Adobe Tools in Gemini and Claude: Access and Tasks

In Adobe’s September 24, 2026 announcement, the company introduced Photoshop, Lightroom, Adobe Express and Firefly capabilities in Google Gemini and expanded its Claude plugin with Acrobat and interactive editing; Google partnerships executive Neal Pancholi said people could “create, edit and bring their ideas to life right in the chat.” The expanded Claude plugin offers more than 80 tools across creative and document work.

The September 24 rollout report from 9to5Mac describes Gemini access across its plans and the expanded plugin across Claude and Claude Code on desktop, web and mobile. Both integrations began rolling out globally, but they serve different tasks: Gemini’s new connection focuses on images and designs, while Claude adds Acrobat PDF work and direct editing of Express projects. An Adobe account also changes what is available in each assistant.

Adobe account access differs between the assistants

In Gemini, Adobe appears under Settings, Personal Intelligence and Connected Apps. Adobe’s Gemini product page says an Adobe account is optional for getting started, although its setup instructions direct users to sign in or create a free account after connecting the app. Many capabilities work without Adobe sign-in, but the page does not assign every individual task to guest or signed-in access.

Signing in to Adobe unlocks additional Gemini capabilities, including generative AI workflows and the ability to save supported work to Creative Cloud for continuation in Adobe apps. Some capabilities require an eligible paid Adobe plan. Those conditions apply to Adobe tools inside Gemini; availability across all Gemini plans does not mean that every Adobe capability is included without an Adobe account or paid Adobe plan.

Claude offers a clearer starting distinction: the Adobe plugin can be used as a guest, while Adobe sign-in unlocks higher usage limits, additional tools and continuity across sessions. The guest route therefore establishes access to the plugin, not a promise that every Acrobat or creative command is available to a guest. Users still need access to the Claude surface on which they want to run it.

Image, photo, PDF and Express tasks

The integrations draw on named Adobe products, but their task lists are not interchangeable. Gemini works on web and mobile; the expanded Claude plugin reaches Claude and Claude Code on desktop, web and mobile as the rollout proceeds. The task descriptions below identify the supported workflow and the account condition that matters most for it.

Image creation and mockups: Gemini can generate images, make branded mockups from supplied logos and product imagery, and prepare assets for different formats using capabilities associated with Firefly and Adobe’s other creative tools. Generative AI workflows are among the Gemini capabilities unlocked by Adobe sign-in, and some tools may require an eligible paid plan. Claude’s existing creative toolset supports work such as creating vectors and layouts. Its guest option comes with fewer tools and lower usage limits than a signed-in Adobe account, so the two assistants should not be assumed to expose the same creation controls.
Photo editing: Gemini can take uploaded product photos and adjust lighting, color and crops across a collection; its product guidance also describes bulk retouching and Lightroom presets. Claude supports refining images individually or in batches through its creative tools. Both are described as assistant-based editing workflows, but the Gemini guest capabilities are not itemized edit by edit, and Claude reserves additional tools for Adobe account holders. A named product such as Photoshop or Lightroom signals the source of a capability, not the full standalone application inside the chat.
PDF work: The expanded Claude plugin adds Acrobat commands to combine or split PDFs, delete pages, redact sensitive information, and convert or export files. Its interactive editor also supports reordering pages, editing text, and adding comments or highlights; the Document Review skill can place recommendations and notations in that editor. These functions belong to the Claude rollout and remain subject to its guest and signed-in tool limits. Gemini’s listed connection centers on creative assets and designs, so a reader seeking the newly described Acrobat workflow has a specific route through Claude.
Adobe Express projects: Gemini can surface Express templates, personalize text, imagery and colors, and adapt a design for different channels. Claude already supports conversational design work, and its expansion adds a layer-based interactive Express editor. There, users can change an image, copy, color or font independently without regenerating the entire design. Gemini’s signed-in benefits include saved supported work, while Claude’s signed-in benefits include more tools and session continuity; neither guest description specifies a complete Express tool list.

What the rollout changes now

The release is in progress, and setup, compatibility and availability can affect which controls appear for a particular user. Existing Adobe connector installations in Claude are set to update to the unified plugin automatically. In Gemini, the Adobe connection must be enabled through Connected Apps before its supported tools can be called from a conversation.

The distinction matters most when a project moves beyond visual creation. Gemini offers a route from a prompt or uploaded imagery to edited photos, mockups and Express designs. Claude can carry creative work into Acrobat page operations, redaction and direct PDF markup within the same plugin. For a PDF that needs those document edits, the newly named workflow is in Claude, with the available commands determined by the user’s Adobe access as the rollout reaches their account.