How can I access Creative Cloud photos from Lightroom CC Web and Mobile (iOS)?

[BSEOslo]

So, I signed up for the Creative Cloud plan giving me access to Lightroom CC and 1TB storage on Creative Cloud.  I took it for granted that:

1) I could easily upload photos etc to Creative Cloud ("check", it works, although took me some searching to find out how to open Creative Cloud in a browser!)

2) Easily access photos from Creative Cloud to edit them in Lightroom (Web, Desktop, Mobile) (can I ??! I have not found a way)

3) Files I would import to Lightroom would be synched to Creative Cloud and accessible from it (are they?! I can't see them anywhere but in Lightroom)

Much to my surprise, photos I added (imported) to Lightroom CC does NOT appear in my Creative Cloud folder (when accessing it via the Web Browser here Adobe Creative Cloud ). Although I've later learnt that they ARE indeed stored in the (Creative?) Cloud, but only viewable from Lightroom itself (?).

More disturbingly, I have found NO SIMPLE WAY to start editing a photo I've stored in the Creative Cloud in Lightroom! Whether Lightroom CC (the new one..) or on my mobile (iOS).   My "Albums" in Lightroom are the ones I've created in Lightroom. The Folders in Creative Cloud are not visible, and seemingly no way to even access them.  Why can't I see my Creative Cloud folders directly in Lightroom and open photos from it for edit ?!?!?!  I totally get that if I'm not online, I can't be expected to do this.. Of course.  But when I'm online - which is all the time - why not?!

Is it me who are going crazy ('cause it feels like it..)?  If I want to edit a photo I've stored in the Creative Cloud, I so far use this procedure:

On iOS mobile:  

1) Open the Creative Cloud app.

2) Open a photo.

3) Press the up-arrow icon, and select "Open in...".

4) Select "Copy to Lightroom CC"

A problem that occurs is, where does the file go after I'm done editing it?!  I can save it as JPG to the phone. That works. But the edited RAW file is not to see anywhere... It still sits in Creative Cloud, but unedited. Where's the edited file stored?

In Lightroom Web app:  1) Copy the photo manually from Creative Cloud to a local folder. 2) Use the "Add photos" function in Lightroom CC to navigate to the local folder and add the photo to Lightroom....

This is absolutely bonkers.

I've searched around for answers, but not succeeded.

Adobe Customer care: Please explain to me how I can easily access photos stored in Creative Cloud, to edit them in Lightroom CC (not Classic) on Web and on mobile (iOS).

As a bottom line comment, I find the entire Creative Cloud and Adobe universe absolutely confusing and frustrating. I had to search around for how to access my creative cloud files. No obvious link to it after I sign in to Adobe.  As an example.  No link to opening Lightroom in Web mode.  I had to search around until someone said which link to use.  It seems Adobe is primarily focused on promoting new products after logging in with Adobe ID !  Where is a simple "My Page" thing, where links to  (e.g.) open LIghtroom CC Web, Creative Cloud library, etc are laid out?

.. Don't get me started on all the confusions created by keeping the same name ("Lightroom CC") for the new product while renaming the old to "Lightroom CC Classic". It totally destroys any chance of finding information online for the "new" offering. 

And don't get me started on the "Library" thing, which apparently is something different than the Creative Cloud folders (?).  It is all frustratingly disjointed.  I regret signing up for Creative Cloud.  It seems we're funding a startup thing that's all in chaos.

[kglad]

[ moved from Adobe Creative Cloud to File Hosting, Syncing, and Collaboration]

[picgaz]

Same problem from Android.

Lightroom cc no access to creative cloud

On mobile only individual file downloads no bulk from CC. hence have to download 1 image then open with lightroom. I guess this then means I store2 identical images.

Will be looking alternative software if not fixed

[Acadena]

Well, I am with you. Same problems and plus: I just accessed CREATIVE CLOUD from an ANDROID app and only some photos from Lightroom CC where visible. I have another problem that is: I can not export any EDITED photo ( I could not find how ). I already wrote to Adobe, telling them that as soon as my contract of 1 year ends, I will transfer my photos to payed storage at GOOGLE. It is amazing how a company like Adobe provides such a poor service (it is impossible to solve the problems or find any clue about them)

[Jim Wilde · Accepted solution]

Guys, I'm afraid you are not understanding how your "Creative Cloud" space is intended to be used. There are two ways of using that space:

1. By using the "Creative Cloud Files" element, which you enable via the Files tab of the CC app and it then operates as a cloud file sharing system in the Dropbox mode, i.e. you can add files (not just images) into the local storage space, they will be uploaded to the Adobe cloud and can then be accessed from other devices when you are signed in to the same Adobe ID and have installed the CC app. You can also share those files with other people by sending them a link.

2. By using the LRCC "cloud ecosystem", i.e. you add/import images to any of the LRCC apps (desktop, tablet, phone, web) and the images are uploaded to the same Adobe cloud, from where they can be accessed from any other of the LRCC apps. You can even bring LR Classic into the mix as well. But if your intent is to work on images on your mobile devices, it's this second usage model that you should be using.

You can use both methods to utilise your storage allowance if you wish, but viewing and editing images from any of the LRCC apps/devices can only be done by using the second method, i.e. importing/adding those images directly into LRCC, not by adding them into the Creative Cloud Files system.

[Acadena]

Thank you for your clarification but I still do not understand the CREATIVE CLOUD APP on my android device (samsung s7 with the latest update. I installed the CREATIVE CLOUD APP twice (removing it completed after the first time). On both installations, right after opening the APP, it shows the following binders: FILES, LIBRARIES, LR PHOTOS, CREATIONS ON MOBILE DEVICES, OFFILE and EXCLUDED. Now, when you choose LR PHOTOS, some files/photos from LIGHTROOM CC are shown. They were pulled automatically without any action from the user, I mean, me.

Said that, 1) Why not all photos from your LIGHTROOM CC are not showed? 2) What is the procedure to have all your LIGHTROOM CC phones showed in the binder (LR PHOTOS)?

So, if there is no way to manage it, why CREATIVE CLOUD APP on android is choosing what to do?

On the other hand, I understand that when you create a folder on LR PHOTOS (binder of CREATIVE CLOUD APP on android) and then upload a photo in there, it will be shown on the LIGHTROOM CC but amazingly it does appear in the same CREATIVE CLOUD APP where it was created at the first time.

In summary, the mechanics of all this ADOBE SUITE, is confusing and not clear at all....

I hope I made myself clear by being long-winded (this because english is not my main language)

Thank you very much.

Arnaldo

[Jim Wilde]

I've never needed to use the CC app on my iDevices, so I wasn't even aware that the "Lr Photos" tab even existed (it doesn't exist in the desktop app). However, having looked at it on my iPhone and an Android phone, I'm not even sure what the point of it is, and it's certainly not something I'm ever likely to use. The iPhone, which connects to my main Adobe account, does show all the albums that I've got there (though there's no way to see all the photos that aren't in albums), but it's such a slow process to browse through them. The Android phone, which connects to a test account, doesn't even show the current photos, it lists a bunch of albums which have been deleted a long time ago.

My advice would be to stop worrying about the CC app and instead focus on using the LRCC apps, where the UI and options are far more extensive than the basic interface in the CC app.

[spacelk]

I'm afraid you are not understanding how your "Creative Cloud" space is utilized by your users. There is only one way to use that space:

1. By using the "Creative Cloud Files" element, your users wants to store data on cloud storage and access it by all Adobe applications. With the system you have now you have to store your files 2x if you want them in lightroom cc and lightroom classic, thats just poor design and you need to reconsider.

You might have designed it how you "feel" your users "should" be using it, however its poor design and not designed from a user standpoint.

A lot of people use LRCC on the road and still want to be able to use Lightroom classic when they are on a computer.

It's all the same "cloud ecosystem" when you place data in either LRCC or cloud file sharing it reduces the same available space - that is why this does not make sense to your users.

So wise up and quit telling ppl their doing it wrong and fix your poor design.

Thanks

[John Waller]

These are user to user forums. You are not talking to Adobe here. You are talking to fellow Adobe users just like you.

[spacelk]

oh my bad, where do I find the support forums?

[John Waller]

These ARE the support forums but the most frequent posters here are Adobe users.

Occasionally you will see someone posting with a Staff badge next to their name. They are Adobe staff.

[jonathans14016658]

I think most of us understand "how your "Creative Cloud" space is intended to be used" but it doesn't make any sense. If I am using my cloud storage with Adobe I should be able to access everything from a single point or at least have the option to.

My issue is that it isn't logical... the tag system is extremely valuable in LightroomCC and the ability to access CC libraries in apps like Illustrator and Indesign is also extremely valuable. However, there is no overlap to have good asset management and tagging in the CC libraries, and no way to access your assets from Lightroom CC while using other CC applications like InDesign.

It would be a powerful addition to improve the compatibility and integrations of all assets with ALL of the Adobe products.

[lnjustin]

These separate ways of using CC creates a problem re storage quota. It likely double-counts storage for the same photos in CC. If I want to share a folder of photos with another user, in a way that allows the other user to collaboratively edit files in the folder and auto sync those changes to me, i have to use the creative cloud file system. If I ALSO want to put that same folder of pictures in LR CC for Sensei, albums, mobile usage, etc., I have to import that same folder directly into LR CC. I strongly suspect however that this would eat up double the storage quota for having the same photos in the CC ecosystem. That's quite counter intuitive and seems unfair from a user perspective.

I suspect Adobe separated these systems because LR CC does not seem to operate off of a folder-based file structure. The photos go off into cloud-land without any sense of a folder structure. But it seems unfortunate that Adobe couldn't exploit its own CC as an anchor for photos in LR CC.

Really hope that Adobe changes its approach in this regard.

[spacelk]

Yep, thats exactly what they did, they went full retard on us.

[hunzy]

Thank you-- piece of cake. PS Adobe-- should be way better UI with this-- perhaps in Save (As) dialog? Also preferences option as well.

[danigula]

I am simply outraged! I just uploaded a ton of gigabytes onto my Adobe cloud storage imagining that I could click on Lightroom and see and work on my photos that were uploaded two Adobe cloud. And although I am a computer savvy I was frustrated for not finding a way to view my photos on Lightroom until I decided to research and found this forum. I could never imagine of something more stupid more ridiculous and more insane then to not be able to view my Adobe cloud files on any of my Adobe software like Photoshop or Lightroom. I'm just jaw dropped. This is the most stupid thing I've ever read. How can Adobe create such amazing software and be that stupid to offer cloud service a library and not be able to view it from the software in which you're meant to work online????? 😳😩🤮😤😡😡😡😡🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[Dandridge5EEF]

I'm having the same issue, and I'm not sure I fully understand some of the answers above.  I spent a few hours uploading a lot of Jpeg camera files to my Adobe Cloud Library, only to find that when I clicked on any of them to try to open and sort, I get a message saying I must install Photoshop!  I don't have Photoshop, I've paid for the Lightroom CC monthly package.   I can't find a way to access the files in my CC Library from Lightroom.  So do I have to re upload all those photos into Lightroom CC separately?  If so, that's ridiculous and it makes no sense to me why it is set up so you can't even use their own editing software to retrieve photos from the Adobe Cloud Library.

[selondon]

@Dandridge5EEF 

They are two entirely different storage locations.

Creatine Cloud storage can encompass all types of file (like iCloud, Dropbox etc)

The storage that the Lightroom Cloud ecosystem uses is independent of this, cannot be viewed as a file system, only as photos and videos from within the Desktop or Mobile Apps or at http://lightroom.adobe.com/

It is from one of these that you need to import.

[Dandridge5EEF]

selondon, thank you for clarifying that, very helpful

Is my 1TB storage allowance calculated as the sum of files in both CC and Lightroom or are they separate?

[Jim Wilde]

It's the sum of both elements, i.e. Creative Cloud Files plus Lightroom photos.

[Sid5EB6]

Most helpful answer I have seen in hours of looking.  Thank you!

[Scott.Theus]

I'm having the same issue, three years after this post in the thread. So frustrating. 

[GloriousMono]

Is this still an issue? I have spent a ton of hours loading up and organizing my files in Creative Cloud to access with Lightroom now but am not finding any way to access them directly in the cloud. I was under the impression that if was my assets were in  the Creative Cloud and integrated into my libraries that I could access them from Lightroom and all other Adobe apps?

[Jim Wilde]

Is this still an issue? I have spent a ton of hours loading up and organizing my files in Creative Cloud to access with Lightroom now but am not finding any way to access them directly in the cloud. I was under the impression that if was my assets were in  the Creative Cloud and integrated into my libraries that I could access them from Lightroom and all other Adobe apps?

By @GloriousMono

How did you "load up and organize" your files? If you used the Creative Cloud desktop app to do so, then you need to understand that the Lightroom apps have no means of accessing the files stored in the dedicated Creative Cloud space. Lightroom has it's own space in the cloud, which all the Lightroom apps can access.

So if the intent is to use Lightroom to access your images from any device or system, they first need to be imported/added into one of the Lightroom apps.....from there they upload to the cloud, where they can then be accessed by any other Lightroom app (and Lightroom Classic).

[rebecaf6825028]

The same thing is happening to  me  Iam paying the cloud for nothing because I have NO ACCESS