Photoshop Generative Fill Not Working or Slow? Fix
Source-checked · About 10 minutes
Answer
Verify Photoshop, account access, credits, document mode, layer type and internet connection before treating Generative Fill as slow or broken. Test a small RGB 8-bit raster document, then check GPU behavior and reset preferences only after the simpler prerequisites pass.
Update Photoshop, sign in to the correct Adobe account, confirm generative credits and account eligibility, and review Adobe's country and managed-account limitations.
Set the test document to RGB Color and 8 Bits/Channel, select an unlocked raster layer, and make an active selection. Text, vector, and some Smart Object states can disable generation.
3
Test a small permitted request
Create a small blank test document and submit one simple compliant Generative Fill request. This separates document complexity and prompt policy from a service-wide failure.
4
Check the connection path
Pause heavy network traffic and verify a firewall, proxy, DNS filter, or VPN is not blocking Adobe or Firefly. Ask an administrator before modifying managed controls.
5
Wait for the current request
Do not submit repeated duplicates while Photoshop shows progress. Large selections, complex documents, service demand, and connection latency can make a valid request take longer.
6
Test GPU acceleration
Update the supported GPU driver on Windows, restart Photoshop, and compare GPU acceleration on versus off only as Adobe recommends for freezing or crashing behavior.
7
Reset preferences carefully
Record custom settings, choose Reset Preferences on Quit, restart Photoshop, and repeat the same small test. Restore preferences deliberately rather than copying an old settings folder wholesale.
8
Report reproducible evidence
If the small document also fails, provide Adobe the Photoshop version, OS, GPU, account type, country, document mode, time, and complete error without exposing client artwork.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
If Generative Fill is greyed out, recheck document mode, active selection, raster layer, account eligibility, and credits before reinstalling.
No local setting can guarantee generation speed during an Adobe service incident; preserve work and retry after the service recovers.
ⓘ Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Platform not recorded.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.
