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MrPPP
Participating Frequently
March 14, 2026
Question

Develop Module Performance Regression (Mac)

  • March 14, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 172 views

Hi Adobe Team,

 

I’m posting this as a clear performance regression report for Lightroom Classic v15.x — specifically the Develop module image-to-image switching latency on Mac. REALLY SLOW.

 

Please do not merge this thread into a generic “performance” megathread and then mark it as “Solved” as if nothing happened. Multiple users are reporting the same behaviour, and it deserves a proper investigation and acknowledgement (instead of being dismissed as an “NVIDIA driver” issue — this is Apple Silicon).

 

What’s happening

 

On Lightroom Classic v15.2, switching between photos in Develop is several times slower than in previous versions. This is not a minor “feels slower” issue — it’s a real, repeatable regression that drastically impacts professional workflows.

 

My setup

 

  • MacBook Pro (M3 Max)

  • macOS v26.2

  • Lightroom Classic v15.2

  • Preferences → Performance → Graphics Processor: ALL acceleration options manually enabled (not Auto)

 

Proof / Reproduction

 

To remove any subjectivity, I recorded screen videos before and after upgrading, using:

 

  • The same photo set

  • The same workflow

  • Repeatedly switching images in Develop

 

The difference is obvious: v15.2 is multiple times slower in Develop switching.

 

Screen recordings (Dropbox):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/1q7c9a040lj6ksa5idcus/AJceeDNsuROpXI0cQWcPTao?rlkey=e85n29470d6wlaf9wfm7ale7e&dl=0

 

 

Additional reference (possible lead)

 

Another user has done some investigation and found a potentially related issue involving extra background processes being triggered when switching tools / panels (e.g., collapsing/opening panels). This may be connected to the Develop module slowdown we’re seeing in v15.x.

 

Reference thread:

https://community.adobe.com/questions-675/extra-processes-called-in-tools-switching-panels-collapsing-opening-1553359

 

It would be great if the engineering team could review this as a potential lead while investigating the Develop performance regression.

 

 

Impact

 

I’ve had to roll back to v14.5.1, because the speed difference is simply too big. Editing and color grading a set of photos takes me around 3x longer, which is completely inefficient — and when you’re working through hundreds of images, it becomes a total disaster.

 

 

Request

 

Can Adobe please:

 

  1. Acknowledge the Develop module regression in v15.x (Mac)

  2. Provide a status update / tracking ID

  3. Share any known workarounds (if any) while it’s being fixed

 

Thanks — I really hope this gets treated as an actual bug/performance regression instead of being merged away.

 

 

      4 replies

      johnrellis
      johnrellis
      Legend
      March 17, 2026

      There are many posts about LR 15 being very sluggish moving photo to photo in Develop and sometimes Library Loupe. There are probably multiple causes with similar symptoms. Here's my compendium of magic spells that have each helped at least a couple of people:

      https://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/threads/magic-spells-for-sluggish-lr-15.54013/

       

      While it would be best for Adobe to solve the underlying issues, if you want to get work done while waiting weeks or months, work through the list.

      Z
      zhp3nn
      Known Participant
      March 19, 2026

      Thank you for your suggestions. While these are helpful as general tips, they don’t seem to address the core issue behind the V15 slowdown, which I believe Adobe should take seriously.

      On Mac, there is no separate option to update the driver. in latest Mac OS under the same settings, V14 is still about three times faster than V15.

        johnrellis
        johnrellis
        Legend
        March 19, 2026

        [View this post in your web browser. It contains formatting and images that don't appear in email.]

         

        ​@zhp3nn While these are helpful as general tips, they don’t seem to address the core issue behind the V15 slowdown

         

        At least a few people have reported that each of those magic spells has helped with the same general symptoms of moving sluggishly between photos in Develop (and sometimes Library) in LR 15. So it may well be there are multiple core causes.

        W
        WillCheung
        Known Participant
        March 17, 2026

        I first noticed this issue a few months ago after updating to version 15.0. I’m also using macOS. Even after updating to version 15.2, the problem still hasn’t been resolved. It feels like Adobe is deliberately avoiding this issue. Many people have reported the same problem on the forums, but it still hasn’t been improved or fixed.

          Z
          zhp3nn
          Known Participant
          March 19, 2026

          I agree. It does feel like they are avoiding the issue.

          They changed the title of this thread, which weakens the complaint about V15 being slow. On top of that, they were merged all posts mentioning the V15 slowdown into a single thread and then marked it as solved.

           

          I honestly don’t understand why it was marked as solved, because the problem has clearly not been resolved at all.

            Rafael Aviles
            Rafael Aviles
            Legend
            March 20, 2026

            I am one of the users who reported this early and often and I am bitterly disappointed at Adobe for not only dropping the ball, but trying to hide the issue. I have posted my system info several times and followed the suggested fixes by forum experts and Adobe employees alike, to no avail, so please do not ask me to go through that again.

            The severity of the problem varies without rhyme or reason from update to update and within the same version. I should point out that the slowdown affects not only the Develop module, but the Library as well.

            Claire H.
            Community Manager
            Claire H.Community Manager
            Community Manager
            March 16, 2026

            Hi ​@MrPPP, thanks for reaching out and for the thorough report! Can you confirm that you have tried the following?

            1. Disable the Graphics Processor: This will help determine if the issue is related to your graphics processor or driver.

            2. Update GPU Driver: Ensure your graphics driver is up to date.

            3. Reset Lightroom Classic Preferences: Please refer to this Helpx article for steps.  https://adobe.ly/3HsQXpA It is recommended to back up your catalog before resetting preferences. You may refer to this article for more information:  https://adobe.ly/4dW8vqF.

            If none of these steps work, can you please send your System info? You can find your system info by going to Help > System Info, copying and pasting it into a text file, and attaching it here. Thanks! ^CH

            hessamv13934958
            hessamv13934958
            Participant
            March 17, 2026

            I tried the reset lightroom and the develop module lag is still there. 

            hessamv13934958
            hessamv13934958
            Participant
            March 16, 2026

            I have this same issue. I’ve tried many suggested fixes over mutiple threads, since moving up to 15.0, and no luck. I’m now on Lightroom Classic 15.2, with Apple macOS Tahoe 26.3.1, running on MacBook M1 Pro. It still lags between each photo in develop module. No problems at all in the library module scanning through each photo. This was never an issue in any Lightroom up through version 14. The moment I went to version 15, this problem showed up and has not been resolved. I am a wedding photographer and this has been the most frustrating experience. Please review this Adobe. Every update has not resolved the problem. 

              Z
              zhp3nn
              Known Participant
              March 17, 2026

              Yes, I can feel your pain as a wedding photographer, having more photos to edit for every session means that if each image takes an extra two or three times longer to process, it significantly extends total working hours. That is exactly why I rolled back to V14 

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