Introduced to the iPhone in late 2020 as part of iOS 14.3 and available for the iPhone 12 Pro and its successors, Apple ProRAW is a photo format that combines the uncompressed image data of the RAW format with the ease of photo editing typical of iOS devices. This feature allows you to capture high-quality photos with your iPhone and make various adjustments such as exposure, white balance, and color correction.
However, it’s important to note that ProRAW isn’t compatible with Live Photos, Portrait Mode, or videos. If you use your iPhone mainly for casual photography, social media posts, or documenting trips where high resolution isn’t a priority, this feature may not be necessary for you.
Setting up ProRAW on your iPhone
To enable ProRAW on your Pro model iPhone, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app and select the Camera option.
- Tap Formats, then in the Photo Capture section tap the toggle next to Apple ProRAW to turn it on (the toggle will turn green).
- Once turned on, you can switch to the ProRaw format from the Camera app by tapping the RAW icon in the top-right corner. A diagonal line through the icon means it’s turned off, no line means it’s turned on.
- On an iPhone 14 Pro or newer model, open Settings and choose Camera, then select Formats and toggle on Apple ProRAW to reveal resolution options, then tap ProRAW Resolution to choose between 12MP and 48MP.
It’s important to keep in mind that Apple ProRAW images require more storage space compared to non-RAW formats, averaging about 25 MB per 12MP photo and around 75 MB at 48MP. So, managing your photos and available storage space is vital.
Making use of ProRaw images
Despite being labeled as “Apple ProRAW,” the files are compatible with photo viewing and editing apps and software that support the .DNG file format.
- To share the original ProRAW .DNG file after it’s been edited in the Photos app (which would normally export as a .JPG), select the photo and tap the three dots (…) in the top-right corner.
- Select Revert to Original to undo your previous changes, then share via AirDrop as usual.
- Alternatively, if you want to keep your changes but still send the original file, tap the three dots (…) and select Duplicate, then select the duplicate photo and tap the three dots (…) followed by Revert to Original.
- To share the unmodified ProRAW file from macOS, select the photo in the Photos app on your Mac.
- Select File, then Export, and click on Export Unmodified Original to share the .DNG file.
It’s worth noting that if an app doesn’t explicitly support Apple ProRAW, the image may not look the same when loaded. Edited ProRAW images will export as .JPG files, making them more universally shareable after adjustments are made.