Community Manager

Firefly Image 3 Retirement: Transitioning to Firefly Fill & Expand in Photoshop

Forum|Forum|2 months ago
April 28, 2026
19 replies
11585 views

We’re rolling out newer, more capable generative models in Photoshop to help you create with greater realism, speed, and control. As part of this evolution, Firefly Image 3 is being retired from Generative Fill and Generative Expand workflows, starting with the Photoshop 27.6 release. Going forward, we recommend using Firefly Fill & Expand, an actively supported model designed to deliver improved results for these workflows.

What’s changing

This update is happening in two phases to give you time to transition.

Phase 1: Starting April 28, 2026, Firefly Image 3 is removed from the model picker in Photoshop 27.6, though it will remain temporarily available and functional in versions 26.0–27.5 until August.

Phase 2: In August 2026, Firefly Image 3 will be fully removed from service across all versions and plans.

What to use instead

For Generative Fill and Generative Expand tasks, Firefly Fill & Expand is the recommended alternative. It’s optimized for these workflows and continues to receive ongoing improvements and support. You can also explore other available models in the model picker to find the best fit for your creative needs.

Got questions? We've got you covered!

Why is Firefly Image 3 being removed?

We're always working to bring you new and improved models in Photoshop that are faster, more realistic, and give you more control. With better, more capable models now available in Generative Fill and Generative Expand — like Firefly Fill & Expand — Firefly Image 3 is being phased out in favor of these newer, actively supported options.

When is Firefly Image 3 being removed?

Firefly Image 3 was removed from the model picker on April 28, 2026 with the 27.6 build. It will temporarily remain active in UI and service on builds v26.0 – v27.5, but the service will be removed from all builds and plans in August, 2026. This phased approach gives you time to transition to supported alternatives

What should I use instead?
We recommend using the Firefly Fill & Expand model as it's optimized for Generative Fill and Generative Expand workflows. Other models are also available in the model picker if you'd like to explore different options.

Why does the result look different from Firefly Image 3?

Different models can produce different results based on how they interpret prompts, composition, detail, and style.

Will this affect my existing Photoshop files?

No. Your existing Photoshop files will not be affected. This change only impacts model availability going forward — not access to your saved documents.

Can I still use Firefly Image 3 after updating Photoshop?

Firefly Image 3 is being removed from the model picker in the current release of Photoshop. During this transition period, the model will function if accessed through an older version of Photoshop, but it will no longer appear as a selectable option. Once the full retirement takes effect, it will no longer be available.

Why can't I find Firefly Image 3 in the model picker anymore?

Firefly Image 3 has been removed from the model picker as part of a phased retirement plan. We recommend using Firefly Fill & Expand instead.

Do I need to update Photoshop?

Yes. Updating Photoshop ensures you have access to the latest supported models, features, and improvements.

Will Generate Image still utilize the Firefly Image 3 model?
Yes, Firefly Image 3 will still be available in the Generate Image for now. This retirement applies only to the Generative Fill and Generative Expand workflows.

Will more models be removed in the future?

We may continue to refresh the models available in Photoshop over time as part of improving quality, simplifying the experience, and focusing on supported options.

Have more questions?

Drop them in the comments below. We’d also love to hear if you’ve started using Firefly Fill & Expand , share how it’s working for your Generative Fill and Expand workflows, or any tips you’ve picked up along the way.

A

AKS666

Inspiring

But why remove Firefly 3 while Firefly 1 still exists? Firefly 1 is so old and so bad, makes no sense to keep this but remove the newer one...

robertw44482386

Inspiring

Firefly 1 excels at textures, well beyond the capabiities of both the models that came after it, Firefly 3 and F&E.

Firefly 3 is markedly better at hair than either one. By far. But that’s just about the only area it is useful for me. I wouldn’t miss it otherwise. For hair it’s indispensible.

I just want to have all three. I use them all daily for different things and it really is a complete toolkit for basic image fixing.

F

Fred_76a

Participating Frequently

Why don’t you optimize PS instead of adding more and more functionalities. PS now becomes a bloat-ware. Look at the 8 bits filters, why don’t you port them to 16 bits ????

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

@Srishti Bali

How will actions and scripts be affected?

betsyk96812636

Participant

my results with Gen Fill included in an Action have been inconsistent...sometimes it runs perfectly, and is labeled as using Firefly 3. But other times the same Action will deliver a very realistic image, not at all what I wanted or what the Action typically did. Also the interface is hard to follow in places, ie. I ran an Action with Gen Fill as part, and the Context Window had no text, but said what do you want to do? so rather than re-type the Action, I cancelled, at which point it ran the Action.

betsyk96812636

Participant

The results with Firefly Fill and Expand are ultra-realistic and totally unusable for my abstract work. If I open an older file done with Firefly 3, and want to make a variation on a generated image, the new variation bears no resemblance to the older image at all and is totally useless. Firefly 3 was amazing….what a loss! Charge us extra credits if you must, but at least leave it in as an option. PLEASE!!!

I

IrinaM1

Participating Frequently

would you be able to share some of those files with us? You can email me directly, imaderyc@adobe.com. Thank you!

D

defaultav4r0mm16vx5

Participant

My business mostly uses Firefly unprompted to remove or retouch items. Firefly 3 was so much better at this, with much more refined and more realistic results than Firefly 5. 5 is almost unusable in this modality, and “remove” or “fill” doesn’t nearly do the job than an unprompted 3 did. Please bring back the option for us to use firefly 3! or, reintegrate what was working into firefly 6

I

IrinaM1

Participating Frequently

have you tried Firefly Fill & Expand for this? If Firefly 3 results were better, would you be able to share some examples with us? You can email me directly, imaderyc@adobe.com. Thank you!

Marco Petrolio

Participant

Give me Firefly 3 back! I at least managed to do things decently with it. Firefly Image 5 is an incredibly useless model; Fill & Expand only serve to expand images and are not useful for modifying details. The only decent model left is Firefly 1, which is three years old. It’s unbelievable how Adobe managed to get worse in this way.

Jackie287579106otl

Participant

Please bring back Firefly Image 3! Results were consistently usable and high quality. My work flow has been significantly disrupted with the removal of Firefly 3! 😭

S

shemoilmomin

Participant

Say what you will but Firefly 3 was really good at what it did. Even without prompts. Its sad for adobe to take a step that’ll upset a huge user base. Fill & Expand isn’t bad but might be good at other things. Removing Firefly 3 has to be a bad decision, in fact I wouldn’t be as furious if they removed firefly 1. But a more refined, a model that even fill & expand can’t replace, its Firefly 3. I’m still gonna enjoy it before its gone but I still wouldn’t forgive adobe for this. My entire work revolved around firefly 3 and no matter how much I try, fill & expand just wouldn’t give me the same results that 3 did. Thanks adobe for disrupting my work. Although if they do bring it back, I’ll greatly appreciate Adobe. Newer just isn’t better, it might be on a different skillset but not at everything. Firefly 3 rocked and will forever be remembered.

A

alexandrek

Participant

The new Firefly expand feels like AI did three years ago — instead of recreating patterns or textures, it generates random elements: wood, granite, text… completely off.
Either fix it, or kill it.

T

Tiago34759314fhbn

Participant

GIVE US BACK FIREFLY 3!

It's a much better model at high end retouching, generating better volumes between frequency separation techniques and removing cloth wrikles.

Charge me credits or whatever. Firefly Fill & Expand, Firefly 5 and other models can't get the same job done at the moment.

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What’s changing

What to use instead

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