Lightroom Classic 13.3, Lightroom Desktop 7.3, and Lightroom Mobile 9.3 were all released today. This time, they include some exciting new features, the headline being Generative AI!
For Lightroom Classic, there’s a catalog upgrade and sync upgrade (see below), so we’d highly recommend reading this post in full before updating to 13.3.
In addition, new cameras and lenses are supported, as well as extra cameras that can be tethered.
And, as usual, many bugs and issues have been corrected and we list many of these.
Premium Classic Members of our website, we’re trialing something new… click here for even more details on the changes (you will need to be logged in to access the link).
New bugs…
- Classic
- Cannot tether Sony A7 IV (ILCE-7M4) with latest 3.01 firmware – workaround on this link.
- Sync sends keywords to the cloud if you write metadata to files – recommendation: don’t write metadata to the files at the moment, as this unexpected behavior is not fully tested, and it’s not easy to remove them again!
- Map Search is not returning a result (Adobe investigating).
- Desktop
Edit in PS from a stacked image set (Tiff or DNG) fails to open and sometimes displays a message – workaround is to use the keyboard shortcut
- Unconfirmed – You do not have permission to save files – solution, try selecting your username folder in the Local mode.
Remove Tools (Classic, Desktop & Mobile)
The Healing tool has been renamed the Remove tool, and it has a new icon to match. The Heal and Clone modes work exactly as they did before; it’s just the Remove mode that’s been updated—and what an update it is!
You may have heard all the chatter about Photoshop’s Generative AI, which uses Adobe’s Firefly technology. That Generative AI technology is now available across the whole Lightroom Ecosystem! It’s officially called Generative Remove.
It works MUCH better than the existing tools for large or complicated repairs, for example, where the object you’re removing is against a complex background. Want to see it in action? Let’s try to remove all of the people in the background, as well as the little boy:
First, we’ll use the standard Remove mode. Some of the people in the background aren’t too bad, but removing the little boy isn’t very successful due to the complex background pattern of the stones and the water.
Now, let’s try Generative AI. What a difference! Generative Remove has produced the sort of result that previously required Photoshop.
So, should you use it for everything now? No! It’s not the right tool for small or simple distractions because it’s not as fast as the other modes, it requires internet access as the AI runs on Adobe’s servers, and it will likely use up Firefly credits once it’s out of Early Access. But for large or complicated repairs, it’s a game-changer! Here are a few tips on when you might use it (reproduced from our two main books):
While we’re discussing the Remove tool, you may have also spotted the new Object Aware checkbox in the Remove panel on Classic and Desktop. This works like the AI-based Object Select tool in Masking. Rather than carefully brushing over the object you want to remove, you can draw roughly over a well-defined object, and the AI figures out what you’re trying to select. It’s available in both the standard Remove and Generative AI modes, and unlike the Heal and Clone modes, you can also go back and refine the selection if you discover that you missed a bit.
Generative Remove is an Early Access tool, meaning it’s still a work in progress, so Adobe wants your feedback. On Desktop, there’s a Provide Feedback button in the Remove panel, and on Mobile, tap the circular I icon at the bottom of the Remove tool to share your feedback. Lightroom Classic doesn’t have a direct link to the feedback mechanism, so when you click the Provide Feedback button, it sends you to a dedicated forum thread where you can share before/after screenshots.
Lens Blur (Classic, Desktop & Mobile)
Lens Blur has been promoted from Early Access to an official feature. The AI models have been improved, and the interface has been updated slightly. It’s also now available for Copy/Paste/Sync/Auto Sync, but it otherwise works the same way as it did when it was released.The mobile apps also now have a Focus Range slider, just like the Classic and Desktop.
Catalog Upgrade (Classic)
For Lightroom Classic, this release upgrades your catalog format (which only usually happens in an x.0 release), so just be aware that you can’t easily roll back to 13.2 or earlier. As there are so many changes in this release, there is a higher chance of new bugs appearing, so you may prefer to hold off updating to 13.3 until more general feedback is received. If your CC App already updated Lightroom Classic to 13.3 automatically, here are the details on rolling the version back.
If you’re ready to go ahead with the catalog upgrade, see our blog post Why is Lightroom asking to upgrade my catalog and what does it do?
Sync Upgrade (Classic)
Cloud sync has also undergone a huge upgrade behind the scenes. On the surface, very little has changed, but the newer sync engine should (hopefully) be much more reliable.
On its first sync after the 13.3 upgrade, Lightroom has to migrate and check the local sync data. Adobe recommends allowing your existing catalog to complete syncing before upgrading to 13.3 (excluding any errors), and keeping Lightroom open for at least 3 hours for the initial migration to complete.
Troubleshooting for sync has also changed. Most notably, the hidden Rebuild Sync Data button that has frequently been used to fix sync issues in 13.2 and earlier should no longer be used unless an Adobe staff member specifically tells you to. Don’t manually delete the [Catalog Name] Sync.lrdata file either. We have a separate blog post on the new troubleshooting steps: How do I troubleshoot sync in Classic 13.3 and later?
Archive Photos Offline (Desktop)
To move cloud photos to local folders, you no longer have to export and then delete them. There’s now a simple Archive X Photos Locally command in the right-click menu, which does both automatically.
Other New Features
In addition to the big new features above, there are some additional new features of note:
- All
- There’s a new preset group called Adaptive: Blur Background.
Classic
- Cloud sync has also undergone a huge upgrade behind the scenes. On the surface, very little has changed, but the newer sync engine should (hopefully) be much more reliable. Please read the notes below before upgrading!
- The way previews are stored has been updated to improve performance.
- Develop module caching has been updated to improve performance when navigating between small numbers of images.
- New filtering criteria, including export status, point color, and accessibility fields.
- Significant performance improvements for Denoise on Apple Silicon Macs running macOS14.0 or later.
Desktop
- There’s a simple Slideshow view, like that found in the mobile apps.
- You can now see the filename in Square Grid View.
- In Local Mode, you can now duplicate a photo on the hard drive.
- Refresh the Local folder view without switching folders.
- When pausing sync, you can now choose to pause for 30 minutes, 1 hour, until tomorrow, or indefinitely.
- The Crop Aspect Ratio is now displayed in parenthesis for Original and As-Shot menu items.
- The Tone Curve is now available when editing video.
- The Export Dialog now supports an HDR preview when selecting an HDR-capable format.
- Significant performance improvements for Denoise on Apple Silicon Macs running macOS14.0 or later.
LR Mobile
- There’s now a Cache Size Limit option on iPhone/iPad. This already exists on Android and Desktop.
New camera support:
- Apple
- Apple iPhone 15 Front Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Plus Front Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Plus Ultrawide Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Plus Wide Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Front Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Front Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Telephoto Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Ultrawide Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Wide Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Telephoto Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Ultrawide Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro Wide Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Ultrawide Camera
- Apple iPhone 15 Wide Camera
- Olympus/OM System
- OM Digital Solutions OM SYSTEM TG 7
- Panasonic
- Panasonic LUMIX DCG9M2
- Sony
- Sony A7C II (ILCE7CM2)
- Sony A7CR (ILCE7CR)
- Click to view the full list of supported cameras
New lens correction support:
- Hasselblad
- Hasselblad XCD 2,5/25V
- Leica
- Leica Leitz Phone 3 Front Camera
- Leica Leitz Phone 3 Rear Camera
- Sigma L
- SIGMA 15mm F1.4 DG DN DIAGONAL FISHEYE A024
- SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN A024
- SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS S024
- SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS S024 + TC-1411
- SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS S024 + TC-2011
- Sony FE
- SIGMA 15mm F1.4 DG DN DIAGONAL FISHEYE A024
- SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN A024
- SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS S024
- Xiaomi
- Xiaomi 14 Front Camera
- Xiaomi 14 Ultra Rear Super Telephoto Camera
- Xiaomi 14 Ultra Rear Telephoto Camera
- Xiaomi 14 Ultra Rear Ultrawide Camera
- Xiaomi 14 Ultra Rear Wide Camera
- Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro Front Ultrawide Camera
- Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro Front Wide Camera
- Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro Rear Telephoto Camera
- Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro Rear Ultrawide Camera
- Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro Rear Wide Camera
- Click here for thefull list of available Adobe Lens Profiles
New tether support (Classic only)
- Canon
- EOS R10
- EOS R100
- EOS R50
- EOS R6 Mark II
- EOS R7
- EOS R8
- PowerShot V10
- Sony
- ILCE-1
- ILCE-9M2
- ILCE-7RM5
- ILCE-7RM4
- ILCE-7RM4
- ILCE-7SM3*
- ILCE-7M4
- ILCE-7C
- ILCE-6700*
- * The ones marked with an asterisk (*) haven’t been tested but are expected to work. Some other Sony cameras may also work. The camera needs to be set to PC remote mode for USB tethering, which is explained on Sony’s page
- Click to view the full list of cameras supported for tethering.
Bug fixes:
This is a major update. A great deal of work was put into the new features, but it also includes a lot of bug fixes. Adobe only publishes the ones that were reported by customers:
- ACR
- Firmware update for DJI FC8282 Air 3 breaks Adobe camera profiles
- Google Pixel 6, 6a, 6 Pro, 7a, and 7 Pro DNGs don’t show Adobe camera profiles
- Nikon lens profiles not working correctly
- Lens profile Canon RF-S 18-45 incorrect
- Lumix S5 monochrome profiles have a red hue
- X-T2 Fuji Files have small purple artifact at edge of image after Denoise
- RF 14-35 f4 & EOS R edge artifacts in Lens Profile
- LAB values do not reflect image colors from Selective Adjustments to Monochrome images
- Exporting DNG (from Merge) as a new DNG w/ Compatibility set to 14.0 creates a damaged file
Classic
- X-T2 Fuji Files have small purple artifact at edge of image after Denoise
- Published Folders renamed not renaming in Finder on macOS Ventura 13.0.1
- Later loading of the color scheme of a photo rather than the photo itself
- LAB values do not reflect image colors from Selective Adjustments to Monochrome images
- Files edited in Photoshop are returned to LrC missing one of the metadata date fields
- (Mac) Metadata Fractions are too Small
- (Mac Sonoma) WB Picker Loupe Tool is stuck after first click
- Allocating GPS-Position not working anymore
- Local-adjustment presets saved with default tone curves won’t reset non-default tone curves
- Mask local-adjustment Preset menu doesn’t recognize changes to Point Color
- Cycle Upright Mode shortcut placed in wrong section of Help > Develop Mode Shortcuts
- Local Adjustment preset name never listed in the history panel
- TAT in Color Mixer adjusts bands 2-colors off from hovered-over color when image is HDR
- SDK: photo:applyDevelopPreset(preset) can lockup LrC with AI Settings
- Error in Polish translation of Contains in Text search menu
- New documentation: Lightroom Controller SDK Guide
- Pick state erased if generated from iOS favorited photos
- Flag not saved to XMP if XMP:Pick missing from file metadata
- Implementation of Alt text and Extended Description fields is incomplete
Desktop
- (Mac Sonoma) WB Picker Loupe Tool is stuck after first click
- Detail view shows photos off-center after zooming in/out
- (Mac) Failed To Initialize Camera RAW
- Ability to refresh images from disk if they were modified externally
- Open in Lr workflow issues
- Crash on brush use (9090703)
- Assets missing from Apple Photos Library Migration
- Identify the Unrecognized “Lightroom Team Photos” Album better
- Export as TIF ignores color space
- Keyword autocomplete sometimes fails to find existing keywords
- Crash on launch [9287165]
- Reset Geometry Popup has wrong text
- (Win) Context menu item “Add photo to target album” doesn’t show shortcut key
- (Win) Grid cells aren’t color managed
Mobile (Android)
- Sliders default to zero when touched
- Unable to login to Lightroom mobile – showing an error occurred while authenticating
- Polish: change in translation string “Customer Order”
- reports incorrect number of ‘Likes’
Mobile (iOS)
- iPad/iPhone Device overheats & brightness dims
- Error T20200124 sync stuck until reset edits on affected assets
If you find a bug, click here to learn how to report it to Adobe.
How do I update?
To update on the desktop, gotoHelp menu > Updatesor click theApps icon in the CC app. To check which apps have updates available, click View updates in the top right corner. This opens the Updates page, where you can click the Update button to install individual app updates. The CC App layout changed in February, see our blog How does the new CC App work?for more details.
The update servers take a while to push the updates around the world to avoid overloading the servers. You can also open the Creative Cloud app, click the … icon (top right), and select Check for Updates to give it a nudge. To update on mobile, visit the App Store (iOS) / Play Store (Android).
Lightroom books
The eBooks forAdobe Lightroom Classic – The Missing FAQ and Adobe Lightroom – Edit on the Go have been updated to include the new features.
The eBooks can be downloaded immediately after purchase. If you already have a current Premium Membership for the relevant eBook, the latest eBooks are available for download in yourMembers Area.
