Most Photoshop Users Don't Know the Remove Tool Now Works Fully Offline
Photoshop's AI Remove Tool can now run entirely on your own machine—no internet, no waiting on Adobe's servers, and no generative credits burned.
01. What It Is
The Remove Tool in Photoshop uses AI to erase unwanted objects, blemishes, or distractions from a photo and intelligently fill the gap. Until recently, that magic happened on Adobe's cloud servers—meaning you needed an internet connection and every edit quietly consumed generative credits.
Starting with Photoshop version 27.7 (released May 19, 2026), Adobe added an on-device processing mode. After downloading a roughly 4–5GB AI model once, the Remove Tool runs entirely on your computer's GPU. No connection, no cloud round-trip, no credits spent.
This is a genuine workflow shift most people haven't noticed. The setting is tucked inside a Mode dropdown, so photographers keep assuming AI removal always needs the cloud. On capable hardware, Device mode delivers fast, private edits anywhere—on a plane, in the field, or behind a locked-down corporate network.
Why It Matters
You can edit sensitive client images without them ever leaving your machine, work completely offline while traveling, and stop worrying about generative credit limits. For high-volume retouchers, keeping the Remove Tool local means unlimited object removal without eating into your monthly credit balance.
Who Can Benefit
- Photographers who shoot and edit on location without reliable Wi-Fi
- Professionals handling confidential or NDA-bound client images
- Heavy retouchers who want to avoid burning generative credits
- Anyone on a fast machine who wants quicker turnaround than cloud processing
02. Step-by-Step Guide
- 1
Update Photoshop to 27.7 or later
Open the Creative Cloud app and make sure Photoshop is on version 27.7 (May 19, 2026) or newer. The on-device mode does not exist in earlier versions.
- 2
Enable the required preferences
Go to Photoshop Preferences and turn on 'Use Graphics Processor' under Performance, then enable 'Remove Tool: Faster'. Both must be active for Device mode to appear.
- 3
Select the Remove Tool
Pick the Remove Tool from the toolbar (grouped with the healing tools). Look to the options bar for the Mode dropdown.
- 4
Switch to Device processing
Open the Mode dropdown, find 'Generative AI Processing', and choose 'Device' instead of 'Cloud'.
- 5
Download the local model once
The first time you select Device, Photoshop prompts you to download an approximately 5GB AI model. This one-time download enables fully offline use afterward.
- 6
Brush over what you want gone
Paint over the object, blemish, or distraction. Processing now happens locally on your GPU—no internet required and no generative credits consumed.
Pro Tips
- Cloud mode still exists—keep it for tricky removals where quality matters more than privacy or speed, since on-device results can differ.
- Once the model is downloaded, disconnect your Wi-Fi to confirm it truly runs offline before relying on it in the field.
- On-device processing avoids generative credit usage, making it ideal for bulk cleanup jobs.
Warnings & Limitations
- Hardware requirements are steep: Windows needs an NVIDIA 30-series GPU with at least 14GB VRAM; macOS needs an M1 Pro with at least 24GB RAM.
- If your system falls below the minimum GPU or RAM spec, the Device option will appear greyed out and unavailable.
- On-device quality can differ from cloud-based removal—it's a speed and privacy trade-off, not always a quality upgrade.
- The initial model download is around 5GB, so make sure you have SSD space and a connection for the one-time setup.
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