Photoshop 2026 (25.9.0.573): 8 New AI Features You Should Know

Download the Latest Photoshop 2026 (25.9.0.573) With 8 New Features You Should Know

With the revolution generative AI has recently caused, the development of design and photo-editing programs has accelerated greatly. In 2026, Adobe's most famous program, Photoshop, became more effective and creative, and many features were added that greatly increased its capabilities and made it much easier to use. In this article are 8 features of the Photoshop 2026 release in its latest February 2026 version, with a simple explanation of each, along with a direct, free download link for the latest version. Let us start with the eight features.

1. What Is the Generative Fill Feature?

Within the AI-powered Adobe Firefly toolset comes the Generative Fill feature, through which you can create complete images by giving direct commands within Photoshop, and you can also create separate, editable layers. This feature used to exist only in the beta version of the program, but it has become part of the traditional version. To create an image, click on an area of the image you are editing, then click the Generative Fill command from the Contextual Taskbar, then add a description of the image you want to add. Photoshop will then create three alternative images in the form of layers. Photoshop automatically analyzes the image's data, including light, dimensions, depth, and perspective, to give you three suitable options; if you do not like any of them, you can request other images through the Properties box. This feature uses what are called Generative Credits, which renew monthly, with each use of a feature like Generative Fill consuming 1 credit; your credit balance varies by subscription type.

2. How Does Generative Expansion Work?

We often need, while editing images in Photoshop, to modify their dimensions to suit different uses. This can be a laborious process because it may end up cutting off an important part of the image. For this purpose, Adobe included the Generative Expansion feature, one of the Adobe Firefly AI features. You can find this feature integrated within the Crop command. After opening the image you want to edit, drag the Crop tool over the image to modify its dimensions or enter the length and width you want, then click Generative Expansion and then Generate; the program will then fill the remaining space. Just like the previous Generative Fill feature, the program will provide you with three alternatives as separate layers so you can choose the suitable one.

3. What's New in the Remove Tool?

This is one of the very important and useful tools because it helps hide image flaws. With the new update, you will no longer have to apply the Remove brush to the entire area you want to edit; it is enough to just select this area. The new tool automatically recognizes the selected area and can identify the element you want to remove on its own and delete it automatically. That is, the tool understands what you want from it simply by selecting part of the image. This saves a lot of time while editing images and makes removing unwanted elements a very easy and simple process while maintaining infinite image accuracy. This feature can be applied especially if you want to remove an element, sensitive information in the image, or any other details you do not want to display.

4. Can You Pin the Contextual Taskbar?

No real feature was added to the Contextual Taskbar in the 2026 version of Photoshop. But the addition lies in the ability to fix this bar in one place. In previous versions, there was no specific place for this bar; rather, it appeared in random places or according to the location of the mouse click. To fix the position of the Contextual Taskbar, click the three dots at its end and choose Pin bar position. In this case, even if you close Photoshop entirely, the bar will stay in the place you chose.

5. What Changed in the Gradient Tool?

In previous versions of Photoshop, when adding gradients, the control line would disappear immediately, which made editing it somewhat difficult. So in Photoshop 2026, adding gradients has become easier and simpler. Note that the control points are still present, and through them you can easily edit the gradient and choose its colors and shades. This improvement was long-awaited by many Photoshop users.

6. What Is the Lens Blur Feature?

This is one of Photoshop 2026's distinctive additions. The new feature helps add a highly realistic bokeh effect to images, using complex algorithms to simulate the Lens Blur effect. The feature lets you edit the intensity, angle, size, and shape of the Blur, and many other variables, enabling you to add highly realistic bokeh effects. From the Filter menu, choose "Create a raw filter," and the Lens Blur option will appear; through the Apply button, you can add these effects. Within this bar, you can adjust the amount of the effect through Amount of Blur, and adjust its intensity through Intensify, in addition to many other options. It is worth noting that Photoshop determines the focus point automatically based on AI techniques.

7. What Are Content Credentials?

Photoshop 2026 automatically adds information to the metadata to document images generated using the Generative Fill and Generative Expand features. This aims to reduce the spread of incorrect information and achieve some transparency regarding the origin of images, with the ability to control the information shared using metadata. To control this information, go to Window then Content Credentials, then enable the Content Credentials feature; various information related to generative AI and other things, such as the edits made to the image, will be added. You can use the preview button to see how this information is displayed. You can use the site contentcredentials.org/verify to check the content credentials of any image or file you own.

8. What Other Additional Updates Are There?

These include the improvement of the layers window and the options list that appears when right-clicking on layers, which helps speed up working with and editing layers; you can disable this feature through Preferences > Interface > Show Simplified Right Click And Flyout Menus. Another feature is support for native full-screen mode on devices running macOS, which you can enable through Preferences > Workspace > Enable Native Full Screen.

How Do You Download Photoshop 2026?

All these features make the Photoshop 2026 version the most powerful and most suitable for you, whether you are a professional or a beginner. You can download the latest Photoshop 2026(version 25.9.0.573) at a size of 4.4 GB for 64-bit systems through the link on the source page.