iPhone first has Photoshop

Photoshop application is available on iPhone with many tools similar to the computer version, interface optimized for touch screen.

Photoshop's welcome screen on iPhone. Photo: The Shortcut .

Adobe has just launched a new Photoshop application for iPhone, integrating many design, editing and AI photo creation tools similar to the computer version.

The app also integrates with the Photoshop web platform to sync projects across multiple devices. According to Adobe, the new version of Photoshop is released globally for iPhone, while Android will be released later this year.

This is considered the first real Photoshop app for smartphones. In fact, a stripped-down version of the photo editing software has been available on mobile devices since 2010, called Photoshop Express. However, Adobe says the new version of Photoshop supports many familiar features.

The two apps have some similar features such as resizing tools, masking, contrast/saturation adjustment, object removal... While Photoshop Express offers a similar experience to some mobile photo editing apps like Picsart or Facetune, the new Photoshop app will be almost like the desktop version.

The free version of Photoshop supports many tools such as object removal (Spot Healing Brush), tap to create selection (Tap Select), layer editing... along with some photo merging and blending features.

The app also supports Adobe Stock photo library, syncs Creative Cloud ecosystems like Adobe Express, Lightroom and Fresco. Some AI features also appear such as creating/deleting content in photos (Generative Fill) and expanding photos (Generative Expand) based on the Adobe Firefly model.

Other features like Object Select, Magic Wand, Content Aware Fill, and Clone Stamp are only available with a $7 /month (or $70 /year) subscription.

Some features are also only supported if users pay, such as light/dark color adjustment mode, color effects, and a web-based version of Photoshop, in addition to the AI feature to create image variations (Generate Similar) and reference images (Reference Image) on the web.

According to The Verge , all paid Photoshop users can access advanced features on mobile. Currently, Photoshop Express still offers a $5 /month subscription, although Adobe has not made clear its next plans for the app.

Photoshop's editing interface on iPhone. Photo: The Shortcut .

Releasing Photoshop on mobile is seen as a positive move by Adobe. While useful for editing photos for social media, Photoshop Express cannot provide the same experience as the desktop version.

Of course, the mobile app still has many changes in interface, optimized for touch screens with drag and drop features. According to Adobe, Photoshop for smartphones is for the “next generation of creators”, who prioritize working on phones.

Some studies show that younger generations (Gen Z or Alpha) tend to use mobile devices more, but professionals (who make up the majority of Photoshop users) may not like the mobile version because the interface is too different.

On the plus side, the mobile app can make Photoshop more accessible to newcomers, without being overwhelmed by the full desktop interface.