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😡 Can we NOT have ESC close the Variables panel!

  • February 6, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 4 views
Andyesign

This is the most infuriating thing—more often than not, I'm working WITH the variables menu open. And as I'm selecting and unselecting layers using the ESC button, why does it default to closing the variables panel?

 

If I want to close it, I'll just hit the close button. The ESC key is VERY commonly used during a regular workflow—why would opening a variables panel COMPLETELY override it?!

 

Terrible UX for a design tool company :(
 

1 reply

Andyesign
  • Andyesign
  • Author
  • New Participant
  • February 6, 2026

Also a few more frustrating things...

Shift + Enter = New Line

  1. IF I press CMD+click to deep select on a layer
  2. The "focus" is still on the variable panel
  3. So if I press "Shift + Enter" I expect it to select the parent layer
  4. EXCEPT! It just creates a new variable 🙄

Solution: Deep select should shift "focus" back to the canvas

 

Copy and Pasting

  1. Again, if I highlight text in the canvas
  2. Press copy while the Variable panel is opened
  3. NOTHING COPIES
  4. Then when I paste, it just paste in whatever was in my clipboard previously!

Seriously, Figma has amazing shortcuts, but this variable panel is borderline frustrating as it simply overrides ALL the muscle memory from the canvas shortcuts.

Either improve the focus so when we select things in the canvas it COMPLETELY switches focus away from Variables, or even simpler, just remove ALL the shortcuts related to the Variable menu.

 

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