Adobe has finally released Photoshop for the iPhone – five years after releasing Photoshop for the iPad. Photoshop on iPhone is a free app purpose built for mobile.
The company says:
[The] new Photoshop Mobile and Web plan delivers even more advanced image editing and design capabilities to mobile and web creators, including tools for precise selections, targeted adjustments, advanced color corrections, expanded access to commercially safe AI with Firefly-powered generative AI tools, full format support for opening and editing any Photoshop document and more.
Adobe claims this is the “first time image editing and design features and capabilities at this level of power, precision and control have been available for free in a single mobile app”.
With Apple purchasing Pixelmator in November 2024, Adobe will have been facing the prospect of its entire creative suite now having Apple able to compete head to head across almost every major creative toolset from image creation and editing through to video production. Bringing Photoshop to the iPhone helps to keep Adobe relevant to mobile users.
In a blog about the release, Adobe says:
Photoshop on the phone is not intended to replace Photoshop on the desktop, particularly for Photoshop users who already harness the full power and precision of the desktop app. While the Photoshop desktop app has deep and powerful tools that enable precision editing on larger screens, Photoshop on the phone is built to empower mobile-first creators who may just be getting started, want to create wherever they are whenever they want and may be new to Photoshop and its power.
Photoshop for iPhone is free and that’s true when it comes to downloading the app. But you’ll need a $12.99 monthly or $99.99 annual subscription to get the full range of features.
You can find it at the App Store.
Key Features of Photoshop for iPhone
TRANSFORM AND COMBINE IMAGES
- Create stunning visuals that are uniquely yours by blending images, graphics, text, and more.
- Combine elements from your own photos with a selection of free Adobe Stock images, including textures and patterns, to elevate your final creations.
- Rearrange objects in your image using layers and control what’s visible in the layer with a mask.
- Use simple text prompts to add content to your images with Generative Fill. Additionally, ideate, create new assets, and jumpstart your creativity using Generate Image.
ADJUST COLOUR AND LIGHT IN A SPECIFIC AREA
- Change the colour of anything, like your shirt, pants or shoes, using adjustment layers. Just isolate a specific area of your image with the Tap Select or lasso tools and modify the brightness or vibrancy to add a pop of colour.
CHANGE OR REPLACE BACKGROUNDS
- Effortlessly select the background with the Tap Select tool.
- Easily replace the background with an image from your phone, create Al-generated backgrounds with Generative Fill, or select from a large library of Adobe Stock images, including textures and patterns.
- Adjust the background, including the brightness or vibrancy, and add a pop of colour.
REMOVE UNWANTED DISTRACTIONS
- Brush out blemishes, spots, or small imperfections in seconds using the Spot Healing Brush.
- Quickly and seamlessly remove content from your images with the powerful Generative Fill feature.
PREMIUM
- Upgrade to the Photoshop Mobile & Web plan for enhanced control and precision, with access to iPhone, iPad, and web.
- Easily remove an entire object just by brushing over it, and have the background filled in automatically with the Remove Tool.
- Seamlessly fill selected portions of an image with content sampled from other parts of the image with Content Aware Fill.
- Quickly and precisely select people and objects like plants, cars, and more with enhanced precision using Object Select.
- 100 generative credits to seamlessly add, expand, or remove content from your images, non-destructively. In addition, ideate, create new assets, and jumpstart your creativity using Generate Image. All powered by Adobe Firefly.
- Change layer interactions to control transparency, colour effects, and add unique styles to your images with Advanced Blend Modes.
- Quickly and easily select an object or area of your image based on similar colours and tones with the Magic Wand Tool and refine it further with targeted adjustments.
- Export in additional file formats (PSD, JPG, TIFF, PNG) and export options for print quality and compression.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.