This Lightroom v9.0 Update Changes Everything [What's New - Oct 2025]

Lightroom 9.0 is a big release with a mix of long-requested workflow tools and a few editing upgrades that quickly become “can’t live without.” Below is a hands-on tour of the features I think will matter most day-to-day, plus tips to get better results right away.

Assisted Culling (Early Access)

What it is: an AI-assisted tool that scores photos and sorts them into Selects and Rejects, then allows you to apply batch actions.

Best for: Portrait sessions (headshots, families, events). It can work elsewhere, but the current models are trained primarily on people.

How it works:

1. Open Assisted Culling in the Photo panel. You’ll see two tabs:

   • Cull (select/reject models)

   • Stack (auto-stacking; covered below)

2. Enable Select models (e.g., Subject Focus, Eye Focus, Eyes Open) and optional Reject models (e.g., Exposure Issues, Misfires, Documents/Receipts).

3. Lightroom scores everything at once. Use model threshold sliders (e.g., Subject Focus ≥ 90) to push frames into Selects or Rejects.

4. Always review and override. If a sharp image misses the cutoff, mark it 'Select manually'—and vice versa.

5. Apply batch actions:

   • Selects: stars, pick flag, color label, add to album (you can create one on the fly).

   • Rejects: reject flag, stars, color label.

Notes

• Cloud Library only for stacking (see next). Culling itself works broadly, but some features vary by library type.

• It’s Early Access: use it and please send us your feedback. The models and UX are still evolving.

Auto Stacking (Cloud only)

Two ways to group similar images:

1. By Time (not AI): Choose a time gap (e.g., 1 minute) to group bursts or sequences.

2. By Visual Similarity (AI): Scores images to form stacks of similar frames and even picks the best in each stack (indicated by a small landscape icon). You can always change the stack cover. 

Workflow tip

• Stacks are temporary until you click Create Stacks. Adjust the similarity slider, preview, then commit.

Point Color → Color Variance (the sleeper hit)

What it is: A slider inside Point Color that compresses (left) or expands (right) color contrast within a sampled range. 

Why you’ll use it

• Portraits: Even out patchy skin tones. Create a People > Facial Skin mask, sample a mid-tone skin color, and then pull Variance to the left to harmonize without blurring the texture.

• Landscapes: Smooth out uneven polarizer skies. Create an Adaptive Sky mask, sample a mid-blue, then pull Variance left for a cleaner gradient. 

Pro tip

• Keep all Point Color edits, including Variance, on its own mask. Apply other edits on a separate mask for cleaner control and easier revisions.

Automatic Dust Removal

Where: Remove panel → Dust.

What it does: Automatically finds and removes sensor/lens dust. It uses Content-Aware Heal (not Generative Remove) for the base pass.

Refine fast

• Press A to enable the Visualize Spots mask; crank the threshold slider to 100 to reveal stragglers.

• To restore over-eager removals, hold Option/Alt to turn the cursor into scissors, then paint across multiple spots to bring them back.

Color Labels (finally!) 

You can now assign and filter by Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple (plus None) directly in Grid, via right-click, the Photo menu, or the Filmstrip UI. 

Accessibility tip

• Preferences → Interface → Color labels background: choose Vivid if you struggle to distinguish subdued yellows/greens.

Landscape Mask: Now Detects Snow

Masking → Landscape now detects Snow in addition to Sky, Mountains, Architecture, Vegetation, etc. Great for cooling color casts or adding crisp contrast without touching the rest of the scene.

Related presets

• Premium → Adaptive Landscape adds seasonal presets; only the Winter set uses the Snow attribute.

Batch Rename

Batch-rename files using templates that can include custom text, camera EXIF data, counters, and more.

• Select images → Info panel → File Name → pencil icon.

• Duplicate a system template or Create New Template and build your variable recipe.

View Photos with Subfolders (Local mode)

In Local mode, you can finally view everything inside a parent folder:

• Toggle Include Subfolders (button or switch at the top).

• Ideal for quick global searches/filters without drilling into every child folder.

Generative Remove Improvement: Detect Shadows and Reflections 

Before removing an object, enable Detect Objects first. Lightroom will automatically include attached shadows and reflections, and it can create detached selections (e.g., person + separate water reflection) so results look more natural with less manual brushing.

It's Time to Learn How To Use Lightroom Everywhere!

If you enjoyed this topic and want to learn how to get the most out of Lightroom's cloud-based ecosystem on the desktop, smartphone, and tablet, then you should check out my Lightroom Everywhere course! It has over 11 hours of easy-paced lessons that'll teach you how to make the most out of Lightroom Desktop, Mobile, and Web.