Some iPhone photos simply look better.
More detail. Better colour. Less of that processed look.
Most of the time, that comes from shooting in ProRAW.
You don’t need a different camera, and you don’t need to be a photography expert.
You just need to understand what ProRAW does and when it actually makes sense to use it.
Let’s go through it.
What ProRAW Actually Is
When you take a normal photo on your iPhone, the phone does a lot automatically.
It sharpens the image, boosts colours, lifts shadows, and then compresses everything so the file is smaller.
That works fine if you just want to take a quick photo and share it.
The downside is this: once the phone processes the image, you don’t have much flexibility left.
ProRAW keeps things more open.
Instead of locking everything in, it keeps the extra data the sensor captured so you can adjust it yourself when you edit later.
That gives you more room to:
- pull back bright skies
- recover detail in shadows
- control colour properly
- avoid that overly “HDR” iPhone look
At first glance, ProRAW may not look dramatically different.
But once you start editing, it’s much easier to get the image where you want it.
Which iPhones Support ProRAW
ProRAW is on Apple’s Pro models only:
- iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 13 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max
- iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max
On newer models, shooting and editing large files feels smoother.
There’s less lag and fewer slowdowns.
How to Enable ProRAW
Turning it on takes a few seconds.
Go to:
Settings → Camera → Formats
Switch on:
Apple ProRAW
Then choose:
48MP JPEG-XL (lossy)
That gives you high-quality RAW files without them eating your storage immediately.
Now open the Camera app.
You’ll see a RAW toggle.
Turn it on when you want to shoot RAW.
Turn it off when you don’t.
Simple.
Just keep in mind: RAW files are large.
Use it when it matters — not for every single photo.
When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Use ProRAW
You don’t need ProRAW all the time.
You can skip it for:
- quick snapshots
- random photos you’ll never edit
- anything you’re just sending in a message
It makes sense when:
- the lighting is tricky
- the photo actually matters to you
- you know you’ll edit later
- you want something that feels more natural and less processed
And one small note:
Try to stick to the 1× lens when shooting RAW.
It has the largest sensor and produces the cleanest results, especially in lower light.
Editing ProRAW Photos
Editing is where ProRAW makes the biggest difference.
Open your photo in Lightroom or the Photos app and start adjusting.
You’ll notice you can push things a little more without the image falling apart.
You can:
- lift shadows without making them muddy
- control highlights without losing detail
- adjust colour without things looking strange
We usually start with a preset to get a base look, then fine-tune exposure, highlights, and contrast from there.
Small adjustments usually work best.
If you want a simpler starting point, the iPhone Creator Kit includes presets built specifically for iPhone RAW files, so they keep detail while still improving colour and tone.
If You Want More Control
If you’re already shooting ProRAW and want to keep improving, the Ultimate Kit builds on that.
You get:
- over 150 ProRAW presets
- Apple LOG LUTs for video
- Lessons covering settings, shooting, and editing
- An iPhone camera settings cheat sheet
Everything is built around the iPhone, so you’re not guessing or trying to adapt settings meant for different cameras.
ProRAW = Flexibility
ProRAW doesn’t magically make bad photos good.
What it gives you is flexibility.
More information in the file.
More control later.
More ability to make the photo look like what you actually saw.
Use it when it makes sense, skip it when it doesn’t, and treat it as another tool rather than a magic button.
Once you get used to it, you’ll have a lot more freedom when you edit — and regular iPhone photos will start to feel a bit limiting.