Photoshop for Apple Silicon limitations

Last updated on Oct 4, 2026

Learn how to resolve compatibility issues when running Adobe Photoshop on Apple Silicon computers.

Photoshop runs natively on Apple Silicon computers. Some features, plugins, and extensions may require Rosetta mode or a newer version of Photoshop.

Intel-based plugins don't appear

Cause

Intel-based plugins aren't supported when Photoshop runs natively on Apple Silicon.

Remedy

Quit Photoshop.

Right-click the Photoshop application icon in your Applications folder.

Select Get Info from the menu.

Select Open using Rosetta.

Restart Photoshop to load your Intel-based plugins

Contact your plugin provider for Apple Silicon-compatible versions.

For developers updating plugins use UXP for Adobe Photoshop to work in native mode.

Certain features are unavailable in native mode

Cause

Some features aren't available when Photoshop runs natively on Apple Silicon, including:

  • Opening U3D files
  • Starting Adobe Bridge from Photoshop menus
  • Preset Sync (Photoshop 24.7 and earlier)

Remedy

Quit Photoshop.

Right-click the Photoshop application in your Applications folder and select Get Info.

Select Open using Rosetta.

Relaunch Photoshop.

CEP (Common Extensibility Platform) extensions require Rosetta emulation mode and will not load in native Apple Silicon mode.

Common Extensibility Platform (CEP) extensions don't load

Cause

CEP extensions require Rosetta mode and won't load when Photoshop runs natively.

Remedy

Launch Photoshop using Rosetta emulation mode.

Select Window > Extensions (legacy)

Select the CEP extension. Consider updating to UXP-based extensions for native compatibility.

Convert to Video Timeline is unavailable

Cause

The Convert to Video Timeline command isn't available in Photoshop versions earlier than 23.4 when running natively on Apple Silicon.

Remedy

Open the Creative Cloud desktop app.

Update Photoshop to version 23.4 or later.

Relaunch Photoshop. Run Photoshop in Rosetta mode if you can’t update immediately.

Export As returns an error

Cause

You may receive a "Can't export to this location" error if the destination path contains a # character. SVG export may also fail in native mode.

Remedy

Remove any # characters from the destination path.

Select Photoshop > Settings > Technology Previews.

Deselect Optimized Export As.

Restart Photoshop.

Use File > Save As or switch to Rosetta mode for SVG exports.

Multi-app workflows don't work correctly

Copy and paste operations or workflows, such as Edit in Photoshop from Lightroom, may fail when applications run in different modes.

Remedy

Verify whether each application is running natively or using Rosetta.

Configure all applications in the workflow to use the same mode.

Restart the application.

Use Adobe apps compatibility on Mac computers with Apple Silicon to assess compatibility considerations.

If the issue persists after trying these solutions, report it on the Photoshop feedback site or contact Adobe Technical Support for additional assistance.