How to Download and Install Photoshop (Free)

Adobe has primarily depended on its online content distribution network to offer quick app downloads for its users ever since the Creative Cloud platform was introduced.

Although this has generally made things easier, many people find this to be a significant adjustment. I’ve got instructions on how to download and install Photoshop for Windows and macOS if you’re unsure how to get your new Photoshop subscription up and running on your machine.

Thanks to the Creative Cloud programme, the process is nearly the same on Mac and Windows PCs, while taking some time.

To manage all of the content from your Adobe membership, including programmes, use the Creative Cloud app as a kind of “hub.”

Step 1: Downloading Photoshop 

Note: You can move on to Step 2 if you already have the Creative Cloud app installed.

Although Adobe has designed a unique “onboarding” procedure for new Photoshop users, the main goal is to install the Creative Cloud application on your PC. After that, you can control every part of your Adobe Creative Cloud subscription—including Photoshop installation—with the Creative Cloud app.

Go to https://creativecloud.adobe.com/cc/ to get started. You can access your Creative Cloud dashboard by logging into your Adobe account.

Depending on the specific plan you are subscribed to, this may appear slightly different, but in your web browser, you should see something like the screenshot below.

Your dashboard’s initial row of icons showcases various recommended actions, one of which should be Photoshop. To begin, click the “Download” button.

Note: You can locate Photoshop by clicking the Apps link in the menu bar if, for some reason, you can’t find it listed in the suggested area.

Find the installer file and launch it after the download is finished. The most recent Creative Cloud app version will download and install if you follow the easy on-screen instructions. It might be necessary for you to enter your password on macOS or provide administrator access on Windows.

During the interaction, Adobe utilizes the opportunity to snatch a smidgen of free information about you for their client data set, in spite of the fact that you can decide to click Skip question as opposed to give a response. 

You can likewise essentially leave and disregard it since the establishment interaction has proactively begun and doesn’t really need a solution to proceed.

If you click “Skip question” repeatedly, you’ll discover that there’s actually no benefit to providing Adobe with information about you for free – but you can do so if you want.

This process installs the Creative Cloud desktop app on your computer, which will then be used to install Photoshop automatically (as you can see if you take a close look at the fine print in the installer. 

Once the Creative Cloud desktop app is installed successfully, it will load automatically. The app looks almost identical on Windows and macOS, which adds a nice level of consistency to the user experience.

The app also features a quick tour to get you acquainted with the new app, although you don’t need to learn every feature right away. 

Step 2: Photoshop Install

If you’ve been following this guide from the beginning, Photoshop will start automatically installing itself in the background as part of Adobe’s Photoshop-focused onboarding process. 

If you downloaded the Creative Cloud app by itself instead of using the specialized Photoshop installation process, don’t worry! Photoshop won’t install itself automatically, but it’s extremely easy to do. 

Click the All apps link on the left pane of the Creative Cloud app to see all the apps that are available with your current subscription plan. 

Find the entry for Photoshop, and click the Install button. The Creative Cloud app will handle everything else for you automatically. 

That’s all there is to it – no swapping disks or worrying about scratched DVDs, just one click, and you’re done. 

Step 3: Start Photoshopping!

Once Photoshop is installed, it should launch automatically. After it loads, it may require you to log in to your Adobe account, although it shares login credentials with your web browser so this may happen automatically in the background if you’re still logged in to your Adobe account there. 

Creative Cloud subscriptions allow you to have two devices using Photoshop at once, but you can easily manage this during the launch process if necessary. 

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