This is a very old bug (from as old as CS4) that NEEDS to be fixed. If you have Safari running with Illustrator, it will break the spacebar as hand tool along with a couple other features, like command+space to zoom.

Same issue

Here are my specs:

Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Version 10.13.3 (17D47)
Processor 3 GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon E5
Memory 32 GB 1866 MHz DDR3
Illustrator Version 22.1

I think I've found a little helping solution.
As soon as I quit my safari browser, the hand tool works again.
I don't know why those two programs are interrupt each other, but it works for now.

Just updated my illustrator and the spacebar Hand Tool is still broken.

Win7 Dell Precision M3800 laptop using the trackpad
Illustrator CC 22.1 (64 bit)

Has a solution been provided for this?! I'm having the same problem, here are my specs:

MacOS Sierra 10.12.5
Macbook Pro 2.5 Ghz Intel Core i7
16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Illustrator CC 22.0.1
I have Windows 10 installed through Bootcamp

In an attempt to work around this, I opened Photoshop and guess what... Hand tool is stuck there also. There has to be more people hitting this issue? The tools are totally unusable!

Hudson Graham, I feel your pain.

My mac must have updated over night and when I start Illustrator now it is stuck on the hand/grab tool. I have tried turning off GPU Performance (mentioned in other forums), but nothing works, Illustrator is now useless.

Ouch, Anonymous! My mac is so old, I don't think any of my other software will run if I go back to the original OS. It's nice that you got a human from Apple to tell you this.

I would like a human from Adobe to speak to me about this. It seems in all the years we've been using computers, operating systems upgrade, and other software follows suit to be compatible.

Why doesn't Adobe update Illustrator to be compatible with High Sierra? Can the answer really be that we have to go BACKWARDS to keep using their software effectively and efficiently?

Please, Adobe, please make Illustrator CC compatible with High Sierra.

I think that's what I invest my monthly fee into: constant updates, the latest and the greatest. Seriously!

I have contacted both Adobe and Apple, the main issue is Apple's new upgrade to High Sierra means there is a new way of saving files and the format at which the save, this causes issues with Adobe and therefor causes glitches in the illustrator and indesign softwares. To fix the issue you have to back up your computer, Factory reset your Mac and install the OS that came with the Mac. Then re-download everything. The High Sierra will NOT allow you to revet to older operating software and therefore causes a major flaw in the operation of external software. Hope this helps.

Apple told e this over the phone. They were very clear about the issue and this is the only permanent ATM.

Sara Bentley , thanks, but strange things happen when I don't even select the hand tool. For instance, I will select an object with the selection tool, then when I click to drag it, instead everything in the path of my drag gets selected, and the screen zooms along as super speed up off into the world beyond the board. (Honestly don't know how to explain that. Hope you get it.) Now, you might think my track pad is damaged, but I had it checked out at apple, and it doesn't happen in any other program.

Could the problem be that the program is just working extremely slowly? Which leads me to click twice in impatience, therefore selecting a new action/tool? In that case, how do I correct a lazy, sloth like illustrator?

thanks for your suggestion and help!

I managed to shut down and restart adobe and haven’t had the problem since (touch wood)

Rather than selecting the hand tool can you press and hold the space bar to bring it up? Then just click and drag where you want on your page. May not be a perfect fix but may be a work around for the time being.

Simon, sorry, I did not find a solution. Basically I don't use illustrator anymore, even though I pay for it monthly. I'm frustrated that Adobe does not offer more than this forum for help. While I did receive a suggestion from one of Adobe's experts—to trash preferences or quit other programs—that didn't work (it worked for inDesign though). So it's worth a try to trash preferences and to shut down Chrome while you're working.

However, even if it's a software conflict, shouldn't adobe update their software to prevent this? If so many people have this same issue, and it prevents them from working, and the COMMON DENOMINATOR is Adobe, would Adobe please please please figure out how to remove this conflict? Please?

Hi Lisa, I have the same problem, did you find a solution?

The hand tool gets stuck and no matter what other tool I click on the toolbar, it won't change. Makes working impossible and EXTREMELY frustrating. Using MacAir /high sierra/illustrator CC. My idea? Fix this please.

Can confirm, on windows 10 in both photoshop and illustrator 2018...

1. select hand tool and pan workspace to confirm that panning works - it does
2. tap 'v' on keyboard to reset to pointer tool
3. tap and hold 'spacebar' on keyboard - pointer tool cursor changes to hand tool cursor
4. while holding 'spacebar' tap and drag on trackpad, nothing happens

Hello, has anyone found a solution to this? Its driving me nuts

Hi Nic,

Please send your system information to share with ai (at) adobe.com
- Please remove spaces from share with ai and replace (at) with @

-Rama
Illustrator Team