When you install Lightroom CC on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, you are installing a powerful editing engine that syncs every single edit, album, and keyword to Adobe’s cloud. This means your original raw files are stored in the cloud, while smart previews live on your PC’s SSD. The result? You can start editing a 45-megapixel raw file on your gaming PC in your office, walk out the door, and continue that exact edit on your iPhone or Android device on the train.

The editing panel (Develop module equivalent) lives on the right side. It collapses into a clean, vertical scroll of logical groups: Light, Color, Effects, Detail, Optics, and Geometry.

Installing Lightroom CC on a PC is straightforward, but there is a nuance. You have two options: