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Participant
February 27, 2026
Question

P: People Masking fails on Mac (Intel)

  • February 27, 2026
  • 58 replies
  • 1018 views

Since the latest versions of Lightroom Classic and MacOS the masking of people always shows “No people found” – even on photos where it was working before.

 

Lightroom Classic version: 15.2 [ 202602111402-ec4112e8 ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en-DE
Operating system: Mac OS 26
Version: 26.3.0 [25D125]
Application architecture: x64
Logical processor count: 24
Processor speed: 3,3GHz
SqLite Version: 3.36.0
Adobe GSDK Version: 1.4.0.171

Built-in memory: 196.608,0 MB
Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 4.743,3MB / 16.368,0MB (28%)
Real memory available to Lightroom: 196.608,0 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 3.040,3 MB (1,5%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 55.303,7 MB
Memory cache size: 62,7MB
Internal Camera Raw version: 18.2 [ 2482 ]
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2,AVX,AVX2
Camera Raw virtual memory: 631MB / 98303MB (0%)
Camera Raw real memory: 644MB / 196608MB (0%)

Cache1: 
Final1- RAM:519,0MB, VRAM:1.818,0MB, ALP05331.ARW
NT- RAM:519,0MB, VRAM:1.818,0MB, Combined:2.337,0MB

Cache2: 
m:62,7MB, n:253,8MB

U-main: 129,0MB

Standard Preview Size: 6016 pixels
Displays: 1) 6016x3384

Graphics Processor Info: 
Metal: AMD Radeon Pro W5700X
Init State: GPU for Export supported by default
User Preference: Auto
Enable HDR in Library: OFF
GPU for Preview Generation: Off (S5_15)

Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
Library Path: /Volumes/Sonnet m2/Lightroom/Lightroom Catalog-v13-3.lrcat
Settings Folder: /Users/zippo/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Installed Plugins: 
1) Publisher, By The Turning Gate

Config.lua flags: 

    58 replies

    Participant
    March 22, 2026

    @Ian Lyons Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately, the fixes suggested did not work.

    Ian Lyons
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    March 22, 2026

    You’re using an Intel based Mac with AMD GPU. So, you’re seeing the same issue as described in 

     

    There are some temporary workarounds provided in above thread.

    Peter Geluk
    Participant
    March 22, 2026

    Same here. Stopped working after either upgrading to MacOs Tahoe OR one of the Adobe Lightroom updates, not sure.
     

    I’m running Lightroom 15.2.1 on an Intel iMac from 2020. Granted, not the newest Mac, but also not a dinosaur. And, it was working before, so can’t be the hardware, unless Adobe decided to (in the somtware) exclude all Intel Macs from using this functionality. 

    In any case, I won’t be upgrading my Mac anytime soon, so it’s up to Adobe to come up with a fix, together with Apple if Tahoe turns out to be the problem.

    johnrellis
    Legend
    March 23, 2026

    Please do the LR menu command Help > System Info and copy/paste the entire contents here so we can see exactly which versions of hardware and software LR thinks you're running and important LR options that are set.

    johnrellis
    Legend
    March 22, 2026

    Are you on an Intel Mac? There are many reports about these symptoms on Intel Macs. Please do the LR menu command Help > System Info and copy/paste the entire contents here so we can see exactly which versions of hardware and software LR thinks you're running and important LR options that are set.

    Participant
    March 22, 2026

    Thanks John - See below:

     

    Lightroom Classic version: 15.2 [ 202602111402-ec4112e8 ]
    License: Creative Cloud
    Language setting: en-GB
    Operating system: Mac OS 26
    Version: 26.3.1 [25D2128]
    Application architecture: x64
    Logical processor count: 20
    Processor speed: 3.6GHz
    SqLite Version: 3.36.0
    Adobe GSDK Version: 1.4.0.171

    Built-in memory: 65,536.0 MB
    Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 393.2MB / 8,176.0MB (4%)
    Real memory available to Lightroom: 65,536.0 MB
    Real memory used by Lightroom: 2,565.3 MB (3.9%)
    Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 48,553.1 MB
    Memory cache size: 1,219.0MB
    Internal Camera Raw version: 18.2 [ 2482 ]
    Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
    Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2,AVX,AVX2
    Camera Raw virtual memory: 211MB / 32767MB (0%)
    Camera Raw real memory: 213MB / 65536MB (0%)

    Cache1: 
    NT- RAM:0.0MB, VRAM:0.0MB, Combined:0.0MB

    Cache2: 
    m:1,219.0MB, n:0.0MB

    U-main: 190.0MB

    Standard Preview Size: 5120 pixels
    Displays: 1) 5120x2880

    Graphics Processor Info: 
    Metal: AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT
    Init State: GPU for Export supported by default
    User Preference: Auto
    Enable HDR in Library: ON
    GPU for Preview Generation: Auto (S5_7)

    Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
    Library Path: /Users/paul/Pictures/Lightroom/Lightroom Catalog-v13-3.lrcat
    Settings Folder: /Users/paul/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

    Installed Plugins: 
    1) AdobeStock
    2) Aperture/iPhoto Importer Plug-in
    3) Flickr
    4) Helicon Focus Export
    5) Luminar AI
    6) Luminar Neo
    7) Show Focus Points

    Config.lua flags: 

    Participant
    March 21, 2026

    In the past few weeks, my LRC is failing to identify any people when creating a mask. The people view will detect faces when in Library, but when in edit, and I try to create a people mask, it says “No People Detected” - this is even when there is a clear and obvious person/face as the centre focus of the picture and is happening with all photos. Within my Catalog settings/Metadata, I have “Automatically detect faces in all photos” ticked.

    Any suggestions on how to resolved this?

    Participant
    March 20, 2026

    Hope Adobe fixes this soon, because this issue is pushing me to use Capture One more and more. I’ve noticed it happens mostly on Intel-based MacBooks.

    To Adobe: not all of us are upgrading our computers (at least not yet), so better support for existing hardware would really be appreciated. From what I’ve experienced, this seems to be related to Camera Raw.

    Here’s a temporary fix that has worked for me after trying several things (with help from ChatGPT). Note: you may need to repeat this after a few days of using Lightroom, as the issue may come back.

    Steps:

    1. Close Lightroom (make sure it’s fully closed and not running in the background)

    2. In Finder, press Command + Shift + G

    3. Paste: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ and press Enter

    4. Delete the following folders: Logs, ModelSupport, ModelZoo (Lightroom will automatically recreate them when needed, according to ChatGPT)

    5. Restart your Mac

    6. Open Lightroom

    7. Select a photo with a person

    8. Go to Develop → Masking → immediately select “Subject” (this forces the AI models to download again)

    9. Wait 10–30 seconds

    10. Then go to Masking → People

    After this, Lightroom should detect people and their individual features correctly.

     

    Again, this a solution provided by ChatGPT that has worked for me. Hope it helps you too!. 

    patrickg38409787
    Participant
    March 22, 2026

    Thanks will try this. Right now for my work I needed to switch to Luminar Neo and Affinity Photo to get the job done. Hopefully Adobe fix this critical issue and this switch won’t be permanent... 

    Patrick Gendron Photography
    johnrellis
    Legend
    March 20, 2026

    Moderators, ​@Rikk Flohr_Photography, please merge with this growing thread about problems with people masking on Intel Macs with AMD GPUs:

     

    johnrellis
    Legend
    March 20, 2026

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

     

    Updated to Mac OS Tahoe 26.3.1 and my Lightroom Classic will no longer detect people in photos. I was running LrC version 14.1.1. I figured that was the issue so I updated to the newest LrC version 15.2.1. 

    Metal: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M

     

    By “detect people”, I think you’re referring to people masking and not face recognition?

     

    About ten others with Intel Macs and AMD GPUs have reported that people masking has stopped working with the latest Mac OS and LR. 

     

    The sequence of updates you report strongly suggest that Mac OS 26 has released a buggy AMD GPU driver that’s tripping up LR’s people masking.

     

    For over a year, LR's AI commands have been tripping over bugs in the graphics drivers for Intel Macs' Radeon 500- and 5000-series GPUs. The drivers in Mac OS 15 appeared to have addressed many of the issues, but prior to the reports about people masking, there has been a steady trickle of reports of other problems. It looks like neither Apple nor AMD care much about fixing driver bugs for seven-year-old GPUs from a manufacturer no longer selling to Apple on a platform Apple wants to go away.

    Participating Frequently
    March 20, 2026

    Yes, detecting people in masking is what is causing the trouble. 

    Participating Frequently
    March 20, 2026

    I called Apple to see what they had to say. They said their platform works with the computer and it’s the third parties that need to update to work with the platform. So I guess it’s on Adobe to fix the issue. Or at least that’s what I understood. 

    johnrellis
    Legend
    March 20, 2026

    @Lalocakayak, which version of Mac OS were you running before you updated to 26.3.1? If you’re not sure, make your best guess.

    Participating Frequently
    March 20, 2026

    I was running Sequoia before that. 

    Participating Frequently
    March 19, 2026

    Updated to Mac OS Tahoe 26.3.1 and my Lightroom Classic will no longer detect people in photos. I was running LrC version 14.1.1. I figured that was the issue so I updated to the newest LrC version 15.2.1. Unfortunately it still will not recognize people in the masking feature. It worked fine for me for many years and now nothing, I haven’t changed file type or the way I import photos so I believe it must have to do with my Mac update or Lightroom.  Any help is much appreciated. 

    Apparently this info can be helpful  

    Lightroom Classic version: 15.2.1 [ 202603161217-0bf813d9 ]
    License: Creative Cloud
    Language setting: en
    Operating system: Mac OS 26
    Version: 26.3.1 [25D2128]
    Application architecture: x64
    Logical processor count: 16
    Processor speed: 2.4GHz
    SqLite Version: 3.36.0
    Adobe GSDK Version: 1.4.0.212

    Power Source: Plugged In, 100%
    Built-in memory: 16,384.0 MB
    Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 2,429.3MB / 4,080.0MB (59%)
    Real memory available to Lightroom: 16,384.0 MB
    Real memory used by Lightroom: 1,407.9 MB (8.5%)
    Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 44,337.6 MB
    Memory cache size: 275.1MB
    Internal Camera Raw version: 18.2.2 [ 2512 ]
    Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
    Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2,AVX,AVX2
    Camera Raw virtual memory: 380MB / 8191MB (4%)
    Camera Raw real memory: 461MB / 16384MB (2%)

    Cache1: 
    Final1- RAM:358.0MB, VRAM:1,348.0MB, P1066652.RW2
    NT- RAM:358.0MB, VRAM:1,348.0MB, Combined:1,706.0MB

    Cache2: 
    m:275.1MB, n:201.2MB

    U-main: 97.0MB

    Standard Preview Size: 3584 pixels
    Displays: 1) 3584x2240

    Graphics Processor Info: 
    Metal: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M
    Init State: GPU for Image Processing supported by default
    User Preference: Auto
    Enable HDR in Library: OFF
    GPU for Preview Generation: Auto (S3_3)

    Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
    Library Path: /Volumes/Stories/Lightroom/2026/2026.lrcat
    Settings Folder: /Users/laurenbally/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

    Installed Plugins: 
    1) AdobeStock
    2) Aperture/iPhoto Importer Plug-in
    3) Flickr

    Config.lua flags: