Shared Device Licensing access FAQ

Last updated on Aug 3, 2026

Shared Device Licensing access policies help organizations control how and where users can reach Adobe applications on shared devices. This FAQ answers common questions about entitlements and device access.

No. Access to apps on the user's home device depends on the user's entitlement. For example, if users have the Adobe free entitlement, they don't have access to Adobe applications. If users use the same account on a device with Shared Device Licensing, they have access to all the applications. Shared Device Licensing unlocks access to all applications.

Shared Device Licensing can only be installed on a device used by multiple users and isn't intended for single-user access.

In Shared Device Licensing v1.5, Dynamic IP machines can be set to By LAN IP address range or By installed package under Associated Machines in the Shared Device Licensing profile. Learn how to manage permissions.

Shared Device Licensing isn't intended for use on a single-owner/user device. It can be used on any institutionally owned machine accessed by multiple users.

Creative Cloud Shared Device Access is used when your users use Enterprise or Federated IDs. It gives those users 2 GB of storage.

Any entitlement assigned to a user can be used on any device to access Creative Cloud apps or services. Access to apps and services depends on entitlements. For example, the Adobe free ID allows only 2 GB of storage with no access to Adobe apps at home. On a Shared Device Licensing device, users would have 2 GB of storage but access to all the apps installed on the device.

Yes! To assign the Creative Cloud Shared Device Access entitlement, students must be added to the Admin console.

Shared Device Licensing works with either a free Adobe ID (which the students can create) or a Federated ID (which supports directory automation). Any student with a free Adobe ID can immediately access a Shared Device Licensing machine if you have an Open Access policy.

In an open-access lab, you don't have to add the users to the console for basic lab access. Federated ID users must have at least a Creative Cloud Shared Device Access entitlement in the Admin Console before accessing the Shared Device Licensing machines.

Shared devices are currently enabled with serial numbers. Unfortunately, that means students don't have access to many of our latest apps and Creative Cloud services, such as Fonts, collaboration, and mobile access. Migrate these licenses to shared device licenses and then deploy the new shared device licenses on these devices. 

Yes, shared device license packages only work within specific IP ranges within the institution. They are not available for home use. At home, students and staff must use a Named User license.

The Egress IP notation only supports single IPs or dash-separated IP ranges. It does not support CIDR notation.

If you are using Dynamic IP addressing, while managing permissions, you can choose by installed package under Associated Machines, to allow for LAN IP ranges.

Shared device license packages are designed to prevent app updates by end users. It can be controlled when creating a package in the Admin console. There is an option to allow a non-admin to update and install apps.

All Cloud services, such as font access and in-app libraries, are disabled. However, users can access the web versions, such as assets.adobe.com, to manually access, upload, and download cloud files.

To associate an Active Directory organizational unit with a Product Profile, it must be a leaf directory. This implies that it has to be the bottom-most directory, with no other directories below it.

Yes, assignment By Microsoft Active Directory organizational units supports AD-joined MACs.