Troubleshooting

Presets are not showing in Lightroom

The most common cause is the wrong file format — here's how to check and fix it.

6 steps~5 min read

Step-by-step

  1. 1

    Confirm you're importing XMP files on desktop, or the ZIP itself on mobile — both install the same presets.

  2. 2

    On Lightroom Desktop and Classic, make sure you unzipped the ZIP before importing.

  3. 3

    On Lightroom Mobile, import via Presets → three-dot menu → Import Presets (not the + icon) and select the ZIP file directly.

  4. 4

    On desktop: scroll to the User Presets group inside the Presets panel.

  5. 5

    On Classic: switch to the Develop module to see user presets.

  6. 6

    Restart Lightroom and check again.

Common mistake

On desktop, importing the ZIP file directly never works — always unzip first. On mobile it's the opposite: pick the ZIP, not a loose file inside it.

Keep going

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