Why is my cursor flickering when I paint?

[nicholasa43564700]

When I paint with my mouse or tablet it flickers between the brush icon and the mouse pointer like this. I've reset my preferences, reinstalled photoshop, and deleted FontFeatureCache and CT Font Cache file. Problem persists.

[CShubert · Accepted solution]

Hi @nicholasa43564700 sorry to hear this.

Go to Preferences > Technology Previews... and check "Disable Native Canvas" - then restart Photoshop. Does the problem still occur? 

It may help if we could see your Photoshop System Info. Launch Photoshop, and select Help >System Info...and copy/paste the text in a reply.  

Thank you,

Cory

[Eddie1290]

Thank you! This was driving me crazy.

[Kit_work_acc]

Just tried this, to fix it but now the artwork/cavas is blank/black

[InfiniteWhale]

Doesn't work for me.  Just an m2 macbook pro and every few months I get this problem.  I just wonder why Adobe can't make a product that actually works consistently. 

[f.f14466037]

Same here. I also restarted after the suggested changes in preferences. Flickering persists. 

[f.f14466037]

This Bug is for version 25.4.0

[f.f14466037]

Just updated to 25.7.0...Bug is still there

[Vinicius Calegari]

Did you find a way to fix it?

[Sarah13242]

I have a tablet from Wacom. Sometimes there was such a problem, but the following action helped me:

Close photoshop (if it is running). Create a notepad. Name it: "PSUserConfig". Write in notepad: "UseSystemStylus 0". Save it in the ".txt" format. Place this file in the following path: 

AppData / Roaming / Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 / Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 Settings

Sorry, but I do not know which path to this folder on Mac OS and whether this method will work for owners of this system, because I use Windows. But you can try!

[Vinicius Calegari]

This actually worked. Thank you so much!

[Jqqerry]

A bug similar to what you're experiencing is reported.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-bugs/p-brush-outline-circle-disappearing-when-wor...

https://www.reddit.com/r/wacom/comments/fxryv6/brush_or_other_brushlike_tool_changing_to_cursor/

I don't know what your photoshop version is but roll back to 24.0. From 24.1 onwards, such a bug occurs (the shape of the brush cursor changes to the window default arrow as it blinks).

[nicholasa43564700]

Ive been paintnig for a few hours and no flickers so far! Thank you.

[AMOS0D4C]

How did you fix it?