Explore precision editing capabilities that let you adjust specific parts of your photos without affecting the rest of the photo.
When you want to brighten just a subject’s face, adjust only the sky, or enhance specific colors without affecting the entire photo, Masking tools provide the precision you need. Rather than applying edits globally across your photo, you can create masks and target specific areas. It gives you creative control that transforms how you approach photo editing.
Masking transforms how you approach photo editing on mobile. Instead of accepting compromise adjustments that work for the whole photo but aren't ideal for any one part, you can improve each area individually. This selective editing approach in Adobe Lightroom on mobile allows the kind of nuanced, professional results that once required desktop software.
How masking works
Masking creates an invisible selection layer over your photo that defines where your edits apply. Think of it as painting with light and adjustments. You define the area, and then apply your edits exclusively to that region. The rest of the photo remains unchanged, preserving detail and tonality in areas you don’t want to affect.
Lightroom on mobile stores each mask as a separate adjustment layer, allowing you to create multiple masks on a single photo, edit them independently, and refine them at any time. This non-destructive workflow preserves your original photo while giving you unlimited creative control.
AI-powered masks
Modern masking in Lightroom mobile starts with intelligent, automated selection tools powered by Adobe Sensei. These AI-driven tools analyze your photo’s content and create accurate masks in seconds:
- Select Subject detects and isolates the most prominent subject in your photo, including people, animals, or other foreground objects. The tool recognizes complex shapes and edges, creating a precise selection that would take minutes to build manually.
- Select Sky automatically identifies sky areas, even when the horizon is irregular or partially obscured by trees, buildings, or other elements. This makes targeted sky adjustments quick and accurate.
- Select Background detects everything behind your main subject, letting you blur, desaturate, or adjust the backdrop to make your subject stand out.
These AI-powered masking tools serve as your starting point for quick, accurate selections. You can use them as-is or refine them further with manual masking tools.
Manual masking tools
For creative control beyond automated selections, Lightroom on mobile offers precision tools that let you define exactly where your adjustments apply:
- Brush tool gives you direct, hands-on control. You can paint over the areas you want to edit with adjustable Size, Feather, and Flow settings. The Eraser tool lets you remove areas from your selection with the same precision.
- Linear Gradient tool creates smooth transitions across large areas of your photo. This tool excels at adjusting skies, foregrounds, or any area where you want a natural fade from adjusted to original.
- Radial Gradient tool defines oval-shaped selections, perfect for vignettes, spotlights, or drawing attention to specific areas.
Range-based selection tools
Lightroom on mobile also offers masks based on your photo's inherent properties rather than spatial areas:
- Color Range selects all pixels of similar color throughout your photo. Select a color in your photo, and Lightroom masks all areas containing similar hues. This works well for adjusting specific color elements, such as foliage, clothing, or painted surfaces.
- Luminance Range selects areas based on brightness levels. Select dark areas to recover shadow detail, target midtones for contrast adjustments, or isolate highlights to tone down bright regions.
