DB Labs
ProRAW: Quick Summary
ProRAW files are 25-75 MB each — 10-15x larger than a standard HEIC photo. ProRAW is worth the cost when you plan to edit the photo significantly: recovering highlights, lifting shadows, or doing precise color grading. For everyday shooting, social media, and casual photography, HEIC is the right choice. Enable ProRAW at Settings → Camera → Formats → Apple ProRAW, then toggle it on/off per-shot in the Camera app using the RAW button.
What Is Apple ProRAW?
Standard RAW files from a traditional camera contain unprocessed sensor data — no sharpening, no noise reduction, no exposure optimization. The photographer applies all processing in software later. Traditional RAW photos look flat and desaturated straight from the camera, requiring significant editing to look good.
ProRAW is Apple's intelligent hybrid. It captures unprocessed sensor data like traditional RAW, but also bakes in Apple's computational photography processing data: Smart HDR, Deep Fusion multi-frame noise reduction, and the results of Apple's machine learning-based scene analysis. The DNG file that results looks good straight out of camera (unlike traditional RAW) while still having the same broad editing latitude as RAW.
ProRAW is available on iPhone 12 Pro and later Pro models. For a comparison of formats, see our article on ProRAW vs HEIC vs JPEG.
ProRAW File Sizes
| Format & Resolution | File Size | Photos per GB |
|---|---|---|
| HEIC 12MP (standard) | 3-5 MB | 200-330 |
| ProRAW 12MP | 25-35 MB | 29-40 |
| ProRAW 48MP (iPhone 14 Pro+) | 50-75 MB | 13-20 |
These numbers make the storage impact of ProRAW concrete: shooting an event with 200 photos in ProRAW 48MP mode would consume 10-15 GB. The same event in HEIC would use less than 1 GB. This is why using ProRAW selectively is not just a suggestion — it is a necessity for anyone without unlimited storage.
When to Use ProRAW vs HEIC
Use ProRAW When:
- You are shooting a sunset or sunrise where you want to recover highlights in the sky while maintaining shadow detail in the foreground.
- You are shooting a portrait in mixed lighting and need to adjust skin tones and shadows individually without noise.
- You are doing product photography where color accuracy and fine detail are critical.
- You are shooting in challenging lighting — very dark, very bright, or high-contrast scenes — and you know you will work on the edit later.
- You are creating prints, stock photos, or editorial images where maximum quality matters.
Use HEIC Instead When:
- You are photographing everyday moments — kids, food, outings — that you will share without extensive editing.
- You are at an event shooting continuously and need space for many photos.
- The lighting is good and Apple's automatic processing will produce an excellent result.
- You are shooting for social media and will only apply a basic preset.
- You do not have a clear editing plan for the photo.
ProRAW Editing Workflow
1 Edit in Photos App (Quick)
The built-in Photos editor handles ProRAW files fully. Open the photo → tap Edit. All standard controls (exposure, shadows, highlights, curves) apply to the RAW data and provide significantly more range than HEIC editing. For most ProRAW photos, the Photos editor is sufficient — you get the RAW advantage without needing a third-party app.
2 Edit in Darkroom (Advanced Mobile)
Darkroom's free tier handles ProRAW with HSL color controls and curves. Because Darkroom works directly via the Photos library, edits are non-destructive and no copies are created. This is the best mobile workflow for serious photographers who want more control than the built-in editor without the storage overhead of third-party libraries.
3 Edit in Lightroom or Capture One (Professional)
For professional output, transfer ProRAW DNG files to a Mac and edit in Adobe Lightroom or Capture One. Both handle Apple's ProRAW DNG format natively and support the full range of computational metadata Apple embeds. Import via AirDrop, iCloud Drive, or USB cable. This workflow gives maximum control and keeps your iPhone storage manageable by offloading originals after transfer.
Managing ProRAW Storage
The most important ProRAW storage habit: edit, export, delete. When you have edited a ProRAW photo and exported the finished HEIC or JPEG result, delete the original ProRAW file from your iPhone. Your edited export (3-8 MB as HEIC) replaces the 50 MB RAW original, recovering most of the space.
To find your ProRAW photos in the Photos app, go to Albums → scroll to Media Types → look for RAW. This album collects all RAW and ProRAW photos. Sort by file size (tap the three-dot menu → Sort → File Size) to identify your largest files first.
Consider using iCloud Photos' "Optimize iPhone Storage" setting if you shoot ProRAW regularly. This keeps full-resolution ProRAW files in iCloud and stores optimized smaller versions on the device, freeing local storage while preserving the originals. See our article on the Optimize iPhone Storage setting for how it works.
How to Enable ProRAW
- Go to Settings → Camera → Formats.
- Under Pro Settings, enable Apple ProRAW. A toggle for ProRAW Max (48MP) appears below if you have an iPhone 14 Pro or later.
- Open the Camera app. In the top-right corner of the viewfinder, you will see a RAW button (greyed out means off, yellow means on).
- Tap the RAW button to toggle ProRAW on for the current shooting session. Tap it again to switch back to HEIC.
- To keep ProRAW state across sessions, go to Settings → Camera → Preserve Settings and enable Apple ProRAW.
For a complete overview of camera format choices including HEIC, JPEG, ProRAW, and ProRes, see our best iPhone camera settings guide. Once you have edited your ProRAW shots and have originals to clean up, Swype Photo Cleaner makes it fast to review and delete large files.