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Layers don't select properly

Explorer ,
Sep 12, 2021 Sep 12, 2021

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I am having this really weird issue that is killing productivity. It happens on many Photoshop files. Not all of them, but a great many of them and only started about a year ago. It originally only affected one file every couple of months but now it is happening on most files.

 

What happens is that I'll create layers (they might be a combination of graphic and text layers), but when I select one and use the move tool, as soon as I select the move tool it switches to another layer. So when I try to move, it moves the wrong layer. Which layer gets moved is always random. It might be the last one I created, but it might also be the top layer, or just some random layer. That makes it really hard to work with the files, because the only way to move anything in the file is to use the arrow keys.

 

I've tried deleting the pref file which forces PS to create a new one. No change. I've tried reinstalling Photoshop. Worked for about a month then it was back to the same thing. I've tried quitting and reopening the affected files. I've tried restarting the computer. 

 

It happens on my 2020 MacBook Pro using MacOS Big Sur 11.5.1 and Photoshop through about three versions now (currently using 22.5.0).

 

It's gotten to the point where I'm ready to ditch Photoshop completely because it is pretty much unusable. Hoping someone has a solution.

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Sep 13, 2021 Sep 13, 2021

When the Move tool is selected, look in the Options bar (the bar at the top of the screen) and most likely Auto-Select is on (it's on by default in recent versions... unlike older versions of Photoshop when it had been off by default). 

 

When Auto-Select is on, Photoshop will select the topmost layer under the pixel you click on (unless it's a low Opacity). This is useful sometimes, but not always. If you turn off Auto-Select, you can select the layer you want to work on and Photoshop will not

...

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Community Expert ,
Sep 12, 2021 Sep 12, 2021

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Hi i suggest you to use Photoshop 2020 version remove the updated one using adobe clean remove tool...regards

Ali Sajjad / Graphic Design Trainer / Freelancer / Adobe Certified Professional

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Community Expert ,
Sep 12, 2021 Sep 12, 2021

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Could you please post screenshots with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Options Bar, …) visible? 

 

Is the Move Tool set to »Auto-Select«? 

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Community Expert ,
Sep 13, 2021 Sep 13, 2021

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When the Move tool is selected, look in the Options bar (the bar at the top of the screen) and most likely Auto-Select is on (it's on by default in recent versions... unlike older versions of Photoshop when it had been off by default). 

 

When Auto-Select is on, Photoshop will select the topmost layer under the pixel you click on (unless it's a low Opacity). This is useful sometimes, but not always. If you turn off Auto-Select, you can select the layer you want to work on and Photoshop will not change the layer selection for you. 

 

TIP: If you turn off Auto-Select, you can hold Command (Mac) or Contrl (Windows) and click in the canvas to do a one time Auto-Select.


— Adobe Certified Expert & Instructor at Noble Desktop | Web Developer, Designer, InDesign Scriptor

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Explorer ,
Sep 13, 2021 Sep 13, 2021

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Thank you! I didn't know that auto-select had become the default, and didn't even think to look at that even though it's right there above the toolbar.

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Community Beginner ,
May 02, 2022 May 02, 2022

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LATEST

this worked. Why is it that every update in Adobe now requires you to reset everything back to the way you personally set up defaults? Before it would pick up where you last set everything. NOW, it always reverts back to Adobe defaults on updates. 

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