh... Adobe really does hate it's own user base (I say this as someone who used Photoshop 1.0 back in the day and has been an Adobe customer since 1991) 

[melaniew84333835]

Wait. I'm an idiot. I clicked off the link icon. 

I still standby my last sentence though. 

[kathydannelvitcak]

I hear you, Melanie! My first Photoshop usage was 1996 and I've been on it ever since! Thanks for answering and you are NO an idiot!

Kathy

[Conrad_C · Accepted solution]

In addition to the preference setting, whenever you use Edit > Free Transform you can switch this at any time using the Maintain Aspect Ratio option. If Maintain Aspect Ratio is enabled, dragging a handle scales proportionally, and you hold Shift for disproportionate scaling. Disabling Maintain Aspect Ratio swaps the behavior: Dragging a handle scales disproportionally, and you hold Shift for proportional scaling.

[LucianoAntonini]

Thanks Conrad! That link icon to maintain the aspect ratio was turned off on my end. I got it all fixed now, appreciate the visual + response!

[Guest]

GOD I NEVER REPLY WHEN I FIND FIXES TO MY PROBLEMS ON FORUMS BUT DUDE THIS WAS DRIVING ME NUTS (I JUST GOT A NEW COMPUTER) BUT MAN I CAME HERE TO SAY THANK YOU!!! I HOPE YOU GET ANYTHING YOU WANT IN LIFE!!! I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH HOW I WAS GOING NUTS!!

[Charlotte291591581hs9]

Thanks!