Clone tool copies from the wrong area: how to fix it

You paint with the clone tool, but the result comes from the wrong part of the photo. It might copy an unrelated patch, repeat an old source, or shift as you move the brush. The cause is usually the source point, the way the source follows the brush, or the layer you are editing.

Use the Photo Editor to check the source and destination on a small test area before continuing. The steps below help you identify what is happening and avoid covering good pixels with more incorrect edits.

Check the clone source

1. Open the image in the Photo Editor. If you have already made a bad stroke, undo it before testing so it does not affect later samples.
2. Select the clone tool and look for any on-screen instructions about setting its source point. The source is the area the brush copies from. The destination is where you paint.
3. Set the source on a nearby, clean patch that has the color and texture you need. Use the source-setting gesture shown in the editor. Do not assume a keyboard shortcut if the editor shows a different instruction.
4. Make one short stroke on a duplicate layer or an unimportant area. Watch the source marker, if shown, while you move the brush. Check whether it stays at the intended offset or moves with the brush.
5. Undo the test stroke. If the source is still wrong, check the active layer and any selection before trying again.

Keep the test small. A long stroke can make it harder to tell whether the source point, brush movement or layer caused the mismatch.

What the result means

Every stroke copies the same wrong patch

The source point may not have been reset, or it may have been set on the wrong part of the image. Set it again using the editor's displayed instruction, then make a short test stroke. Make sure you are sampling from the image area you can see, not from a different part of the canvas.

The source starts correctly, then shifts

The clone tool may be using an aligned source, where the source position moves in relation to each brush stroke. Some editors also offer a mode that starts from the same source point for each new stroke. If the Photo Editor shows an alignment option, test the other mode with a short stroke. Choose the behavior that keeps the copied texture lined up with your target.

The result is blank, unexpected or from an earlier edit

You may be painting on a layer that does not contain the pixels you want to copy, or the clone tool may sample only the active layer. Select the layer with the photo, or look for a source option that samples the visible image across layers. If a selection is active, the brush may also be restricted to that area.

How to fix it

1. Undo the incorrect stroke. Remove the latest bad mark before changing the source. If you keep painting over it, you may copy the unwanted result into other parts of the image.
2. Set the source again. Choose a clean area close to the repair, then use the source-setting gesture shown in the editor. Avoid sampling from an edge, a different object or an area with a noticeably different light or color.
3. Use a smaller brush for the test. A large brush can cross into nearby details and make the copied area seem wrong. Start with a brush just wide enough for the mark you need to cover, then adjust it after checking the result.
4. Check the source alignment. If the source moves along with the destination, that may be expected behavior. If the editor offers an alignment setting, switch it and compare two short strokes. Re-set the source after changing the setting so the test starts from a known point.
5. Confirm the active layer. Select the layer that contains the photo. If you are working on a new empty layer, check whether the clone tool can sample visible content from other layers. If it cannot, paint on the photo layer or use the available sampling option.
6. Clear an unintended selection. A selection limits where edits can appear and may make a stroke look clipped or misplaced. Deselect it if you do not need that boundary, then make another short test.
7. Check the canvas view. Zoom in enough to identify the exact source and target, and make sure you have not panned to a different part of the image. At a very high zoom level, use a short stroke and inspect the full area afterward to confirm the texture repeats naturally.

Why the source can seem to move

A clone brush copies pixels from one place to another, often keeping a distance between the source and the brush. This is useful for filling a scratch with nearby texture, but it can be confusing when the brush moves: the sampled area may move too. An alignment setting, when available, controls whether that source relationship continues across strokes or resets for a new one.

Lighting and perspective matter as well. A nearby patch may still be a poor match if it is in shadow, has a different pattern, or belongs to a surface at a different angle. Sample from a similar part of the image and use several short strokes rather than one long stroke across a detailed boundary.

Work on a duplicate layer when possible, and save a new copy before making a large repair. Images you open and edit in the Photo Editor stay on your device.