How to Edit & Export RAW Photos on Your iPhone

What is iPhone ProRAW Photos?

Apple's ProRAW camera features on Pro iPhones from iPhone 12 Pro to the latest one are a powerful tool to have in your back pocket. Photos taken in ProRAW format combine the great post-processing flexibility of traditional RAW files with the benefits of multi-frame computational photos. The best of both worlds!

• How to enable iPhone ProRAW feature
To turn on ProRAW, go to iPhone Settings app > Camera > Tap Formats > Toggle on the switch next to Apple ProRAW.

• How to take RAW photos on iPhone
On your iPhone Camera app, tap on the RAW icon in the upper-right corner, and you can shoot RAW photos using your iPhone.

Once you’ve take ProRAW photos on iPhone, that's where the real work begins: editing RAW photos on iPhone and exporting them from iPhone for backing up or sharing.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about editing and exporting RAW photos on your iPhone, and how to export RAW photos from iPhone to PC for further editing, backing up, sharing, etc.

Part 1. How to Edit RAW Photos on iPhone Photos App

To edit ProRAW DNG files, you don't need to download a separate app; instead, use Apple's Photos app. A third-party app will give you far more power, but for quick and simple tasks like increasing exposure, Apple's app is sufficient. Here are some inspirations that how you can edit RAW photos on iPhone using Photos app.

Step 1. Open the RAW photos in the Photos app > Tap Edit in the top right of the screen.

Step 2. From here, you are able to edit RAW photo by using these tools as per your preference.

• Scroll through the adjustment options below your image.
• To apply a filter, hit the three-ring filter icon located at the bottom of the screen.
• If you need to rotate the photo, use the crop tool, the icon in the bottom right corner of the editing pane.

Step 3. Tap Done at the bottom right of your screen to save your changes.

Just in case you want to reverse your edits to the original, you can open it in the Photos app > Tap the three-dot icon > Select Revert to Original.

Part 2. Edit Raw Photos on iPhone Using Third-Party Apps

There also are some third-party apps to edit RAW photos on iPhone. It's fine if you choose to use a different photo-editing app than Photos. You can begin by launching either the Apple Photos app or the photo editing program you choose to use. Just for suggesting, the process to edit RAW photos using third-party tools is as follow.

Step 1. Choose Editing App:
There are several powerful editing apps available on the App Store that support RAW editing, such as Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed, and ProCamera. Choose the app that best suits your editing style and preferences.

Step 2. Import RAW Photo:
Open your chosen editing app and import the RAW photo you want to edit from your iPhone's Camera Roll.

Step 3. Adjust Settings:
Use the editing tools provided by the app to adjust exposure, contrast, saturation, and other settings to your liking. Since RAW files contain more data than JPEG, you'll have greater flexibility when making adjustments.

Step 4. Fine-Tune Details:
Take advantage of advanced editing features such as selective editing, noise reduction, and sharpening to fine-tune the details of your image.

Step 5. Save or Export:
Once you're satisfied with the edits, save or export the edited photo to your Camera Roll or share it directly to social media or cloud storage.

Part 3. How to Export iPhone RAW Photos to PC

While editing RAW photos on your iPhone is convenient, you may prefer to use professional editing software on your PC for more advanced editing capabilities. What’s more, you may wonder how to export iPhone RAW photos to PC for a backup.

In such cases, you can try FoneTool, a reliable iOS data transfer software, which enables you to selectively transfer iPhone RAW photos to PC, allowing you to optimize storage space and work with your RAW files using professional editing tools.

Free download FoneTool to your computer, and I’ll show you how to transfer selected RAW photos from iPhone to PC with FoneTool in three simple steps.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer with USB > Launch FoneTool and choose Phone Transfer option > Mouse over to iPhone to PC and click Start Transfer.

Step 2. Click the plus icon > Check the Photos icon and uncheck the others > Preview and select the photos you want to transfer > Click OK to confirm.

Step 3. Choose a destination from Transfer Settings as per you like (Local folders, external hard drives, USB, etc. are all allowed) > Click Start Transfer to start the process.

Now, you can launch your preferred editing software on your PC, such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom to import and edit RAW photos as desired.

Summary

With RAW photo capture on your iPhone, you can edit them on your iPhone using Photos app or other third-party photo edit apps, or transfer to your computer for more editing. This lets you enhance your photography, whether you're a pro or just starting out. Editing RAW photos opens up lots of creative options, letting you show your unique style in your pictures.