How to Update Lightroom: A Step-by-Step Guide

(Last updated on October 9th, 2023)

Short Summary

In this article, you will learn how to update Lightroom on your computer or mobile device, and why you should do it regularly. Here are the main steps:

• Check your Lightroom version and update preferences:
  • Go to Help > System Info to see your current Lightroom version.
  • Go to Edit > Preferences or Lightroom Classic > Preferences to access your update settings.
• Update Lightroom manually or automatically on your computer:
  • Go to adobe.com and sign in with your Adobe ID and password.
  • Click on Downloads and find Lightroom Classic or Lightroom.
  • Click on Download and follow the instructions to install the latest version of Lightroom/
  • Or, enable the automatic update feature in the Preferences window and let Lightroom check for and install updates for you.
• Update Lightroom through the app store or the play store on your mobile device:
  • Go to the app store or the play store on your device and search for Lightroom.
  • Tap on the Update button next to the app icon.
  • Wait for the app to download and install the update on your device.
• Sync your settings and presets across your devices using the cloud service.

Read on to find out more details and screenshots for each step.

Introduction

Lightroom is one of the most popular and powerful photo editing software in the world. Whether you are a professional photographer or a hobbyist, you can use Lightroom to organize, edit, and share your photos with ease. But did you know that keeping your Lightroom updated is also very important? In this article, we will show you how to update Lightroom on your computer or mobile device, and why you should do it regularly.

Why Update Lightroom?

Updating Lightroom has many benefits for you and your photos. Here are some of them:

• You can access new features and improvements that Adobe releases periodically. For example, in the latest version of Lightroom, you can use the Super Resolution feature to enhance the details and resolution of your photos.
• You can fix bugs and errors that may affect the performance or functionality of Lightroom. For example, in a previous version of Lightroom, some users reported that their presets were not syncing properly across their devices. This issue was resolved in a later update.
• You can improve the compatibility and security of Lightroom with your operating system and other software. For example, if you are using Windows 11 or macOS Sonoma, you need to update Lightroom to ensure that it works smoothly and safely on your system.

As you can see, updating Lightroom is essential for getting the most out of your photo editing experience. Now, let’s see how you can do it easily and quickly.

How to Check Your Lightroom Version and Update Preferences

Before you update Lightroom, you need to check which version of Lightroom you are currently using, and what are your update preferences. Here is how to do it:

• Open Lightroom on your computer.
• Go to Help > System Info. A window will pop up with information about your Lightroom version, operating system, memory, etc.
• Look for the Lightroom version field. It will show you the exact version number of your Lightroom software. For example, 11.7.
• Close the window.

Now that you know your Lightroom version, you can check your update preferences. These are the settings that control how Lightroom checks for and installs updates. Here is how to access them:

• Go to Edit > Preferences on Windows, or Lightroom Classic > Preferences on Mac.
• Click on the General tab.
• Look for the Updates section. Here you can choose whether you want Lightroom to automatically check for updates or not. If you check the box that says Automatically check for updates, Lightroom will notify you when there is a new update available. If you uncheck it, you will have to manually check for updates yourself.
• You can also click on the Check for Updates button to manually check for updates at any time.
• Click on OK to save your preferences.

How to Update Lightroom Manually

If you prefer to update Lightroom manually, or if there is no automatic update option available for your version of Lightroom, you can download and install the latest version of Lightroom from the official website. Here is how to do it:

• Go to abobe.com and sign in with your Adobe ID and password.
• Click on Downloads at the top of the page.
• Scroll down to find Lightroom Classic or Lightroom (depending on which version of Lightroom you are using) and click on Download.
• Follow the instructions on the screen to download and install the latest version of Lightroom on your computer.
• Restart your computer if prompted.

To verify that the update was successful, open Lightroom and go to Help > System Info again. You should see the new version number in the Lightroom version field.

If you encounter any issues during or after the update process, such as missing presets, corrupted catalogs, or error messages, you can visit Adobe’s support page for troubleshooting tips and solutions.

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How to Update Lightroom Automatically

If you want to save time and hassle, you can enable the automatic update feature in Lightroom. This way, Lightroom will check for updates periodically and install them when they are available. You don’t have to do anything except enjoy the new features and improvements. Here is how to enable the automatic update feature in Lightroom:

• Open Lightroom on your computer.
• Go to Edit > Preferences on Windows, or Lightroom Classic > Preferences on Mac.
• Click on the General tab.
• Check the box that says Automatically check for updates in the Updates section.
• Click on OK to save your preferences.

Now, whenever there is a new update available for Lightroom, you will see a notification in the upper right corner of the Lightroom window. You can click on it to see the details of the update and choose whether to install it or not. You can also click on Install Now to install the update immediately, or Install Later to install it the next time you launch Lightroom.

There are some things you need to keep in mind when using the automatic update feature in Lightroom:

• You need to have an active internet connection for Lightroom to check for and download updates.
• You need to have enough storage space on your computer for Lightroom to install updates. The size of each update may vary depending on the version and features of Lightroom.
• You need to have enough bandwidth for Lightroom to download updates. The speed and quality of your internet connection may affect the download time and performance of Lightroom.
• You can always disable the automatic update feature if you want to manually control when and how to update Lightroom. Just uncheck the box that says Automatically check for updates in the Updates section of the Preferences window.

How to Update Lightroom on Mobile Devices

If you are using Lightroom on your mobile device, such as an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone or tablet, you can also update it easily and quickly. Here is how to do it:

• Go to the app store or the play store on your device and search for Lightroom.
• Tap on the Update button next to the app icon. If you don’t see an update button, it means that your app is already up to date.
• Wait for the app to download and install the update on your device.
• Open the app and enjoy the new features and improvements.

One of the best things about using Lightroom on your mobile device is that you can sync your settings and presets across your devices using the cloud service. This means that you can access and edit your photos from anywhere, anytime, and with any device. Here is how to sync your settings and presets in Lightroom:

• Open Lightroom on your device and sign in with your Adobe ID and password.
• Tap on the cloud icon at the top of the screen. You should see a green check mark if your photos are synced, or a blue circle if they are syncing.
• Tap on the gear icon at the top right corner of the screen to access the settings menu.
• Tap on Cloud Storage & Sync. Here you can see how much storage space you have used and available, as well as manage your sync options.
• Tap on Sync Only Over Wi-Fi if you want to save data and battery by syncing only when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network. If you uncheck this option, Lightroom will sync over cellular data as well.
• Tap on Sync Presets & Profiles if you want to sync your custom presets and profiles across your devices. If you uncheck this option, Lightroom will only sync your photos and their edits.

Conclusion

Updating Lightroom is a simple and smart way to enhance your photo editing experience. By updating Lightroom regularly, you can access new features, fix bugs, improve compatibility, and secure your software. You can update Lightroom manually or automatically on your computer, or through the app store or the play store on your mobile device. You can also sync your settings and presets across your devices using the cloud service.

We hope this article has helped you learn how to update Lightroom easily and quickly. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. And don’t forget to share this article with your friends who use Lightroom too!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)