P: The generative fill in Photoshop 26.0.0 is definitely worse than in previous versions.

[RedFishBlack]

The quality has dropped to an unusable level. Textures that were rendered beautifully in previous versions now sometimes appear smudged or as if painted in with a brush. There are far more nonsensical fills—like birds randomly appearing in hair or clothes, and extra hands in bizarre places when the image already has two! It’s like AI gone wrong. What happened to quality control? How does the AI actually get worse? This is beyond frustrating.

To make things worse, the newest update deleted my older versions, even though the "delete older versions" checkbox was unchecked. It's incredibly frustrating to lose those versions without consent.

[sschoenthaler]

Same. I have been slowly installing prior versions one by one to see which one works better!!! So frustrating!!! 

[Johnn_P]

@CMass, @MeredithStotzner  

I second this thread. The Generative Fill feature performs terribly. Here's how it “removes” lipstick from an image:

Photoshop v.26.6.0 (Intel based)

macOS 12.7.6

[Johnn_P]

@CMass  The feature works very poorly. None of the 9 generated variants is eligible for use.

[LIDBKLYN]

I am wondering, if there is an concensus which prior version produces the best result for gen fill consistently? 

[robertw44482386]

My understanding is that despite all the many versions of Photoshop, there are actaully only two working versions of the Gen Fill that Photoshop calls upon. 

Photoshop 2024 (25.x.xx) will call upon Firefly 2 which is more reliable for textures and realistic replacements or filling of gaps, provided you keep areas to be filled under 1024x1024 px. I don't beleive this version is subject to any more server side updates. @MeredithStotzner can you confirm this?

Photoshop 2025 and the current beta (26.x.x) will call upon Firefly 3 which is much worse at textures and really any production work, but may be more relaible for specific object generation. It is definitely more hallucinatory. It also has a few extra features (generate more like this) and ability to add a reference from which to start. It continues to be updated on the server side.

[Sandy694]

Maybe the solution is to allow us to choose which version of Firefly we want to use instead of having to reinstall an older version? I don't think one size is going to fit all.

[LIDBKLYN]

this is so well explained and i totally got it. Thank you. so, as a temporary solution, will install a 25 version just to use for firefly 2

[Rubber Johnny]

I'm currently using version 26.6 , and the Generative Fill AI is absolutely TERRIBLE.  Don't even try to gaslight us otherwise.  In version 25, it looked great.  But last month I decided to finally update to v26.6, and I severely regret it.  
Strangely, even when checking the option to NOT delete my previous Photoshop Versions, it deleted them ALL regardless.  
So now I'm stuck with the HORRIBLE Generative Fill of v26.6.   
How can you actually GET WORSE over time?!!!  
What's even more suspect, is that there's "Adobe Employees" in this thread claiming that this issue has been fixed, which we ALL know is BS.  Nothing has been fixed.  The results are rough and blotchy...resembling more of a cheesy third-party Van Gogh plugin filter from the 1990's.  
What is going on with Adobe?  This Generative Fill in v26.6 is an EPIC FAIL.  
USELESS.  
Instead of gaslighting us, "Adobe Employees", ACTUALLY FIX THE ISSUE.   Mmmkay?

[dadamartin]

So much true. A real shame. Pay and cry.

[bellevue scott]

I keep trying generative fill every month or so, but it's still not even remotely useful and never has been. Personally I'm not angry because Adobe hasn't broken anything. So for me droplets breaking is more of an issue than generative fill. But it's just not useful. 

I remember when Adobe introduced content aware. It was frankly amazing. It was a gamer changer, and still things like healing brush tool and content aware delete are amazing compared to clone stamping. Yes, I remember those days. And that's what I keep waiting for again, a new gamer changer, another wow moment in image edting, and unfortunately generative fill is not it. It doesn't even work and continues to replace images with completely random things and give completely random results with no bearing at all on what I was after. 

Keep trying Adobe. Same with Neural filters. Keep it up. But maybe it should be labeled as beta, because really it's not at all ready for prime time. 

[Atapp]

You can reinstall the older version with the cloud app. 

[careaux]

Hi, I am working on an urgent and excessive job that requests a lot of AI-retouch and Photoshop just gave me a pop-up window that I need to update to the newest version to keep using generative fill. I would, if it wasn't so crazy dysfunctional. Are you really forcing us to update now, even though the AI in the newer versions just does not work?! 

 

[lorim57871836]

I'm getting the same message about running out of "credits". Now not only does it not work properly, you only have a limited number of times to try for it to get it right! This is literally ridiculous.

[David287897922ff2]

and now they make us pay even more for this garbage. bye bye Adobe

[nataliaff]

I find myself doing exactly that anytime I need to generate anything have to switch back to the older version, beyond frustrating, especially when you work professionally.

[Johnn_P]

The world is laughing at you, Adobe. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/1mpoh6j/generative_fill_technique/

[Peter_Nikolaev4728]

Can you place get a generate fill with model? W wanted more realistic then my reality. I try to generate ski-fi, But is not realistic all of it.

[TahiaDesign]

ok. October 2025. I can say the generative Fill is the worse AI assistant EVER. You get better results even with free AIs. really, you HAVE to work on this. It doesn't follow simple instructions, don't expect to provide quality, it doen't follow COLOR indications, it won't help due to "legal" issues (when every other AI will). really, you need to do something. 

[TahiaDesign]

Y con razón! Es de lo peor el relleno Generativo!. Es increíble como cualquier otra IA es altamente superior. Más allá de hacer algún cielo, o cosas muy muy básicas, no sirve PARA NADA. Lo mismo Firefly. Muy malas las dos. Tengo la simple tarea de incluir 2 personas que faltaron a una fiesta en la foto grupal: no me lo hace por temas legales! Por favor! son MIS SOBRINAS! jaja. no puedo manipular MIS PROPIAS FOTOS. No me sirve para nada esto. Y no parece mejorar

[carolin_1369]

I have been working with old and outdated versions of PS for more than a year now due to this problem (the old versions work fine). So shocked it's still not fixed. 

[carolin_1369]

@ Adobe... are you working on this?!! 

[Atapp]

There's a switch for Firefly 1 and 3 in the settings now. 

[TahiaDesign]

I feel they´re letting Photoshop die. 

[TahiaDesign]

ya no sé qué hacer... Estoy a punto de rendirme. Antes ni siquiera tenía que escribir um prompt y el relleno generativo hubiera ELIMINADO el mueble.

Ahora no sólo tengo que darle la instrucción, (eliminar objetos y no poner nada. que solo se vea la pared), sino que AGREGA COSAS porque se le ocurre!!! cosas que nadie pidió.

Alguien está haciendo algo al respecto? Voy a terminar cancelando mi suscripción y buscar mejores opciones.

Me ayudan? Gracias!

[TahiaDesign]

 

En serio! No sé si reir o llorar