Unacceptable Device Limit Change Without Notice

[MrDarkThorn]

I am writing to address Adobe’s recent policy change regarding the Creative Cloud individual subscription, which now limits access to a single device at a time. This change is disruptive, deceptive, and blatantly exploitative.

What Happened

From Adobe’s chat support:

“After the update, the individual subscription can only be used on a single device at a time. Individual subscription is for personal use for the users. To access the subscription on multiple devices at the same time, we have Teams subscriptions.”

For years, individual subscriptions allowed users to work on up to two devices simultaneously—a feature many of us relied on for our workflows. This update removes that ability, with no prior warning, and pushes users toward the more expensive Teams subscription.

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Why This Change is Unacceptable

1. Contradicts Adobe’s Past Policies
   Adobe has long marketed individual subscriptions with the ability to install and work on two devices simultaneously. Here’s a quote from previous policy documentation:

   • “An individual Creative Cloud license allows you to install applications on two computers, enabling you to work seamlessly across devices.”

   Suddenly removing this functionality is unfair and feels like a bait-and-switch tactic.

2. Disrupts Professional Workflows

   • As a solo creator, I rely on multiple devices. My desktop is used for heavy editing work, and my laptop is for travel or presenting to clients.
   • Adobe’s new limitation forces me to constantly sign in and out of devices, interrupting projects and wasting valuable time.

3. Unjustified Upselling to Teams Plans

   • Adobe suggests that users upgrade to a Teams subscription to regain multi-device access. However, Teams starts at $84.99/month, compared to $54.99/month for an individual plan—a 55% price increase for features I don’t need as a solo user.
   • This feels like a revenue-driven decision to exploit individuals who don’t need the advanced features of a Teams subscription.

4. Competitors Offer Better Licensing Models

   • Other creative software companies prioritize flexibility:
     • Affinity: Lifetime license with no device limitations for a one-time fee.
     • DaVinci Resolve: Multi-device support with no forced subscription model.
   • Adobe’s device restriction is an outlier in the industry and alienates its loyal customers.

5. No Advance Notice Given

   • This major change was rolled out without warning. There was no prior communication, leaving users blindsided during ongoing projects.
   • Customers deserve better transparency from a company they’ve supported for years.

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What Adobe Must Do

1. Revert the Policy: Restore the ability for individual subscriptions to work on two devices simultaneously, as was previously the case.
2. Introduce Fair Alternatives: Provide an affordable middle-ground subscription for individuals who work across multiple devices, without forcing them into Teams plans.
3. Commit to Transparency: Notify users of major policy changes in advance—at least 60 days—so we can plan accordingly.

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Final Thoughts

This update demonstrates a lack of consideration for Adobe’s user base, particularly solo creators and small businesses who rely on flexible device access to stay productive. If Adobe continues down this path, it will push loyal users to explore alternatives that prioritize customer needs.

Please address this issue promptly, as trust once broken is difficult to rebuild.

• Brandon

[MrDarkThorn]

After reviewing the terms shared by Adobe support, several issues become apparent:

1. No Mention of Device Limitations
   Nowhere in Adobe’s official subscription terms is it stated that individual subscriptions are restricted to a single device at a time. Historically, individual subscriptions were advertised and supported for use on up to two devices simultaneously.

   Removing this functionality without notice is a direct deviation from what users subscribed to. This absence of clarity in the terms fails to justify the current enforcement of the single-device policy.

2. Failure to Communicate Material Changes
   The subscription terms primarily address billing, renewals, and cancellations, but they do not empower Adobe to quietly remove core product functionality. A change like this—significantly impacting how customers use the software—should have been disclosed proactively to all subscribers.

3. Implied Breach of Agreement
   Adobe has always emphasized its reliability and innovation. However, the failure to notify customers about removing multi-device support, a feature many of us depend on for our workflows, feels like a bait-and-switch tactic. The current terms do not clearly support such a drastic reduction in functionality.

4. Entrapment Through Cancellation Fees
   For users dissatisfied with this policy, the cancellation terms make it difficult to leave the platform without financial loss. According to Adobe’s terms:

   • Canceling after the 14-day period results in a charge of 50% of the remaining contract obligation.

   Customers locked into a year-long contract under the promise of multi-device usage are now trapped, paying for a service that no longer meets their needs.

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Adobe Must Address These Issues

1. Device Limitation Must Be Explicit in Terms
   If Adobe intends to enforce single-device usage for individual subscriptions, it must clearly state this in its subscription terms and notify all users directly. The absence of this information makes the enforcement unjustifiable.

2. Restore Transparency
   Adobe needs to inform its customer base immediately about such significant policy updates. Transparency is essential to maintaining trust, and changes that impact functionality should always be communicated with adequate notice—typically at least 60 days.

3. Reinstate Multi-Device Access
   Multi-device usage was a foundational feature of individual subscriptions. For Adobe to retain its credibility, this functionality should be restored. If this is no longer possible, Adobe must offer an affordable alternative for solo creators who rely on multiple devices.

[MrDarkThorn]

**UPDATE for you** It's not just you. They silently changed things again and want us to pay more for the same. 


https://community.adobe.com/t5/creative-cloud-desktop-discussions/unacceptable-device-limit-change-w...

[Jeff Arola · Accepted solution]

MrDarkThorn,

That is simply not true at all.

Individual Creative Cloud subscribers are allowed to install Creative Cloud applications on as many devices as desired, but may only have two activated (signed into) at the same time and not use both at the same time.

The policy of not using your two signed in devices at the same time has been the norm since the Creative Cloud was introduced around 2013.

[MrDarkThorn]

Jeff Arola,

With all due respect, the statement you provided isn't accurate when considering my personal experience as a long-term Adobe user. I’ve consistently utilized Creative Cloud applications on multiple devices simultaneously for years—rendering on one device while continuing work on another. This functionality has been crucial to my workflow as a solopreneur, enabling me to optimize time and productivity.

The sudden enforcement of limiting usage to a single device at a time contradicts my own experience and the features I had access to without issue. If this policy has indeed been in place since 2013, why have I been able to work across multiple devices simultaneously until now? There’s a clear disconnect between the official statement and the practical usage I’ve experienced.

Moreover, Adobe made this change without notifying its users properly, and the resulting limitation is now affecting my work. If there was an enforcement decision, there should have been communication well ahead of implementation, allowing me to adjust accordingly or seek alternatives.

I'm not asking for anything unreasonable—only for Adobe to maintain the service level I originally subscribed to. If Adobe wants to make fundamental changes, then transparency and proper notification should be a standard practice.

Please escalate this issue appropriately. I simply want to maintain the workflow I’ve relied on for years.

[kglad]

i don't see any change.

[MrDarkThorn]

Cancel my subscription. I've had enough of the dismissiveness and lack of transparency. Adobe's policy shifts and the way loyal users like myself have been treated are unacceptable. The service has become untrustworthy, and I refuse to support a company that disregards the value of its customers.

Please consider this the last straw—you've officially lost a customer.

[kglad]

these are user forums.  i'm a user, like you.  i'm not an adobe representative.

and, if you want to cancel your subscription, make sure you're aware of the cancellation terms by selecting your plan type (at the top of the page here), https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/using/creative-cloud-subscription-terms.html

for info on how to cancel your subscription, this page describes the few steps involved, https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/using/cancel-subscription.html

if you want to cancel but are unable to follow the steps described in the "how to cancel page", contact adobe support.

there are 2 ways to contact adobe; chat and twitter (now x):

chat:
use a browser that allows popups and cookies, and click here, https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen
in the chat field (lower right), type AGENT
be patient, it can take quite a while to reach a human.

twitter/x:
tweet @AdobeCare

p.s. if you're contacted by anyone (via email or private message), it's much more likely to be a scammer than an adobe representative.

[Decall]

@MrDarkThorn I know what you are saying. I have all the apps on my desktop AND my laptop, 
BUT I CAN'T OPEN ANYTHING
all I see is buy buy buy and free trial. I just want my 1 subscription to work. 
I deactivated ALL computers, I re-install, and no option but to buy buy buy.
Where the heck are my apps????????????????????????????

[kglad]

@Decall 

you have a different issue.  start here - https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/kb/stop-creative-cloud-trial-mode-after-purchase.html

if that fails, proceed to these steps - https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/resolve-trial-and-license-expired-errors.html

if that fails, https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/adobe-license-issues-keychain-credential-mgr.html

if those all fail, change your cc language.  eg, try international english

if that fails, change the install location

[Jeff Arola]

As i wrote, the policy of not using your two signed in devices at the same time has been the norm since the Creative Cloud was introduced around 2013, so nothing has changed except Adobe is just enforcing that policy more often now.

I and other Community Experts are simply volunteers here on the forums and are not Adobe employees.

[Murray28605539x3nc]

Jeff - you are wrong.

I have 2 computers - never worried about any of this - but as of this week, I have had a message saying someone else is using my account and I have to 'change my password' etc - I have gone in and booted all 'users' off - which is just my computers and then logged back in on two of my computers - it says randomly - 'someone else is using your adobe account' (or similar) so maybe you havent coem across it yet.

Anyway - Swapping over and using Evoto has been a blessing to be honets - makes Photoshop look like a beginner program for portrait retouching... Adobe has started to get some competition - cant wait to see what happens in the next year or so.

[kglad]

@Murray28605539x3nc 

any virtual machines on your computer?

[MrDarkThorn]

Jeff Arola,

What exactly have I said that is untrue? I do not appreciate being told that I’m lying. My experience with Adobe Creative Cloud has involved using multiple devices simultaneously for years, and that has been critical for my work.

If there has been a misunderstanding, I'm open to clarification, but please refrain from implying that my statements are dishonest. This is an experience I’ve consistently had, and I would like an explanation as to why it is now being taken away without prior notice or proper communication.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Adobe's policy has ALWAYS been (as far as the Creative Suite and Creative Cloud are concerned):

Install on multiple computers,

Activate only two of the installs,

Only one activation can be used at the same time BY THE SAME USER. 

[Murray28605539x3nc]

Sorry Jeff - you are wrong. Mr Dark Thorn is 100% correct.

[kglad]

i see no change in adobe policy.  i have apps open now in two computers.

[MrDarkThorn]

kglad,

It seems like you didn’t fully read or understand my comments before replying. I am not saying that Adobe has never allowed apps on two devices—I know very well that two devices can be signed in. My issue is with the restriction preventing me from using both devices at the same time, which I have done successfully for years.

If there is supposedly 'no change' in Adobe policy, then why am I suddenly unable to do what I have done for a long time—namely, run Creative Cloud apps on multiple devices concurrently? I provided clear examples of my work setup, and these limitations are newly enforced for me.

Jumping to the conclusion that I’m mistaken or lying is dismissive and unhelpful. I expect community experts to consider customer experiences carefully before making such implications. If you have any constructive suggestions or a way to help resolve the discrepancy between policy and user experience, I would welcome that.

[vycanismajoris]

Just adding to the chorus of complaints. Two device limitation in 2024 is insufficient for what we pay per month. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

If the license is for the same user for all activations, how many computers can you use at once?

[kglad]

@Dave Creamer of IDEAS 

the issue for some users is the hassle of signing out and in, especially when using a computer that's not internet connected at the time of attempted use.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I have the same problem as I use 2 towers and 3 laptops for my business. However, I can see the potential for abuse with multiple activations. 

[kglad]

no matter what limit is set, someone will have a valid issue, so i see this complaint/issue going nowhere.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

At least it isn't one activation at a time...

[Sage Media]

I agree 100%