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Ria Scureman
Participant
November 5, 2019
Under Review

P: Add option to disable ALT/OPT + Click 'Zoom to layer' behavior

  • November 5, 2019
  • 13 replies
  • 4513 views

Going to go back to the previous version of PS until there is a way to turn this off or it's changed or eliminated. Seems someone at Adobe forgot that holding "Alt" while clicking a layer group is how we collapse/expand layers! Now when I try to collapse a layer group the whole thing zooms???? No bueno, Adobe.

13 replies

Known Participant
October 15, 2025

Hi, Sameer. I bet there would be far more upvotes if this page was easier to find. I didn't even know what to call the problem, and I've used PS for some 30 years. Anyway, "option click zoom" appears to serve no purpose other than to annoy. It pops up all the time, e.g., drawing with the pen tool and using the option key to switch temporarily to the selection pointer to adjust a control point. Option click is part of that drawing process. You can see the problem. And that's just one use case. Whoever thought this would be a good feature should reconsider. At the very least, please give us a way to turn it off. Thanks for any consideration you can stir up!

Participant
August 5, 2025

PLEASE fix this! I just did it again a couple days ago. It is one of the most worthless "functions" in all Adobe products – and one that actually derails your workflow. "Features" should not be things you accidentally invoke, make you frustrated and angry, and disrupt your wokflow while you stop working to undo the thing you just accidentally triggered.

Known Participant
July 3, 2020

So if you press alt and click a layer on accident or trying to do something else, it zooms in full screen to that layer. Collapse folder and zoom in is literally a few pixels difference. This is the most annoying feature I've ever seen added. Whoever suggested or OKd that feature should be put on a raft and pushed out to sea!

 

So, how do I disable this? I didn't see a shortcut to turn off. I'm tired of contastantly having to zoom out to 100% when it zooms in. I want to zoom in ONLY when I want to which I don't do that often. And there are plenty of ways to do this already! Why combine it sloppily and as a hidden feature next to a workflow that already exists for a lot of people?

Marianne-Deiters
Participating Frequently
July 3, 2020

There is no way to turn it off at the moment. You could request that function: https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

schroef
Inspiring
November 23, 2023

That link does nothing, it shows a page with text and a drop-down menu. That menu redirects us back to the Community?!

Inspiring
February 21, 2020
Can we please please please please have the option to disable the alt+click 'zoom to layer content' function?
I see absolutely no use for it, and it is really really damaging my work-flow. I use layer masks all the time, and when I accidentally click just next to my mask, my whole document zooms and bounces all over the place. I have no time for it.
Please let me just tick a box in preferences to turn it off.
Thank you!
c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 21, 2020
Personally I don’t find it that disruptive but I agree that being able to turn it off might be beneficial. 
PECourtejoie
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 19, 2020

Hi! update Photoshop to v 21.1 as there is a fix for the unwanted zoom to layer content:

 https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/fixed-issues.html#photoshop-desktop-fixed-issues

Participant
February 27, 2020

The issue is not fixed. I have 21.1 and as far as I can tell there is no way to turn this featue off. Everytime I create a clipping mask it zooms to the layer. This is a very undesireable feature. Just give us an option to turn it off.

Participating Frequently
January 2, 2020

Hiya.

 

I'm having trouble with this alt+click auto-zoom that got added, and am hoping to figure out how to turn it off.

 

The work I do involves a lot of "attaching" layers/gradient maps to other layers, which I do using alt+clicking between the layers. If I am a little off on the clicking it now does this awful zoom, which is very frustrating and a waste of time when I then have to zoom back out.

 

I'm also open to changing my shortcut to attach layers, but I'm not sure if that's possible either? 

 

Thanks!

macpawel
Participating Frequently
January 2, 2020

Try to check Zoom With Scroll Wheel - instead od Alt Scrolling

 

 

Participating Frequently
January 2, 2020

I don't want to zoom, I want the opposite, which is for it to not do it when I'm attaching layers to each other.

davescm
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 19, 2019

Works here in 21.0.2 Jane. If you want to zoom you Alt-Click just to the left of the arrow. Alt clicking on the arrow expands the groups as it used to.

It's in the what's fixed list:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/fixed-issues.html

Dave

Mike May Art
Participating Frequently
February 3, 2020

It's not fixed here in version 21.0.3. In fact it STARTED FOR ME on this version. What gives? SUPER annoying!

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 19, 2019

Hi

This has been reported at the Feedback website and the Senior Product Manager reports that it has been fixed in 21.0.2.

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/alt-clicking-arrows-next-to-groups-zooms-to-the-group

 

Please confirm your version and if it is still an issue, then add to that thread.

~ Jane

Mike May Art
Participating Frequently
February 4, 2020

This has NOT been fixed, as I have discovered it in 21.0.3. I went back to version 21.0.2 but it's still broken. What gives?! Adobe support is useless. Both phone and text chat, it's been a fruitless effort that wrecked my morning and produces only difficult to understand techs that don't listen. Is Adobe giving up on support/listening? 

Participant
December 19, 2019

Yes, we need an option to disable automatic zoom to layer content. It's annoying for my workflow.

Participant
December 12, 2019

This is extremely annoying,  it literally destroyed my workflow. I constantly use Alt + thumbnail to remove the whole layer from my selection. We must be able to turn it off immediately!

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 19, 2019

"I constantly use Alt + thumbnail to remove the whole layer from my selection."

 

Hi Omerakyol,

This sounds like it may be a different issue. If you have selected multiple layers and need to deselect one, then use Command (Mac) or Control (Win) and click that layer to remove it from the selection. Don't Cmd/Ctrl+Click the thumbnail itself, though, as that is the shortcut to select the pixels on the layer — click to the right of it.

Jane

Participant
February 4, 2020

I know its much easier for you to assume users as idiots at first but no, by selection, ı mean the selection on the screen. I am using photoshop to earn my living for 16 years straight now, thank you. And I am sure many people here are using ctrl/alt + thumbnail to add and subtract layer pixels to make complex selections. It is obvious developers or testers don't have any clue, tough...

 

Edit: typo