Photoshop app for Android encounters minor glitch, leaving user with significant frustration
Cranky Crusader's Corner dishes on the tech scene, diving deep into the nitty-gritty of Mountain View and beyond.
There's no contest when it comes to heavy-hitting photo editing and original image creation – Adobe takes the crown with anvity that even outshines tech titans like Qualcomm, Sony, Spotify, and even Nintendo. Yet, in 2025, Adobe still grapples with crafting a decent app.
Last week, the Android iteration of Photoshop finally went live after its initial debut on iOS way back in February. Bafflingly, Adobe's been wrestling with mobile device logic since 2009, only to give us apps focused on specific editing features instead of a full-blown Photoshop experience.
Being a devoted Photoshop and Lightroom user, I was a tad excitable to see the app populate my Google Play Store. However, installing it on the OnePlus Pad 3 left me wishing I had a sledgehammer.
The app initially appeared only in portrait view, which I presumed was a sign that signing in was necessary first. After logging into my Adobe account, the app remained attached to the vertical plane. Maybe, I pondered, I needed to open an image, and then voilà, it would transition into landscape mode.
Nope.
No matter how hard I tried, the app stubbornly refused to budge from portrait mode. I considered the possibility that it had something to do with the OnePlus Pad 3, but that wasn't the case. Installing the app on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold only intensified my frustration.
This quirk doesn't pose much of a problem on foldable phones, thanks to their square-ish aspect ratio compared to many Android tablets. I recalled that the app was already available on the iPhone and iPad, but hadn't actually experienced it on either of those devices.
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Trying out the app on my iPad Pro, I was overjoyed when it sprang to life in landscape orientation. The speed of downloading a picture could be chalked up to my spotty internet connection, which often stumbles and drops out.
On the other hand, I couldn't find the app on the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. After searching for it in the Play Store, I reached the Photoshop app's listing page, only to be slapped with a "This app is not compatible" message. One would expect a colossal, well-respected digital media corporation like Adobe to launch one of the most eagerly awaited apps without such a glaring incompatibility issue, especially with a powerhouse Android tablet manufacturer like Samsung.
The frustration is palpable because I – like many others, I suspect – prefer editing images in picture-perfect landscape mode. Upon delving into my memory bank, I couldn't help but be reminded of an article I penned in April titled "Android Users: Second-Class Citizens?" Throw in the fact that Photoshop is unavailable on Samsung's latest tablet, and the icing on the cake of disappointment seems meant to be.
In some instances, it's possible to overlook a sputtering app on tablets, especially if it's produced by a small team or an independent developer. But Adobe? No excuses.
The tipping point for me is that I'm seriously considering cancelling my Creative Cloud subscription, a staple of my life for at least five years. The primary issue being that I'm unacquainted with alternative apps that can truly rival Adobe's potency.
However, it seems about time for me to conduct a thorough investigation – perhaps it's time to swap theposed lighthouse for a new one.
In the tech world, Adobe's Photoshop app is available on smartphones like the OnePlus Pad 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, showcasing the evolution of technology. However, an issue arises when trying to use the app on the iPad Pro in landscape mode, demonstrating inconsistencies in the development of gadgets across different platforms.
Understandably, users like myself, who rely heavily on Adobe's suite of tools, question the company's commitment to delivering a seamless experience on all devices, especially when an app like Photoshop is incompatible with powerful Android tablets such as the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. This raises questions about the priority given to different platforms, possibly making users feel like second-class citizens in the Android ecosystem.
