Adobe launches Photoshop on iPhone
Originally posted on 27 February 2025, and updated on 11 March.
Adobe has launched Photoshop on iPhone, a new mobile edition of the image-editing software, widely used in the entertainment industry for concept art and retouching renders.
The app makes it possible to use key features from the desktop edition of Photoshop inside a UI optimized for phone screens: as well as iPhone, an Android version is coming “soon”.
The base features are free, including generative AI tools, but to use the full feature set, users require a paid subscription: either an existing desktop Photoshop subscription, with which the new app is included, or Adobe’s new Photoshop Mobile & Web plan,
Below, we’ve put together our FAQs on Photoshop on iPhone.
How does Photoshop on iPhone differ from Photoshop on iPad?
Adobe already has a version of Photoshop for Apple devices: Photoshop on the iPad.
According to its listing in the App Store, version 6.0, released on Tuesday, is now available for iPhones as well as iPads.
However, Adobe’s blog post describes Photoshop on iPhone as a “brand-new” app, and the online changelog refers to it as Photoshop on mobile 1.0.
The old webpage for Photoshop on the iPad now redirects to Photoshop on iPhone, with mention of iPads relegated to the FAQs at the foot of the page.
We’ve contacted Adobe to check how the iPhone and iPad versions differ, and will update if we hear back.
Updated 11 March 2025: Adobe told us that the core app is the same as Photoshop on the iPad, but that iPhone app’s UI has been designed “from the ground up” for use on mobile devices.
Who is Photoshop on mobile for?
According to Adobe, Photoshop on a phone is not intended to replace Photoshop on desktop, “particularly for Photoshop users who already harness the full power … of the desktop app”.
Instead, its blog post pitches it at “mobile-first creators” who “may just be getting started … and may be new to Photoshop and its power”.
However, it could also be used by creative pros for quick edits to images while on the move.
What features does Photoshop have on iPhone?
One of the criticisms made of Photoshop on the iPad on its launch was that it had a limited feature set, although Adobe has introduced more functionality over subsequent updates.
How fully featured Photoshop is on iPhone isn’t entirely clear: the new Photoshop on mobile user guide is pretty bare-bones, and doesn’t include a detailed feature list.
According to Adobe’s blog post, the free base edition includes “core Photoshop tools and features”, including selection, image adjustments, and unlimited layers and masks.
Users of the free edition also have access to two of the new generative AI features from the desktop edition, Generative Fill and Generative Expand.
Updated 11 March 2025: Adobe told us that it has “optimized” the set of features available on iPhone from those available on iPad. The design philosophy is set out in this blog post.
Paid premium features include the Magic Wand, Remove Tool, Clone Stamp, Content-Aware Fill, “advanced” blend modes, and “additional export file formats”.
The additional formats listed include some pretty fundamental ones – PSD, TIF, JPG, PNG – so we aren’t sure what formats the free edition can export in: again, we’ll update if we hear back.
Updated 11 March 2025: Adobe told us that the free app can also export in PNG format.
How much does Photoshop cost on iPhone?
The base app is free, but to use the premium features, you need a paid subscription.
That includes any existing subscription that includes the desktop edition of Photoshop, including Photography subscription plans, which cost $239.88/year, or dedicated Photoshop subscriptions, which cost $34.49/month or $263.88/year.
If you don’t need the desktop edition, Adobe has just launched a new Photoshop Mobile & Web subscription, which includes Photoshop on mobile and Photoshop on the web, and costs $7.99/month or $69.99/year.
Does Photoshop on iPhone replace Photoshop Express?
Adobe already had a Photoshop app capable of running on iPhone, Photoshop Express, the base version of which was free, with premium features costing $4.99/month or $34.99/year.
According to Reddit users, it has now been removed from the App Store in the US, although at the time of posting, it is still available here in the UK, and was actually updated yesterday.
We’ve contacted Adobe to find out whether it intends Photoshop on mobile to replace Photoshop Express, and will update if we hear back.
Updated 11 March 2025: Adobe told us that Photoshop Express is still supported, but that “we encourage creators to utilize [the new Photoshop mobile app], which offers the best creative tools for mobile creators”.
What are Photoshop’s system requirements on iPhone?
Photoshop on iPhone is compatible with iOS 17.0+.
When will Photoshop be available on Android devices?
Adobe says that Photoshop on mobile will be available on Android as well as iOS “soon”. You can register for notifications of the beta release here.
Visit Adobe’s product webpage for Photoshop on iPhone
Read more about Photoshop workflow on iPhones in the new Photoshop on mobile user guide
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