Looking for a setting adjustment...

[jackyg71088208]

In the past, I could open an image into PS from Lightroom Classic and immediately use a keyboard shortcut without clicking something on the PS interface.  Since doing an update, I now have to physically click on something within the interface before I can use a keyboard shortcut.  Is there a setting that I can simply adjust to get PS to accept a keyboard shortcut without having to click onto the PS interface first? 

If this is unclear...An example would be...I sent an image from Lightroom Classic into Photoshop...PS is now automatically visible on my screen...I immediately see that I want to start using a different tooI than was last selected and want to change the tool to be the brush tool, for example, so I would like to simply do a command + B to change to the brush tool, but I get sound telling be that I did something wrong so if I physically click on the brush tool or anything else in the workspace, I can now start using keyboard short cuts. Is there a setting somewhere?

[LAMY2017]

jacky, could you stretch out your first sentence? Additional detail will help thick-skulled people like me.

• "in the past" -- what version of MacOS and Ps are you running?
• You sent an image [LrC>Photo>Edit in>Edit in Adobe Photoshop 2025, or command-E?]
  Is Ps already open? Or do you expect as you should that the send-to-Ps action will open the image in Ps?

It's at this point that command-B doesn't give you access to the Brush tool? And this is when you hear an audible warning?

I don't get the Brush tool pressing the command-B. I get the Eydropper tool (I) with a Color Balance dialog.

Okay -- B is the shortcut to the Brush tool, not command-B.

Here is a QuickTime screen recording of searching Ps Help for any and all (7) brush tools. In QT, view in full-screen mode to eliminate seeing two tool bars (the app you're in, probably a browser; and the movie). I swirl the cursor to show the seven brush tools, then demonstrate Summarizing all keyboard shortcuts into an html document. I didn't find a way to summarize only brush tools.

[jackyg71088208]

"My bad" on stating the wrong keyboard shortcut for the brush tool.  I just mispoke. 

No keyboard shortcuts work until you physically click on the PS interface.  Shortcuts don't work no matter whether PS is already open or whether it is opening when sending it from LRC, or whether it's a command E or [LrC>Photo>Edit in>Edit in Adobe Photoshop 2025] and it doesn't work if I go to another app or a website and then come back to editing in PS.  Eccentually, when moving from another app or webpage, etc to PS, shotcuts don't work until after clicking on the PS interface. Once I click on the interface, everything works as usual.  It's just an annoyance.  

I'm running IOS Sonoma 14.5 and PS version 26.2.0.  I'm hoping there is just a preference that needs to be changed.

[LAMY2017]

I'm running Ps 26.2 under MacOS 15.2. It'd be an unfair guess to blame it on your system.

My steps to try to reproduce your experience:

1. open Ps

2. press the B key

the Brush toolbar appears, even though I haven't opened an image.

Oddly, when I tried to record a QuickTime movie, pressing B didn't invoke the Brush tool.

Furthering the oddness, when I opened a file while recording Ps, B immediately invoked the Brush tool. See attachment.