How do I fix Photoshop & Adobe Apps Crashing in macOS Tahoe 26.2?

Three approaches in order of safety: (1) Reset Adobe Permissions (Free); (2) Purge Adobe Scratch Files (Free); (3) The Automated "Creative" Solution. Full Terminal commands and System Settings paths are inside each section.

Is this fix confirmed for macOS Tahoe 26.2?

Yes — verified on macOS Tahoe 26.2. Article is updated when Apple ships a point release that changes the symptom or fix.

How to Fix Photoshop & Adobe Apps Crashing in macOS Tahoe 26.2

Symptom: Adobe Photoshop, Premiere, or Illustrator crashes immediately upon launch on macOS Tahoe. Or, you receive a "scratch disk full" error despite having plenty of space.

TL;DR fix

Start with Fix 1: Reset Adobe Permissions (Free). If the issue persists after that, try Fix 2: Purge Adobe Scratch Files (Free). Full Terminal commands and step-by-step instructions are in each section below.

Why this happens

macOS Tahoe 26.x changed how applications access "Protected System Memory." Older versions of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite (and even some newer builds) struggle with these new security permissions, leading to a crash-on-launch or "Permission Denied" errors.

Recommended Troubleshooting Tool

Before proceeding with manual fixes, we recommend using CleanMyMac X. Quickly identify high CPU apps and optimize system memory with one click.

Fix 1: Reset Adobe Permissions (Free)

You need to manually "whitelist" Adobe apps in the new Tahoe security layer.

Open System Settings

Go to Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access.

Add Adobe Apps

Click the + button.
Navigate to Applications and add Photoshop (and any other crashing Adobe apps).
Ensure the toggle is set to ON.

Reset TCC (Advanced)

Open Terminal.
Type: tccutil reset All com.adobe.Photoshop (or similar for other apps).

Fix 2: Purge Adobe Scratch Files (Free)

If Photoshop opens but is sluggish or "Full," you need to clear the hidden temporary files.

Navigate to Temp Folder

In Finder, press Command + Shift + G.
Paste: /tmp

Delete Scratch Files

Look for files starting with Photoshop Temp or Adobe.
Move to Trash and Empty.

Fix 3: The Automated "Creative" Solution

When you need your professional tools to work *now*.

Adobe apps leave "residue" in deep system folders that manual deletion won't reach. If you've tried reinstalling and it still crashes, you have a corrupted "App Support" folder.

Recommended Tool: CleanMyMac X

- Uninstaller & Reset: Don't just delete the app. Use CleanMyMac X's "Uninstaller" and select Reset instead of Remove. This deletes all preference and cache files without needing to re-download the 2GB application.

- RAM Optimization: Running the "Free Up RAM" tool before launching heavy apps like Premiere ensures the system doesn't "panic" and crash due to Tahoe's new memory management.

Alternative: Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool

Adobe provides its own deep-cleaning tool for when their installers fail.

Tested and documented by the MacDebug team — about MacDebug. See also Fix macOS "No AirPlay Found", Fix Sequoia "App is Damaged" Error, or browse all guides on macdebug.