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Apple ProRAW

Apple ProRAW is a RAW photo format on supported iPhone Pro models that keeps far more of the camera’s original image data for editing. The trade-off is size: a single ProRAW shot is many times larger than a normal HEIC or JPEG photo.

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Apple ProRAW

Also known as: ProRAW, iPhone RAW, DNG photo

Apple ProRAW is a RAW photo format on supported iPhone Pro models that keeps far more of the camera’s original image data for editing. The trade-off is size: a single ProRAW shot is many times larger than a normal HEIC or JPEG photo.

  • A RAW (DNG) format on supported iPhone Pro models
  • Keeps much more image data for editing
  • Files are many times larger than HEIC or JPEG

What ProRAW captures

ProRAW saves a photo as a DNG file that retains much more of the sensor’s raw data plus Apple’s computational-photography processing. That extra information gives editors far more latitude to adjust exposure, white balance, and detail after the shot.

All of that data comes at a cost. A ProRAW image is dramatically larger than a standard HEIC, so a handful of them can occupy as much space as a large batch of ordinary photos.

When to use it

ProRAW is meant for deliberate photography you plan to edit, not everyday snapshots. It is off by default and is toggled per shot in the Camera app. If your storage is filling up, check whether ProRAW is enabled and reserve it for shots that genuinely benefit from heavy editing.

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