Adobe 'All-In' on Photoshop for iPad, Illustrator for iPad Coming Next Year

Following a recent Bloomberg report that Adobe continues to be committed to releasing the promised Photoshop CC for iPad app by the end of 2019, Daring Fireball's John Gruber has offered up some additional info on Adobe's plans.

Gruber says that Adobe is "all in" on photoshop for ‌iPad‌, and that it's viewed as a "serious top-shelf project for creative professionals."

photoshop cc ipad pro

The team of engineers working on it has grown significantly from a year ago, and they have plans to add features iteratively on an aggressive schedule. It's reasonable to be disappointed that it isn't further along feature-count-wise, but anyone who cares about Photoshop for iPad as a long-term product should be very excited about its foundation, direction, and the attention Adobe is paying to the fine details of a touch-first Photoshop UI.

In response to reports that Photoshop for ‌iPad‌ beta testers are unhappy with limited and missing core Photoshop features, Gruber explains that Adobe is positioning the software as "real" Photoshop as it's built using the same code base that's used for the desktop version. That's been interpreted as a "full" version of Photoshop, which isn't quite correct.

Photoshop for iPad is real because it is using the same code base that's been running on the desktop for decades. That's an amazing technical accomplishment. Photoshop for iPad is not full -- and the initial release was never planned to be -- because it only exposes a subset of features from the desktop version.

Adobe first announced its plans to introduce an ‌iPad‌ version of Photoshop CC in October of 2018, promising it for release in 2019. Adobe has been testing the app with beta testers since May, but there's still no specific word on when it will launch.


Though it won't be a complete mirror of Photoshop on the desktop, the Photoshop CC app for ‌iPad‌ is designed to let users open and edit native PSD files for cross-platform functionality. Adobe is planning to add several features later, including rotate canvas, shapes/paths, custom brushes and fonts, color swatches, curve adjustment, smart objects, and grids and guides.

In a separate report released this afternoon, Bloomberg says that Adobe is also working on a version of Illustrator that will work on the ‌iPad‌. Adobe is said to be planning to preview Illustrator for ‌iPad‌ at its Adobe MAX conference in November before releasing the app in 2020.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...

Top Rated Comments

AvisDeene Avatar
74 months ago
Yes, $19.99 a month for each program.

I refuse to pay a subscription for software, I rather just buy it like we were once able to.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arvinsim Avatar
74 months ago
If it is subscription based, then I am not interested.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cardfan Avatar
74 months ago
Photoshop and now Illustrator?

But.....the iPad is just a toy. It’s useless for productivity. /s
Well toy versions of them. We have toy versions of office on iPad too. But thats nothing new.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Timothy Leo Crowley Avatar
74 months ago
Photoshop used to be a goto program. I don't do about other people, but I have no interest in supporting subscription based software. None. Bye Adobe.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Khedron Avatar
74 months ago

Photoshop and now Illustrator?

But.....the iPad is just a toy. It’s useless for productivity. /s
Saying you can start working next year is the opposite of productivity.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robinp Avatar
74 months ago
I find it amazing that the common perception still seems to be that photoshop is peerless. Maybe true a few years ago but not anymore.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)