At the Adobe MAX event, it was announced that Photoshop for iPad finally gains the ability to remove backgrounds from images with a single tap, as well as being able to remove distracting objects from images.
Process for background removal (opens in a new tab) will be similar to what you get on a Mac or Windows PC: just highlight the background, securing the object from deletion, and replace it with something else entirely. A new option for iPad is available on Application Store (opens in a new tab) with Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.
In the coming weeks, other handy features will also appear in Photoshop on the iPad, such as automatic color adjustment to get the right balance in designs, and improved hair and edge enhancements when these objects need to be transferred to a different background.
All of this adds to what you can already do on an iPad with Photoshop, especially with the new models announced this week. It also increases the possibility of reaching for a tablet instead of a Mac or PC – but that’s not the end of it.
iPad is a computer, but not for everyone
When Photoshop launched on the iPad in 2019, it didn’t get the hottest reception due to its lack of essential features. At the time, Adobe only had to work with touch inputs, as touchpad support didn’t make its debut until mid-2020. On iPadOS. It took a lot of thought for Adobe to introduce features that had been standard in Photoshop for years.
Fast forward to 2022. And while you can now use the Magic Keyboard with a built-in trackpad, Adobe has refined the features so that you only need to double-tap and remove the background, as Adobe has found ways to simplify many powerful functions.
These new features will be welcomed in many user bases and needs, including mine. Having used Photoshop on macOS for the past decade, I’ve dreamed of bringing more desktop-grade apps to my iPad Pro to help out with the quick situations we’ve all found ourselves in from time to time.
The iPad version of Photoshop is almost meeting the requirements now, thanks to the ads on MAX. Being able to remove the background for the photos I take will really help in my workflow. Next on my wish list in the function space would be see pen tool (opens in a new tab) finally arrive. Users have been crying out for it since Photoshop’s debut on the iPad, and now that we have background removal features, this could be the next best feature to come to the iPad.
When these features arrive in Photoshop on the iPad, we’ll make sure there’s a new review to show how the app has improved over the past three years.