Photoshop Right-Click Menu Selects Groups/Artboards Instead of Target Layer

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
December 13, 2023
5 replies
2984 views

Hi everyone,

I just got a brand new Macbook Pro and there is a Photoshop function I use hundreds of times a day that has mysteriously changed. With the move tool selected, I could previously right-click on a specific layer and it would automatically highlight that layer within the context menu. Then, I could easily click to select it in the context menu and it would subsequently select the layer in the layers panel. This is a super fast way to select a specific layer in the layers panel when working with many layers on the canvas.

Note: There are many similar posts in the community about "auto-select" not being checked. This is NOT the same issue. This is regarding the right-click behavior when using the move tool with auto-select OFF/UNCHECKED.

However, on my new laptop with my fresh instance of Photoshop, right-clicking with the move tool selected selects the artboard or group instead of the specific target layer I right-clicked on. This is extremely frustrating and not helpful at all.

I did a remote session on both my old and new laptops with an Adobe support specialist and when he did it, it worked as expected on both laptops. However, when I tried to do it using a mouse or trackpad on my new laptop, it did NOT work as expected. This leads me to believe it's some kind of software issue or incompatability, but I'm not sure. All of my trackpad and keyboard settings are the same on both devices. I imported my previous Photoshop settings onto my new laptop, rebooted, etc — and this did not resolve the issue either.

I am running Photoshop 25.3.1 on Macbook Pro with Sonoma 14.1. The problem can be reproduced by creating any photoshop file with multiple layers stacked on the canvas. Then, with the move tool selected and auto-select turned OFF, ctrl-click/right click using a mouse or trackpad on a specific layer. It is supposed to highlight that layer in the context menu, but instead it highlights the artboard or group name (or nothing at all if there are no groups or artboards, it just opens the context menu with nothing highlighted).

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

UPDATE: I updated my old laptop from Mac OS Ventura to Mac OS Sonoma and this issue is now happening on both laptops. This leads me to believe is must be a Photoshop/Sonoma (14.1 and 14.2) bug.

macOS

This topic has been closed for replies.

J

Joey Ciccoline

Inspiring

I just updated to Sonoma (14.5) and am getting this behvior now. It's wrecking my workflow. Has there been no fix??

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

Please read this (in particular the section titled "Supply pertinent information for more timely and effective answers”):
https://community.adobe.com/t5/using-the-community/community-how-to-guide-tips-amp-best-practices/td-p/11601738?page=1

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

Your screenshot »menu-not-working…« seems fine to me, as the Artboard is »higher« than the Layer and contains content at that position (namely that Layer) it seems reasonable to me that it would be selected in the contextual menu first.

Aside from that can you not moneuver to the intended Layer in the contextual menu?

If there are no Adjustment Layers or semitransparent Layers atop the Layer you want to select wouldn’t be ctrl-alt-clicking the Layer’s content straightaway be easier?

T

troyjack

Inspiring

"Your screenshot »menu-not-working…« seems fine to me, as the Artboard is »higher« than the Layer and contains content at that position (namely that Layer) it seems reasonable to me that it would be selected in the contextual menu first. Aside from that can you not moneuver to the intended Layer in the contextual menu?"

That isn't the way it has always behaved on Mac, until Sonoma. A function that has become muscle memory from years of using PS now seems to have become less efficient. Something has definitely changed.

In agreement with OP, the "menu-working" screenshot is the expected behavior I've always relied upon.

T

troyjack

Inspiring

I noticed this as soon as I upgraded to Sonoma. It's making me crazy and really slowing down my workflow.

M

mattolpinskiAuthor

Participating Frequently

UPDATE! I just upgraded my old laptop from Mac OS Ventura to OS Sonoma 14.2 and it is now behaving the same way on my old laptop as my new laptop (incorrectly!). That all but guarantees this is an issue caused by the Sonoma update. Right-click behavior in Photoshop has apparently changed. Hopefully this will get addressed soon.

P.S. I don't know how to move this post to the correct forum. I tried re-posting in Photoshop ecosystem, but I can't find it there at all. If a moderator can relocate or merge my posts that would be great. Thanks!