Undo and Redo in Photoshop with History States
Photoshop’s undo can be confusing because Cmd/Ctrl+Z toggles only the last state. This tutorial clarifies how to use Undo, Step Backward/Forward, and the History panel, plus how to increase history states for deeper undos. Follow along to configure your workflow and recover edits quickly.
Step-by-step instructions
Set up a quick test
Go to File → New… to create a document.
Choose the Brush Tool (B) and paint a few strokes on the canvas.
Undo the last action
Go to Edit → Undo or press Ctrl/Cmd+Z.
Note: Repeated Ctrl/Cmd+Z toggles between the last action and its undo.
Open and use the History panel
Go to Window → History to show saved history states.
Click any earlier state to jump back multiple steps at once.
Step backward and forward through states
Use Edit → Step Backward (Alt/Option+Ctrl/Cmd+Z) to go back one state at a time.
Use Edit → Step Forward (Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+Z) to move forward through states.
Avoid losing earlier states
If you step backward and then make a new edit, Photoshop creates a new branch and discards states ahead of the current one.
Before continuing, verify your position in Window → History.
Increase the number of history states
Open Preferences: macOS → Photoshop → Preferences → Performance; Windows → Edit → Preferences → Performance.
Under History & Cache, set History States between 1–1000 (e.g., 100), then click OK.
