After months of waiting, Android users can finally get their hands on Adobe Photoshop. Adobe has officially launched the Photoshop Beta app for Android smartphones and tablets, offering a robust set of features including AI-powered tools and access to Adobe Stock.
The app mirrors many of the capabilities from the desktop version, allowing users to create, edit, and retouch images on the go. Best of all, during the beta phase, most tools are free to use.
Why the delay for Android?
Adobe released the Photoshop iPhone app in February 2025, and its absence on Android had left many users wondering why. The main reason behind the delay appears to be Android’s fragmented ecosystem—a wide variety of screen sizes, resolutions, and hardware configurations makes it far more complex to optimise than Apple’s tightly controlled environment.
This complexity required extra development time to ensure consistent performance across devices.
Tablet support at last
In a welcome change, the Photoshop Beta app supports both Android smartphones and tablets. Previous Adobe mobile apps offered limited or no support for Android tablets, but this release aims to change that.
To run the app, your device must be running Android 11 or newer and have at least 6GB of RAM. Adobe recommends 8GB RAM or more for best performance.
Key Features of Photoshop Beta for Android
The Android version packs in several core Photoshop tools, many of which are powered by Adobe Firefly AI:
- Layers and masking: Allows users to stack and manage multiple image elements just like on a desktop.
- Selection tools: Offers precision tools to isolate objects or specific parts of the image.
- Brush tools: Includes Spot Healing Brush, Clone Stamp and other retouching tools.
- Generative Fill: Thanks to Firefly AI, users can add, remove, or alter objects using simple text prompts.
- Adjustment layers & blend modes: Advanced control for colour grading and creative edits.
- Free Adobe Stock assets: Access to a large library of stock photos, illustrations, and design elements.
These features bring a desktop-like editing experience to mobile, making professional-level photo editing more accessible than ever on Android.
Pricing and availability
Currently, the Photoshop Beta app is completely free, including access to Adobe Stock assets. This generous access is a marked contrast to the iPhone version, which requires a subscription from the outset.
However, Adobe has confirmed that once the beta period ends, a subscription model will likely be introduced for Android users, mirroring the pricing on iOS.
