Feature summary | Adobe XD (2021 releases)

Learn about new features and enhancements in September 2021.

New Features in Adobe XD 44.0

The September 2021 release of XD has the following features:

Organize assets into groups in the Libraries panel

You can now better organize your document assets by creating any number of groups and subgroups in the Libraries panel. You can easily move assets between groups, reorder groups, and sort your document assets in alphabetical order. When you publish a linked library from your XD cloud document, all the groups and subgroups are preserved in the library.

To learn more, see Work with document assets in Adobe XD.

Use Creative Cloud Libraries to share assets

We recommend migrating all linked assets to Creative Cloud Libraries. This way, you can continue using linked assets effectively after support for linking assets between documents is discontinued in XD.

To learn about the benefits of using Creative Cloud Libraries for sharing your assets, see Migrate your design systems to Creative Cloud Libraries.

New Features in Adobe XD 42.0

The July 2021 release of XD has the following features:

Better XD performance with Apple silicon

Gain better performance with XD on macOS as the app now natively supports Apple silicon M1 chip.

For more information on XD compatibility with Apple silicon, see Adobe XD, Big Sur, and Apple silicon | macOS 11.

Relink Creative Cloud Libraries with source documents

If your coeditor publishes another linked library from the source document by mistake and delinks your library, you can now easily relink it from the Libraries manager. Once you relink your library with the source document, your library will be in sync with the source document. As a result, all the consuming documents linked with your library start receiving any future library updates.

For more information on relinking libraries, see Work with Creative Cloud Libraries in XD.

New Features in Adobe XD 41.0

The June 2021 release of XD has the following features:

Convert strokes to shapes using Outline Stroke

You can convert strokes into shapes using Outline Stroke and create vector objects within XD. You can further customize these vector objects like icons with editable borders and an option to fill colors.

For more information, see Create outline strokes.

Add depth to objects and components using Inner Shadow

The Inner Shadow tool applies a shadow on the inside of the selected object bringing a sense of depth to your designs. Inner shadows can be applied to shapes, text, images, and Boolean groups and are supported when you import designs from other tools like Photoshop or Sketch.

For more information, see Create inner shadows.

Style shapes and objects using Angular Gradient

Create color wheels, pie charts, or progress spinners using angular gradients. Apply a fill with color gradients that sweep around a shape from the center of a circle.

For more information, see How to use an Angular Gradient.

New Features in Adobe XD 40.0

The May 2021 release of XD has the following features:

Live Cursors take coediting to the next level

You can see where your coeditors are working in a shared document with the help of remote live cursors. Select View > Show/Hide Live Cursors to enable or disable Live Cursors. By default, Show Live Cursors is enabled.

For more information, see Track the position of collaborators with live cursor.

Share selected artboards quickly from the Design mode

You can now share selected artboards directly from the Design mode without having to wire them manually. Select one or more artboards and click Share on canvas. XD wires the artboards automatically and creates a shareable link.

For more information, see Share selected artboards.

Create shortcut for toggle state

Like the Hover state, the Toggle state now has its own shortcut in the Design view. When you use this shortcut, a two-way interaction is automatically created in the Prototype mode.

For more information, see Create toggle state.

Customize your in-app experience using Preferences

You can use the new Preferences menu in XD to manage settings and customize your in-app experience. Change your app language, show/hide productivity tips, or enable/disable automatic link generation for sharing artboards. On macOS, select Adobe XD > Preferences, and on Windows, select Edit > Preferences.

New Features in Adobe XD 39.0

The April 2021 release of XD has the following feature:

New triggers to transition between component states

New triggers to transition between component states

You can now use voice commands, keyboard, and gamepad inputs to transition between the states of a component and create interactive, high-fidelity prototypes.

For more information, see Add multiple states to components.

New Features in Adobe XD 38.0

The March 2021 release of XD has the following feature:

New app menu for XD on Windows

New app menu for XD on Windows

You can now view a menu bar along the top of the XD frame in the Windows version of XD. The updated app menu bar has replaced the “hamburger” style menu.

For more information, see Workspace basics.

New Features in Adobe XD 36.0

The January 2021 release of XD has the following new features and enhancements:

Enhance designs using dash and gap animations
New view options for XD mobile app

Enhance designs using dash and gap animations

You can now use Auto-Animate to animate stroke dash and gap values that will allow you to create new and rich animations for outlined icons and illustrations.

For more information, see Object properties supported for auto-animate.

New view options for XD mobile app

While previewing prototypes on XD mobile app, you can scale the prototypes to “fit to width” or “fit to height” of the screen to view the designs with more ease.

For more information, see Preview on mobile devices.

New Features in Adobe XD 35.0

The November 2020 release of XD has the following new features and enhancements:

Identify published flows

You can now easily identify multiple flows that are published and shared. Additionally, you can quickly copy the last published link by clicking the Copy Link icon on the design canvas in the Share mode.

For more information, see Share designs and prototypes.

Auto height text import with Sketch files

You can edit imported Sketch files seamlessly with Auto Height Text enabled. When you import a Sketch file into XD, the Auto Height Text objects within those files are automatically imported.

For more information, see Open Sketch files in XD.

New Features in Adobe XD 34.0

The October 2020 release of XD has the following new features and enhancements:

Expressive prototyping with 3D transforms

You can now manipulate objects in 3D space to introduce depth and perspective in your designs! Rotate objects on the horizontal (x), vertical (y), and z-axes to create immersive experiences and watch your designs come alive!

For more information, see Work with 3D transforms in XD.

Reusable design systems with Creative Cloud Libraries

With XD, creating and maintaining a design system is flexible, frictionless, and intuitive. You can use design systems to create and publish Creative Cloud Libraries from cloud documents to share your reusable design system elements with your team, allowing them to design consistently across their design projects.

For more information, see Work with assets and libraries in Adobe XD.

Robust collaboration with coediting

Coediting is no longer a beta feature and is up for general use. You can now click avatars and jump to the location where your collaborators are working on the canvas and edit them in real time!

For more information, see Collaborate and coedit designs.

Build cohesive designs with Creative Cloud Libraries

With the all new Creative Cloud Libraries integration, you can centrally manage and distribute design and brand systems assets at scale.
Start by curating your sticker sheet with set of components and styles that constitute design and brand system in an XD cloud document; when ready to share those reusable assets with your broader team, you can publish your sticker sheet cloud document as a library and invite your teams, with the right set of permissions.

For more information, see Work with Creative Cloud Libraries in XD.

Design flexible text layouts with auto-height text

Ease your work by using auto height text that dynamically adjusts the height based on the content of the text object while its width remains fixed!

For more information, see Work with drawing and text tools.

Flexible designing with nested components

With nested component workflows, work with complex components that contain other components within them with ease! Modify instances of a component nested within another component without impacting the main component and watch your designs come alive!

For more information, see Work with nested components in XD.

Improved developer handoff with component states in design specs

Developers can contextually view, inspect, and download assets for all the states of a component. No more listing of component states in separate artboards!

For more information, see Inspect design specs.

Enhanced efficiency of sharing components with multiple states

You can now create components with multiple states like hover, pressed, enabled, and more as part of a design system and publish them to a Creative Cloud library.