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Tremont-22185
Participant
August 9, 2025
Answered

Multiple versions of Photoshop

  • August 9, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 397 views

I still have PS 2022,2023, 2024 and now Photoshop 2025 on my Mac.  Can I get rid of the older versions without losing data from the older versions?

Correct answer Anshul_Saini

Hi @Tremont-22185,

 

Thanks for reaching out. You can safely remove older Photoshop versions without losing your work, but here are a few important things to know:
 • Your image files are not tied to the Photoshop application. They remain stored on disk and can be opened in any version of Photoshop.
 • Presets, brushes, actions, and other custom settings can be migrated to the current version if needed. Before uninstalling, make sure you have them backed up or migrated. See: https://adobe.ly/41i5Gem
 • When uninstalling, use the Creative Cloud desktop app to remove older versions. That ensures all related components are properly cleaned up.
 • As D Fosses said, only one version can be the default application for opening PSD and other file types. Normally, that will be the most recently installed version.


Also, when updating via the Creative Cloud desktop app, you can choose whether to keep older versions or remove them automatically. You also have the option to import preferences & settings when updating to a newer version.

 

For best results, uninstall the versions you no longer need directly from the Creative Cloud app, keep your preferences when updating, and retain only the latest version of Photoshop.

 

Best,

Anshul Saini

2 replies

Anshul_Saini
Community Manager
Anshul_SainiCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
Community Manager
August 20, 2025

Hi @Tremont-22185,

 

Thanks for reaching out. You can safely remove older Photoshop versions without losing your work, but here are a few important things to know:
 • Your image files are not tied to the Photoshop application. They remain stored on disk and can be opened in any version of Photoshop.
 • Presets, brushes, actions, and other custom settings can be migrated to the current version if needed. Before uninstalling, make sure you have them backed up or migrated. See: https://adobe.ly/41i5Gem
 • When uninstalling, use the Creative Cloud desktop app to remove older versions. That ensures all related components are properly cleaned up.
 • As D Fosses said, only one version can be the default application for opening PSD and other file types. Normally, that will be the most recently installed version.


Also, when updating via the Creative Cloud desktop app, you can choose whether to keep older versions or remove them automatically. You also have the option to import preferences & settings when updating to a newer version.

 

For best results, uninstall the versions you no longer need directly from the Creative Cloud app, keep your preferences when updating, and retain only the latest version of Photoshop.

 

Best,

Anshul Saini

D Fosse
Community Expert
D FosseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 9, 2025

What data from the older versions are you referring to? Your image files are on stored on disk, independent from the Photoshop application. Any version can open any file.

 

That said, there's a safe procedure for uninstalling old versions, and that is to do it in reverse version order. Start with the newest (2025) and work backwards until they have all been uninstalled. Then reinstall the new version that you want to keep. The reason for this is to not disrupt file associations. Only one version can be the default application for opening a given file type, and normally that would be the one you installed last.

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