Why AI Features are Hidden Behind the “More” Menu

AI features are hidden behind the three-dot “More” menu (…) or collapsed into overflow dropdowns because Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator use responsive interface designs that automatically condense toolbars when screen space is limited. When your display resolution, OS display scaling, application window size, or sidebar panel widths restrict horizontal space, the Contextual Task Bar and properties panels collapse primary buttons—such as Generative Fill, Remove Background, and Select Subject—into submenus to prevent toolbars from covering your artwork.

Fast Fix

Maximize the Photoshop application window or drag its borders wider. If using the Contextual Task Bar, click and drag the bar by its left handle away from crowded screen edges or panels. If buttons remain tucked away, open Preferences > Interface and lower your UI Scaling or UI Font Size to give toolbar elements more horizontal space.

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Responsive Breakpoints in Adobe Interfaces

Photoshop’s modern tools no longer use rigid, fixed-pixel button layouts. The Contextual Task Bar and tool options bars use responsive breakpoints that adjust dynamically based on available canvas space:

Horizontal Space Available: High (Wide Window / 100% UI Scale)
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Select Subject]  [Remove Background]  [Generative Fill]  [... More]   │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Horizontal Space Available: Low (Constricted Window / 200% UI Scale)
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Select Subject]  [... More AI Options ▼ ]   │  <-- Features collapse into
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘      overflow dropdown

When the application detects that displaying every AI action button horizontally would collide with panel docks or run off the edge of your screen, it automatically consolidates secondary options into the More menu.

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Diagnostic Path: Pinpointing Why Buttons Collapsed

AI Tools Hidden in "More" Menu
 │
 ├── Step 1: Maximize the Photoshop window to fill your entire screen.
 │    │
 │    ├── Do the full buttons reappear on the main bar?
 │    │    └── YES ──► Root cause: Application window or canvas width constraint.
 │    │                 Fix: Adjust workspace layout or lower UI scaling.
 │    │
 │    └── NO  ──► Proceed to Step 2.
 │
 ├── Step 2: What is your operating system and Photoshop UI scale set to?
 │    │
 │    └── Set to 150%, 200%, or higher on a 1080p/1440p monitor:
 │         └── Root cause: High-DPI UI scaling consuming horizontal pixel budget.
 │              Fix: Lower UI font size or adjust interface scaling preferences.
 │
 └── Step 3: Are tools missing from the primary vertical toolbar on the left?
      └── YES ──► Root cause: Customized toolbar layout hiding AI tools.
                   Fix: Restore default toolbar configuration.

If your AI tools are not just hidden in submenus but entirely missing their sparkle icons, review the licensing and color mode checks in How to Fix the “Missing Sparkle Icon” on AI Features.

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Step-by-Step Resolution Procedures

1. Adjusting Photoshop Interface Scaling and Font Sizes

If you run a display scaling factor of 150% or 200% on a laptop or standard 1080p/1440p monitor, the interface elements take up significantly more pixel real estate, forcing toolbars into compact overflow modes.

1. Open Photoshop Preferences:
   • Windows: Go to Edit > Preferences > Interface.
   • macOS: Go to Photoshop > Settings > Interface.
2. Under the Presentation section:
   • Change UI Scaling from 200% to 100% (or from Auto to 100%).
   • Set UI Font Size to Small or Medium.
   • Uncheck Scale UI to Font if checked.
3. Click OK and restart Photoshop.
4. With smaller interface elements, the Contextual Task Bar gains enough horizontal space to display “Generative Fill,” “Select Subject,” and “Remove Background” as separate, one-click buttons.

If you are using an ultra-high-resolution monitor and adjusting these scaling steps causes text distortion, follow the display configurations outlined in Fixing UI Scaling Issues for AI Panels on 8K Monitors.

2. Unpinning and Repositioning the Contextual Task Bar

When the Contextual Task Bar is pinned to a fixed coordinate or sits near the bottom or sides of your screen, it often collides with docked palettes. This collision triggers the bar’s auto-collapse behavior.

Repositioning the Task Bar:
┌──┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│::│ [Select Subject]  [Remove Background]  [Generative Fill]    │
└──┴─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
 ▲
 └── Click and drag this left-hand grip handle toward open canvas space.

1. Locate the small drag grip (two vertical lines of dots) on the far-left edge of the floating bar.
2. Click and hold the grip handle, then drag the bar toward the open center of your canvas away from any panel borders.
3. Click the three-dot menu (…) on the right end of the bar.
4. If Pin Bar Position is checked, click it to uncheck it, or select Reset Bar Position.
5. Once the bar has clear space on both sides, it will automatically expand its buttons across its primary surface.
6. For more methods on controlling the floating bar’s behavior, see Why the “Contextual Bar” Hides Under the Windows Taskbar or learn how to toggle it via How to Disable the Contextual Task Bar.

3. Restoring the Default Left-Hand Toolbar

If generative variants of standard healing tools (such as the AI-powered Remove Tool) are missing from your primary vertical toolbar on the left, your toolbar layout has been customized or condensed into the “Edit Toolbar” flyout (…).

Toolbar Reset Procedure:
1. Locate the three-dot icon (...) near the bottom of the left vertical toolbar.
2. Right-click or hold left-click on the three dots.
3. Select "Edit Toolbar..."
4. Click the "Restore Defaults" button on the right side of the window.
5. Click "Done".

1. Navigate to the bottom of the vertical toolbar running down the left side of your screen.
2. Find the three dots icon (…) located directly below the Zoom (magnifying glass) or Hand tool.
3. Right-click or click and hold the three dots, then select Edit Toolbar… from the popup menu.
4. In the Customize Toolbar window, look at the buttons on the right-hand side.
5. Click Restore Defaults.
6. This moves all hidden tools from the Extra Tools column back into their native positions in the main toolbar, ensuring AI tools like the Remove Tool are directly accessible without opening submenus.
7. Click Done.

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Recovering from Corrupted Custom Workspaces

If you created and saved a custom workspace in an older version of Photoshop before modern generative tools were added, your saved layout may not include the interface definitions required to display AI buttons on primary bars.

1. Go to Window > Workspace.
2. Select Essentials (Default).
3. Go to Window > Workspace > Reset Essentials.
4. The default interface configuration will reload, immediately restoring all generative controls, sparkle indicators, and taskbar buttons to their primary factory positions.

If resetting your workspace fails to resolve persistent panel and toolbar collapse issues, follow the complete preferences reset workflow in How to Reset Photoshop Preferences to Restore AI UI.