Adobe is once again narrowing the gap between Lightroom Classic and the edit-anywhere, mobile-centric Lightroom CC. On Feb. 13, Adobe announced updates that add more stability to the entire Lightroom CC ecosystem, along with migrating several tools from Classic and even voice control function using Google Assistant.
Lightroom’s perspective distortion tools are now available on mobile versions of Lightroom CC. The guided upright tool allows users to fix distortion created from the shooting angle or from using a wide-angle lens, by using sliders to adjust distortion vertical and horizontal alignment. A new Auto Upright tool applies the distortion adjustments automatically. Both distortion corrections are accessible from the geometry tab, but for now, the tool is Android only. Adobe says an iOS update with the feature will be launching soon.
Lightroom CC now makes it easier for photographers to protect their copyright. On the desktop version, photographers can now set up the software to automatically add copyright info to the metadata of every imported image. The option is available by heading to Preferences > General and checking the box for “add copyright to imported images” and typing in the appropriate information.
If the hidden metadata copyright isn’t enough, mobile users can export images with a text-based watermark. The feature first launched on iOS but is now available to Android users as well. The mobile watermark option is text-only.
Lightroom is also gaining some voice control on devices with Google Assistant, thanks to Adobe Sensei, the company’s artificial intelligence platform. The compatibility allows users to conduct voice searches, like saying, “Search mountains in Lightroom” from inside the Google Assistant app. The search option is only available with an internet connection and a device running Android Marshmallow or later.
Another enhancement allows for faster movement between apps. A new “Add to LR” option allows users to send a photo directly to the Lightroom app from a handful of other apps. Adobe says the update also brings additional stability to the app family.
The update continues to bring features from Lightroom Classic, the desktop-only version many photographers are more familiar with. While Lightroom Classic remains the more powerful of the two, these new features, like a previous update that brought curves and split toning, brings more parity between the two.
In related news, Lightroom Classic also received an update.
