How to Shoot in ProRAW on iPhone 18 Pro: A Step-by-Step Guide

Most iPhone users have ProRAW turned off and have no idea. The feature has been on every Pro iPhone since the iPhone 12 Pro, and the majority of people who own those phones have never once used it. Here's what it is, why it matters, and how to use it in under 5 minutes.

What ProRAW Is — and Why It's Better Than JPEG

Every photo your iPhone takes starts as raw sensor data. By default, iOS processes that data and saves the result as a JPEG. ProRAW saves the file before that processing happens. You get the full, uncompressed sensor data with Apple's computational photography metadata baked in — meaning you keep Smart HDR and Deep Fusion improvements, but you decide everything else in editing. The practical difference: a JPEG is already cooked. A ProRAW file is not. Shadow recovery, highlight rolloff, color grading — all of it has far more range, because the sensor data is still there. For product shots, portraits, and low-light photography, ProRAW gives you significantly more room to work. The tradeoff is file size — a ProRAW Max file on iPhone 18 Pro runs around 75MB — and you need an app that reads RAW files (Apple Photos works natively).

How to Turn On ProRAW

1. Open Settings on your iPhone 18 Pro 2. Scroll down and tap Camera 3. Tap Formats 4. Under Photo Capture, tap ProRAW and Resolution Control 5. Toggle on Apple ProRAW 6. Choose your resolution: 12 MP for smaller files, 48 MP (ProRAW Max) for maximum detail Once ProRAW is on, it does not activate automatically. You turn it on per shot, so you are never stuck with 75MB files when you just want a quick snapshot.

How to Shoot in ProRAW

With ProRAW enabled in settings: 1. Open the Camera app 2. Shoot in Photo or Portrait mode (ProRAW works in both) 3. Look for the RAW badge in the top right corner — if it shows RAW in yellow, ProRAW is active 4. If it shows RAW in gray or doesn't appear, tap it once to toggle on 5. Tap the shutter — done The RAW badge stays yellow for subsequent shots until you toggle it off. Live Photos are not available in ProRAW — tap the Live Photo icon to turn it off first.

How to Edit a ProRAW File in Photos

ProRAW files open in the Photos app just like any other photo. The difference is how much room you have to work. 1. Open a ProRAW photo and tap Edit 2. The edit interface looks identical to a JPEG — same sliders — but the range of each is much wider 3. Start with Exposure — you can push several stops in either direction without the image falling apart 4. Use Highlights and Shadows to recover detail — ProRAW holds far more data here than a JPEG 5. Adjust Definition and Sharpness last 6. When you share, it automatically saves as JPEG; the ProRAW original stays intact in your library ProRAW files also open natively in Lightroom for iOS, Adobe Camera Raw, Darkroom, and Halide.

When to Use ProRAW vs. Standard

Use ProRAW for: product photography, portraits, low-light shots, and any photo you plan to edit seriously. Skip ProRAW for: casual snaps you'll share immediately, video (use ProRes instead), and burst shots (not supported in ProRAW).

A Pro Setup Needs a Pro Charger

A ProRAW shooting session — especially at 48MP — will work your iPhone harder than usual. Keep it ready with the AK NextG TriCharge Pro. Qi2.2 25W fast wireless charging from 0 to 56% in 27 minutes. Three devices at once — iPhone, Watch, AirPods — from one compact pad. Use code LAUNCH15 at checkout for 15% off. For more iPhone 18 Pro camera tips, read: Pro Tips: How to Take Professional Photos With Your iPhone 18 Pro