daf40 Loc: Mesa, AZ

In the Lightroom Develop Mode, what is the function of the "Previous" and the "Reset" buttons? How can I cancel all previous edits to a photo and start over?

stevesmout Loc: Mid Wales UK

Reset will clear everything

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

<Previous> will sync all the edits, including cropping, from the last image you accessed in the Develop Module. Sometimes, previous is the best sync method. Typically, you'll want to select to images and use the <sync> button in Develop and select specific edit settings of one image onto the next. You can also use <Sync Settings> in the Library module to selectively sync edits (Develop) settings.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

The Reset button at the bottom of the editing panels clears everything you have done to an image. You can also go to the History panel and click on the Import text and that will bring you back to the original image. Previous is just one way to quickly edit images. For example, I do some processing on an image and like it and I have a few other images that were taken in the same light. I can click on the next image in the filmstrip and then click Previous and any processing I did will be applied to the image. If you skip an image, move to the next unprocessed image, and then click Previous nothing will be applied so you can only move from one processed image to the next image when using this button. This is only useful on an image by image basis. If you want to do group image processing select the images you want to process, set the button at the bottom of the editing panels to Auto Sync, then edit based on the first selected image. Your edits will be applied to all selected images. To set the button to Auto Sync, if it is instead set to Sync, click on the little lever box to the left of the text. There is another way to group process, too, by using the Copy and Paste buttons on the left side of the application window. Using this set of buttons you can copy specific processing edits only and apply to as many images as you want.

bleirer

I think it applies to anything selected from the filmstrip: source
https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/develop-module-options.html


Apply settings of a previously selected photo
You can copy all the settings of the photo you last selected in the Filmstrip (even if you didn’t make any adjustments to it) and apply them to the currently selected photo. Do one of the following:

In the Develop module, click the Previous button to the right of the toolbar, or choose Settings > Paste Settings From Previous.
In the Library module, choose Photo > Develop Settings > Paste Settings From Previous.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Beat me to the same answer

bleirer

I went into lightroom classic to double check the previous button. It doesn't have to be the image next door, just the one that was previously selected in the filmstrip no matter how far away, and you don't have to make any adjustment to the previous for it to work.

brooklyn-camera I Loc: Brooklyn, NY

Reset like old, never anything changed stays changed, reverts back to your original photo.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

That is correct that it does not have to be the actual image just before, but it's good to remember that you must move from the edited image directly to the next image you want to edit in order to use the Previous button. Sometimes I forget this as I scroll through. When I'm several images away from the "previous" image I simply quickly mark the new image I want to edit the same as the "previous" image then click on the "previous" image and then click on Previous to edit the new image. This way I can edit several images using the Previous button.

bleirer

I never think of using it, rely on copy and paste settings. I'll have to keep it in mind.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

The caveat using the Previous button is to watch for when you've made an edit with the brush tool or used the spot editing tool. Sometimes I have to reset both of these panels as the edits don't match up.