Preview app automatically saving changes?

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Level 1

26 points

Preview app automatically saving changes?

I think this wasn't the default behavior, but since I rarely use Preview to work with images (I do it with Photoshop), let me know if this has always been like this or if something else is happening:

I had a 3000 by 3000 image. I then adjusted the size to 100 by 100 inside Preview.

Without even hitting SAVE, the image in Finder was automatically updated to that size, so if I then close Preview, there's no way for me to undo those changes.

It makes no sense that the resize is applied without the user agreeing to those changes before committing to them.

Is this the normal behavior and has been for years and I'm just noticing it?

Is this a bug?

Is it a feature I can change?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jun 18, 2022 6:27 AM

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Answer 1

tiagorocha Author

Level 1

26 points

Jun 22, 2022 1:28 AM in response to dialabrain

That doesn't work for me... making a change to a file, whether I close the window after that or not, will apply the change automatically. I'm on Catalina 10.15.7

This is weird that some people experience something different than me.

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Answer 2

tiagorocha Author

Level 1

26 points

Jun 22, 2022 1:37 AM in response to VikingOSX

This is such a weird behavior. I love Apple most of the time, but sometimes I wonder who hired these "geniuses" who come up with these ideas...? 🤦‍♂️

Who would think that auto applying changes is a good idea?!

Oh well...

Thanks for clarifying that this is a feature, not my computer going crazy

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Answer 3

tiagorocha Author

Level 1

26 points

Jun 22, 2022 1:59 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Ok, now we're talking!!! :)

Thanks for this. I don't know if this is unchecked by default, but it makes no sense if it isn't...

To be honest, I don't even know why this is a feature in the first place. Every app I know behaves that way: made changes and haven't saved? Show a warning. Simple. Why does Apple spend time even considering this kind of feature anyway?

Really appreciate your time and help. I was going crazy with this!

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Answer 4

Jun 22, 2022 1:37 AM in response to tiagorocha

This is a change you can make globally, not on a per application basis.

If you want the old way, whereas a file is not automatically saved, go to System Preferences->General, and CHECK

"Ask to keep changes when closing documents".

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

122,639 points

Jun 18, 2022 9:31 AM in response to VikingOSX

VikingOSX wrote:

The moral from this is that you change copies of original images in Preview, and now, use /Applications/Time Machijne to restore the original image.

Now I see. My moral of the story is I always close any open Preview windows before I quit Preview which brings up…

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Answer 6

Jun 22, 2022 1:49 AM in response to tiagorocha

FWIW, I resented this change when it appeared over a decade ago, but then came to embrace it.

You can always revert, you know?

File->Revert to->Browse All Versions

even without having used Time Machine in the interim.

I don't have my Time Machine drive connected this morning.

I deliberately added an annotation to the image I posted above, then did File->Revert to->Browse All Versions:

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Answer 7

Jun 18, 2022 8:58 AM in response to tiagorocha

Apple's Preview has had autosave for several iterations of macOS over the years. And your adjusting a current image in Preview will automatically apply those changes to the current image, even if the image icon on the Desktop does not appear to change.

Initially, I performed a Get Info window on a 300 dpi 512x512 PNG (copy) on my Desktop. Then I opened it in Preview, selected Tools > Adjust Size, and with Scale proportionally and Resample image selected, set the image dimensions to 256, and clicked OK to make the change. Though I observed no visual PNG icon change on the Desktop, the Get Info image dimensions immediately changed from 512x512 to 256x256 when I clicked OK on that Adjust Size panel.

Using macOS 12.4 on a 2021 16-in MBP M1 Pro.

The moral from this is that you change copies of original images in Preview, and now, use /Applications/Time Machijne to restore the original image.

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Answer 8

Jun 18, 2022 9:32 AM in response to tiagorocha

You may be able to recover the old version from backup. You do have Time Machine, right? Even if there was no recent backup to your external drive, a local snapshot may save you.

Open the document, and do File->Revert To->Browse All Versions.

I just did this as a test and it worked perfectly.

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Answer 9

tiagorocha Author

Level 1

26 points

Jun 22, 2022 2:17 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

I didn't know about the Revert feature. I never used it, especially because this is not a global feature. For example, when I'm using Photoshop, I don't have that option, because the app works different and I rather have a workflow that's consistent instead of having apps that behave this way and then others that behave that way.

But it's good to know that those 2 options exist, thought. Thanks for taking the time to clarify this :)

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Answer 10

dialabrain

Level 10

122,639 points

Jun 22, 2022 2:44 AM in response to tiagorocha

tiagorocha wrote:

That doesn't work for me... making a change to a file, whether I close the window after that or not, will apply the change automatically. I'm on Catalina 10.15.7

This is weird that some people experience something different than me.

Sorry about that. I have "Ask…" enabled for so long I don't even think about it.

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Answer 11

dialabrain

Level 10

122,639 points

Jun 18, 2022 6:59 AM in response to tiagorocha

That should not happen unless you hit Return on this screen.

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Answer 12

tiagorocha Author

Level 1

26 points

Jun 22, 2022 1:23 AM in response to dialabrain

Apparently, according to @VikingOSX reply, this is actually something that's part of the OS. I wish it wasn't. It makes no sense at all... Apple being Apple again 🤦‍♂️

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Answer 13

tiagorocha Author

Level 1

26 points

Jun 22, 2022 3:57 AM in response to dialabrain

No worries :) I'm glad I have it fixed now, though

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