Select a state or snapshot from the History panel.
Last updated on
2 December 2025
Learn how to use the History panel to create new documents, revert to earlier edits, or remove unwanted changes.
The History panel in Photoshop lets you quickly access recent image states. Each change is automatically recorded as a separate history state. You can revert to any state to continue working from that point.
Before you begin
Select Window > History to view the History panel.
Create documents from image states
You can generate a new document from any image state or snapshot.
Select Create a new document from current state on the lower-right of the History panel.
To replace the content of an open document, drag a state onto an existing document to update its content.
The new document only contains the Duplicate State in the History panel.
Revert to previous image states
Select the name of a state from the History panel. The image returns to how it looked when you first made this change.
Select Step Forward or Step Backward from the History panel menu to move to the next or previous state.
Tip
You can also select Edit > Step Backward or Edit > Step Forward to navigate through states.
Note
Use File > Revert to return to the last saved version. Revert is added as a history state in the History panel and can be undone.
Delete image states
Select the name of a state from the History panel.
Select Delete current state from the lower-right to delete that change and any changes made after it.
In the dialog box, select Yes to confirm the deletion. Select No to cancel.
To delete all states without changing your image, select Clear History from the History panel menu.
Press Alt (Windows) or option (macOS) and choose Clear History to purge states and free memory.
Edit > Purge > Histories to delete states across all open documents.
