Photoshop for free? The new Adobe Photoshop iPhone app makes the dream a reality

Adobe has launched a brand-new iPhone edition of its flagship Photoshop software. Enticingly, the app is free of charge! The company is clear from the offset that “Photoshop on the phone is not intended to replace Photoshop on the desktop”, but there is a lot here, nonetheless.

The new app goes much further than the existing Photoshop Express app, enabling creatives to use layers, masks, and the advanced Spot Healing Brush. For now, it is only owners of iPhones who are getting the free Photoshop treatment, but Android users will gain access later in the year.

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Adobe is under no illusions about the limitations of image editing on a small screen. The company says that “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”.

While the app is free, it would perhaps be better described as freemium -- although the completely free version still has an awful lot to offer. Adobe shares the following feature list for those who want free Photoshop and nothing more:

• Create unique designs and images by combining, compositing and blending images with core Photoshop tools and features, including precise selection tools, unlimited layers and masks.
• Remove, recolor or replace part of an image after making a selection using the intuitive Tap Select tool.
• Brush away spots in seconds with advanced removal tools like the Spot Healing Brush.
• Speed up and simplify complex edits with powerful generative AI tools that are safe for commercial use, like Generative Fill and Generative Expand.
• Make advanced edits in Photoshop, then bring your cloud PSDs into Adobe Express and Adobe Fresco and even edit Adobe Lightroom photos in Photoshop on iPhone.
• Edit with flexibility, using non-destructive unlimited layers, selective adjustments and the PSD format.
• Import and export images while preserving file fidelity and image quality with full-resolution editing.
• Add, replace and create with a vast library of hundreds of thousands of free Adobe Stock assets.

It is also possible to gain access to extra features such as the Remove Tool, Clone Stamp, and Content-Aware Fill. These can be added through in-app purchases, but they are also automatically available to anyone with an existing Photoshop desktop subscription.

Adobe has created a new Photoshop Mobile & Web plan, of which it says:

For those who want more, we’re introducing a premium plan that unlocks full access to the newly updated Photoshop on the web, along with a wider set of premium mobile tools and content for even greater editing precision and control. In addition, Photoshop on the web is introducing a reimagined user experience to align with the visual look and feel of the mobile application. 

Full details of what’s included in the free and Premium versions can be found here, while the iPhone app can be downloaded from the App Store. Android users can join the waiting list here.