This bug is having a particularly dreadful effect on my daily work. I am dimensioning 3000+ signs used in public spaces for an upcoming update of a government document. Every time I try and use my key align shortcuts I get an error, and have to go and manually reselect the align setting. The government entity controlling the project is not particularly interested in my excuses as to why work is slowing down.

I'm having the same problem!

Since updating to 24.2 (Mac, Mojave) there is always a key object (the one that I would normally select to align other objects to) automatically activated, when selecting more than one object. This does not affect workflow in any way but is visually annoying, if you don’t need the key object.

and some more problems... "align to selection" only works if my path have more then 2 anchors.... so i can't align a line from "a to b" by "align to selection".. i can hit the button - but nothing happens, while "align to artboard" works

I think it's a bug in 24.02.

My selection of "align to" is always resetting everytime i deselect my path.
It resets to "align to artboard"..

if i select something and set "align to selection" it works,
but if i make a new selection its back to "align to artboard".

System: Mac Os Catalina 10.15.5

The "Vertical Distribute Center" button no longer works like it has in the past. It now does the same thing as the "Vertical Align Center."

The workaround does not seem to work for me.

Everytime I use the align tool, wich I always set up to align with the canvas, the setting changes automatically. I just hated this new feature, it gets in the way of the work. Please change it back to how it was before.

Using Windows 7 and Illustrator 24.2

Align text with any object is not worked properly. Though it's not new it' old age from begining. Hoping to get it resolved in near coming versions.

The alignment should work like Indesign or any vector program. Check attachment.

Same here, it always goes back to Key Object even if I never pressed that option...

For me it's annoying not for aligning objects but because the edges of the key object appear highlighted constantly!

Matt, this is a known fresh bug. It happens because key object mode now sticks after you used it once. Even there's is no such a thing as 'key artboard', this setting for an object interferes with aligning artboard. Thanks for pointing this out!
The workaround for now is this — exit Artboard tool, select two or more objects, open Align palette, change 'Align To' to Artboard manually, then try to align artboards. I understand it is tedious, but I hope it will be fixed very soon.

same issue here in v24.2

after updating to v24.2 today, i get the following error when I try to align multiple artboards to one another, or try to evenly distribute space between them:

"Please select a key in current document"

I also update to 24.2 and it is automatically performing the last align action used. I prefer for it to use my align preference, Align to Artboard, and only use the key object when I select a key object and revert back to my preferred align setting.

Since today's update I can no longer align with a key object - I only receive the message "Select a key object in current document"

Mac OS 10.14.6, Illustrator CC 24.2

My align tools keep switching between Align to Selection, Key Object, and Artboard.

When I select objects with the Selection tool, it automatically sets the first object as a key object without me choosing it. When I select a point with the Direct Selection tool, it automatically changes to Align to Artboard.

I can manually change the behavior back to Align to Selection, but it will change itself back.

Each Distribute Object option in Align Palette are behaving like the Align Objects. They won't distribute objects evenly, they only align them.