Photoshop 25 (2024) - Layers panel slow and buggy layer masks...

[Carson Jones]

I've upgraded to Photoshop 25 (2024) and I'm experiencing lag and slow reaction times in the Layers Panel. There's lag whenever clicking between layers or dragging them to new positions within the panel.  Layer masks don't immediately update when copying and pasting them between layers.  Also, layer masks fragment (introduced blocky artifacts in mask) from time to time without any predictability or obvious cause.  A workaround I've discovered is to 'Select All' then choose Crop (not ideal) and this will repair the affected layer masks.  I started seeing all of this behavior in the previous version however it appears to be getting worse.   Screenshots of the layer mask fragmentation are included.  System specs below as well.

It seems clear to me that while on the surface the Photoshop UI looks the same, things are happening on the back end that are making PS feel clunky, buggy, and slow.  If others are experiencing this please drop a quick note in the thread.

AMD TR 3970x

Dual Nvidia RTX 3090 (running Studio Drivers - behavior spans multiple drivers)

128 GB DDR4

Windows 11 (behavior spans multiple OS versions)

[Jqqerry]

I couldn't reproduce the layer bug you're experiencing, but I agree that 25.0 is very gritty and slow response speed.

[Wintermute 001]

I've experienced exactly the same thing with permanently corrupted layer masks in Photoshop with this and earlier versions. I'm also experiencing other layer mask issues with version 25: When moving pixels on a layer with a mask, with the pixels unlinked from the mask, the mask is not refreshing to reflect the moved pixels, until I toggle the layer visibility. This makes it nearly impossible to work with the layer masks. Resetting preferences didn't work, so I just installed the previous version, and am crossing my fingers. Needless to say, this is costing me a lot of time. Windows 10.

[Wintermute 001]

Well, I figured out what's going on, and I hope Adobe will fix it. When I have a layer group with a mask on it, layers repositioned within the group look like the mask is moving with the pixels until I toggle layer visibility. Layer masks on individual layers work properly. Is this a bug?

[Dee Daksy]

Same experience. It's very buggy. Like i can't change pattern stamps, can't change colour of shapes, right click to change tools is not working etc.

[Mark5D50]

Since upgrading to Photoshop 2024 (vs 25) my Layers palette is taking ages to be recognised. I can see it, but if I click on it, I am taken to whatever screen is underneath it - so desktop or InDesign. It's as if it is invisible. Really frustrating - I am having to use the drop down menus instead. Clearly some kind of weird bug with this new release.

[Carson Jones]

I suspect there's something bigger at play here.  It feels like there's been a major shift in how the PS UI performs and interacts with the GPU.  UI updates are at a snails pace and it feels overall extremely clunky.  Definitely layer masks are broken within the Layers panel. Whatever Adobe have done on the back end really is making the experience of working in PS pretty terrible comparatively.  When layer masks break in the panel I find often there's also issues in the working space as well and the masking is broken there as well.  Either running a 'Select All / Crop" will fix the issue or quiting out of PS and restarting will correct the issue.  The masks themselves are correct and fine except for the glitches and breaks introduced by this buggy behavior.  I have to add a masking check to my preflight now to be sure the glitches don't translate through to a final delivered file. 

[Hery28494818qbrv]

i was have same issues, and it fixed by install the earlier version of photoshop, in my case i'm was used 25.3.1 one then downgrade it to 25.1.0 all the issues gone, work perfecly smooth and fine.

[Stuart277011386bsi]

I'm finding Photoshop Elements 25 unusable for multilayered collages.

1. I can't automatically link different layered Graphics.

2. Right Clicking on Text Box: Edit Layer Style is now missing.

I'm only used this updated program for a few days.  It is obvious it was released before it was properly tested.

I hope a workable update is release ASAP, in the interim I'll be using Photoshop Elements 2024.

Stu