FAQ

RAW Clinic is a mobile photo editor for iPhone and iPad that opens and edits RAW camera files directly on your device. Adjust exposure, color, and tone with tools tuned for RAW dynamic range — without sending your photos to the cloud.

RAW Clinic runs on iPhone and iPad with a recent version of iOS or iPadOS. Performance is best on devices with enough memory for large RAW files; very large files may take longer to preview on older hardware. You do not need a Pro model to edit RAW — only to shoot Apple ProRAW in the built-in Camera app (see below in RAW files & editing).

No. RAW Clinic does not require sign-in. Open the app, grant photo access, and start editing files from your library.

RAW Clinic is available on the App Store. Any pricing, in-app purchases, or trials are shown on the store listing before you download.

RAW Clinic opens files your iPhone or iPad already decodes through PhotoKit and Apple's on-device RAW pipeline (Core Image CIRAWFilter) — including Apple ProRAW and DNG, plus many camera RAW types. If a file appears in Photos as RAW and opens there, RAW Clinic can usually develop it. Proprietary formats iOS cannot decode are not supported.

No. Editing and capturing RAW are different. Any iPhone or iPad that runs RAW Clinic can import and grade ProRAW or camera RAW from Photos, Files, or AirDrop — as long as iOS supports that file. An iPhone SE or iPad without ProRAW in Apple Camera can still edit shots taken on a Pro iPhone or a mirrorless camera.

Apple ProRAW in the built-in Camera app requires iPhone 12 Pro or later Pro models with iOS 14.3 or later. Enable it in Settings → Camera → Formats → Apple ProRAW (or ProRAW & Resolution Control on newer Pro models). ProRAW is not available on non-Pro iPhones or in Portrait mode. See also Take Apple ProRAW photos in the iPhone User Guide.

Apple publishes the official list of camera models whose RAW files iOS and iPadOS can decode — the same decoders CIRAWFilter uses (supportedCameraModels). See Digital camera RAW formats supported by iOS and iPadOS (Canon, FUJIFILM, Nikon, Sony, and others; Apple updates this list over time). If your camera is not listed or iOS cannot open the file, RAW Clinic cannot edit it either.

Edits are nondestructive. Your original RAW remains in the library; exported results are saved as new images when you choose to export. You can experiment without losing the source file.

RAW Clinic is built for RAW workflows. It focuses on RAW files and the extra latitude they provide. For standard JPEG or HEIC images, use Photos or another editor — RAW Clinic is optimized for RAW data.

Yes. Once photos are on your device, editing runs entirely locally. No internet connection is required to adjust and export images.

Yes. RAW Clinic can capture RAW with the in-app camera when you grant camera permission — separate from whether Apple Camera offers ProRAW on your iPhone model. Captured files are processed on your device and can be edited in your queue like imports from Photos.

No. Processing happens on your device. RAW Clinic does not upload your library to our servers for editing or storage. See the Privacy Policy for full details.

RAW Clinic may ask for:

• Photos — to open RAW files and save exports. You do not have to grant access to your entire library: iOS lets you allow only the photos you pick. RAW Clinic edits RAW files only — not JPEG or HEIC.
• Camera — only if you use the in-app RAW camera.

Location is optional and only relevant to the in-app camera — see Why does RAW Clinic ask for location? below.

Location is optional and used only when you take photos with the built-in camera and want geographic coordinates written into the saved file's metadata (for example EXIF). It is not used for ads, analytics, or background tracking.

Confirm the files are in your Photos library and that RAW Clinic has photo access in iOS Settings. Some cloud-only items may need to download first. If you allowed access to only selected photos, you can add more anytime in iOS Settings → RAW Clinic → Photos, or when the app asks you to pick additional images.

RAW files are large and memory-intensive. Close other apps, ensure free storage, and allow previews to finish loading before applying heavy adjustments. You can also lower preview resolution in the editor settings to speed things up. Files above 48 MP may still feel sluggish or look softer while editing — we are working to improve that, but very large ProRAW frames are demanding on any phone.

Check that RAW Clinic still has permission to add to your library. Look in the album or recents view where you chose to save. If the export failed, free up storage and try again.

Use the Feedback form or email us at the address below. Screenshots and your iOS version help us reproduce issues faster.