Adobe finally launches Photoshop for iPad, but some features are yet to come

Remember that full-blown Photoshop for iPad was announced last year? Well, it’s finally here! Say hello to Photoshop CC for iPad with full PSD support, a touch-based UI, cloud document access and power to work with as many layers as you like. It sure sounds awesome, but alas – some of the key features are still missing.

Photoshop brings the familiar workspace to the touchscreen of your iPad. Just like Photoshop CC for desktop, the iPad version lets you work with hundreds of layers. You can make selections, create masks, clone out imperfections, and use brushes just like you do on your desktop. But of course, with an iPad, you’ll need to use your finger or Apple Pencil.

You can open full-size PSD files on iPad without conversion. Adobe promises that you’ll get the same performance regardless of the device, even if you’re working with thousands of layers. They will be automatically saved to Adobe’s cloud as you work, so you can access them any time on both your desktop or iPad and go on with your work.

Although Photoshop on iPad is exciting news, as I mentioned, some key features are still missing. A couple of beta testers reported in September that the app is not quite there yet. They complained that the beta version didn’t include tools like the pen tool, custom paintbrush libraries, filters, vector drawing, color spaces, raw editing, smart objects, layer styles, and various mask options. From what I see, Adobe didn’t include them before the official launch.

Still, Adobe seems to be aware that Photoshop on iPad is missing important elements. The company has announced that the following features are “coming soon” to Photoshop on iPad:

Rotate canvas
Select Subject
Refine Edge
More brushing options

Even though there are some important tools and features missing, I believe Adobe will improve and upgrade the app with time. But I hope that it will be soon enough that the iPad version will catch up with the desktop one.

If you’d like to get more familiar with Photoshop CC for iPad, Adobe has prepared some helpful tips on its blog, so make sure to check them out. And as for the system requirements, you can see them below.

Supported operating system