Adobe Adds Refine Edge Brush and Rotate Canvas Tool to Photoshop for iPad - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Adobe Adds Refine Edge Brush and Rotate Canvas Tool to Photoshop for iPad

When Adobe introduced Photoshop for iPad late last year, it said it would provide regular updates to add missing features that are available on the desktop but not in the tablet version of the software.

adobe photoshop refine edges
Adobe is living up to its promise once again today, with a Photoshop for ‌iPad‌ update that introduces the refine edge brush and the rotate canvas tool.

The refine edge brush enables much more precise image selection on the ‌iPad‌ for tricky subjects like hair and fur, which helps to achieve realistic, professional quality selections of objects with a mix of sharp and soft edges.

The interface has been simplified for use with touch controls, but Adobe says the tool delivers the same results as the desktop version.

adobe photoshop rotate ipad
Meanwhile, the rotate canvas tool allows users to rotate the canvas they're working on using a two-finger rotation gesture, which can also be zoomed in and out at the same time.

The rotation can snap at 0, 90, 180, 270 degrees, and users can reset the rotation and zoom by doing a quick zoom out pinch gesture. Rotation is not sticky and returns to zero degrees when re-opening a file, and both rotation and snapping can be toggled on/off in Settings -> Touch menu. More info about the rotate canvas tool is available here.

Adobe Photoshop can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but there are subscriptions required to use the software. Adobe Photoshop for ‌‌iPad‌‌ is available for all Creative Cloud plans that include Photoshop access.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...
apple tv 4k new orange

tvOS 26.4 Adds These New Features to Your Apple TV

Wednesday March 25, 2026 3:33 pm PDT by
Apple this week released tvOS 26.4, and the software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the Apple TV. tvOS 26.4 is compatible with all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models released since 2015. To update your Apple TV, open the Settings app on the device, navigate to System → Software Updates, and select Update Software. Below, we have recapped what is new in tvOS...

Top Rated Comments

Cronbo Avatar
74 months ago
Adobe Photoshop on iPad is a joke. It has the feature set of alpha-level software, and they have the audacity to charge a subscription. WOW, they just delivered rotate canvas!!! OMG, the level of innovation is astounding!! Save your money and support REAL developers like Serif, makers of Affinity Photo and Designer (and Publisher on desktop), which BLOWS Photoshop out of the water in terms of power and feature set. It's not even a comparison...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macbeth1026 Avatar
74 months ago

Except it’s not ‘rotate canvas’ is it. It’s ‘rotating the canvas’ with a gesture to draw on it easier. Which has never been available on any photoshop.
[Click to view video attachment]
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
74 months ago
Rotate Camvas has been available in Photoshop since 1994 with Photoshop 4.0. Now we can get all excited about it again 26 years later.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cflem Avatar
74 months ago
Still no layer options / effects? Goodness...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
74 months ago
I still haven’t tried this even though I have a CC subscription. Affinity Photo is just that good.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BillyBobBongo Avatar
74 months ago

Except it’s not ‘rotate canvas’ is it. It’s ‘rotating the canvas’ with a gesture to draw on it easier. Which has never been available on any photoshop.
You’ve always been able to ‘rotate the canvas‘ in Photoshop, I’ve been isolating people from backgrounds for as long as I can remember using it. Sometimes upside down is more in line with my hand movements.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)