Adobe makes Lightroom iOS apps completely free, drops license & Creative Cloud requirements
The Lightroom photo workflow apps for iPhone and iPad are now completely free to use, ditching a former requirement to sign up for a Creative Cloud subscription or own the desktop software.
"We're seeing alot of people come in first on Lightroom mobile, so now we're allowing people to use it locally on their local assets, their local photos and videos on their phone and tablet for as long as they like," Adobe's director of product management for digital imaging, Tom Hogarty, explained to The Next Web.
The iPhone and iPad apps have always been free to download, but previously could only be used for a short time without a license or subscription. On launch, the titles would automatically start a 30-day trial of the Creative Cloud Photography Plan.
Adobe has also updated the apps with several other improvements, such as a built-in camera, a Dehaze tool, and a Targeted Adjustment tool for manipulating colors in specific areas of a photo. The apps additionally have hooks with Photoshop Fix and Premiere Clip, the latter of which still requires an Adobe ID.
Both versions of Lightroom require iOS 8.1 or later.
"We're seeing alot of people come in first on Lightroom mobile, so now we're allowing people to use it locally on their local assets, their local photos and videos on their phone and tablet for as long as they like," Adobe's director of product management for digital imaging, Tom Hogarty, explained to The Next Web.
The iPhone and iPad apps have always been free to download, but previously could only be used for a short time without a license or subscription. On launch, the titles would automatically start a 30-day trial of the Creative Cloud Photography Plan.
Adobe has also updated the apps with several other improvements, such as a built-in camera, a Dehaze tool, and a Targeted Adjustment tool for manipulating colors in specific areas of a photo. The apps additionally have hooks with Photoshop Fix and Premiere Clip, the latter of which still requires an Adobe ID.
Both versions of Lightroom require iOS 8.1 or later.
Comments
Exactly. No bloody way would I allow Adobe exclusive access to my photos.
The signups for the app must have been low.
And yeah, wouldn't rule out bait and switch.
Sounds like apps they are considering discontinuing. Making some parts free is great bait to the drug addiction trap of creative cloud subscriptions. Adobe's possibly also hoping this will undo the PR mess created by their waffling over Metal.
Ok, 1) Lightroom is HUGE.
2) This isn't adobe flash that iOS fans are clambering on Adobe.
Give them credit for their work on photo editing. The new apps are pretty amazing. Apple's new Photo's app is like a baby version if you compare them side-by-side (feature wise, UI, performance, etc) to Lightroom.
My first thought was they wanted to woo people away from the free or inexpensive apps that encroach on their customer base. I guess that many people have had a year or two head start on using alternatives to Adobe and are now comfortable with purchasing apps from smaller developers. Working with Pixelmator and Polarr and Snapped has become second-nature to me. The thought of working with another app just isn't appealing unless (a) it has unique, awesome functionality and (b) I trust that my work will be safe (which, to me, means that I can own and edit it forever).
The signups for the app must have been low.
And yeah, wouldn't rule out bait and switch.
As the article states, Lightroom has shown to be a significant gateway into the Adobe ecosystem so they are making it even easier for first time Adobe users. Sales of CC have turned out to be much higher than I think anyone expected. The stock has more than doubled since they released CC a little over three years ago.
I've got Lightroom for mac and it's super ... new rev just got better. But wouldn't lightroom on the older slower iPad just turn out to be a pain in the A? That's why I haven't installed it. I'll definitely get it though, when I have a faster iPad like the Adobe developers probably all use.
The thought of working with another app just isn't appealing unless (a) it has unique, awesome functionality and (b) I trust that my work will be safe (which, to me, means that I can own and edit it forever).
What makes you think those small companies are going to be around forever? Adobe could swoop in and buy them up and kill their app. They have done it plenty of times before.
Bait and switch?
Well its all in the features. Used a photo app the other day(I thought it was an old photoshop lite app?)... all useful features where in app purchase upgrades.... yuck.
Delight us Adobe!
I didn't mean to imply that. Of course, their app could languish and become unusable with updates to the OS. But some of the larger developers should have staying power. And there are a healthy amount of them. And I suppose that as one disappears (whether Adobe buys them or they die of attrition or their developer gets a job somewhere and no longer updates the app), others will sprout up.
I suppose that as one disappears (whether Adobe buys them or they die of attrition or their developer gets a job somewhere and no longer updates the app), others will sprout up.
How many times are you going lose your previous editing having to switch from one small developer to the next as they go away one by one? That is why I stick with Adobe. They have proven longevity. Just ask the people who bought into Aperture thinking Apple would always be there to support it. Now they are on Lightroom.
How many times are you going lose your previous editing having to switch from one small developer to the next as they go away one by one? That is why I stick with Adobe. They have proven longevity. Just ask the people who bought into Aperture thinking Apple would always be there to support it. Now they are on Lightroom.
Is LR compatible with El Capitan yet? There seems to be compatibility issues with the latest OS on most of their apps and no word on when they will be.
I've got Lightroom for mac and it's super ... new rev just got better.
Huh? What the **** are you talking about? Adobe totally gutted functionality from the import process in the latest versions (2015.2/6.2) of Lightroom. Completely dumbed down.
Not to mention, at least on El Capitan, crashy as hell...
All the functionality I lost was the need to click around a bunch more. Lightroom automatically used my existing camera/lens profiles and made life easier. But my use is probably different from yours ... I use it everyday, and just add everything to one tens-of-thousands of photos archive. For me Lightroom has never crashed in El Capitan. In fact, it didn't crash in Yosemite either. Your mileage may vary, dude, ha ha! I was very happy with the speed with which Adobe supported El Capitan, everything is a lot quicker.
Ok, 1) Lightroom is HUGE.
2) This isn't adobe flash that iOS fans are clambering on Adobe.
Give them credit for their work on photo editing. The new apps are pretty amazing. Apple's new Photo's app is like a baby version if you compare them side-by-side (feature wise, UI, performance, etc) to Lightroom.
I've got Lightroom for mac and it's super ... new rev just got better. But wouldn't lightroom on the older slower iPad just turn out to be a pain in the A? That's why I haven't installed it. I'll definitely get it though, when I have a faster iPad like the Adobe developers probably all use.
How many times are you going lose your previous editing having to switch from one small developer to the next as they go away one by one? That is why I stick with Adobe. They have proven longevity. Just ask the people who bought into Aperture thinking Apple would always be there to support it. Now they are on Lightroom.
I swear, at least some of you guys much be real Adobe fanboys, or you just astroturf about software you don't even use. Because there is no way you could be using the new version of Lightroom and not experience how badly neutered Adobe it in order to be more user friendly to photo noobs.
And, talking about losing previous edits, under El Cap, Lightroom has been a total crashfest.
At least the perpetual use licenses can revert back to 6.1 on Yosemite. Those of you on the "rental" plan (2015.2) are just plain screwed.