Adobe has just stepped into the high-end iPhone photography space with the release of Project Indigo—a free, experimental camera app offering manual controls, RAW support, and advanced computational photography. Developed by the same team behind the original Google Pixel camera, the app is designed to give iPhone users unprecedented control over image capture.
A New Era of Computational Photography
While most iPhone users are familiar with HDR and Night mode, Project Indigo takes multi-frame image stacking further. By combining up to 32 underexposed frames, the app reduces noise, preserves highlight details, and creates images with broader dynamic range—even in RAW/DNG format.
This approach directly addresses common complaints about smartphone photography: overly bright images, artificial sharpening, and lack of depth.
True Manual Controls for Serious Shooters
Unlike most native apps, Project Indigo offers full manual control over:
- Focus
- ISO
- Shutter speed
- White balance (temperature + tint)
- Exposure compensation
- Frame count per burst (to manage noise vs. capture speed)
There’s also a Long Exposure mode that enables creative motion blur effects, making it a standout for low-light or motion photography.
Zoom Smarter with Super-Resolution
Tired of blurry digital zoom? Project Indigo uses multi-frame super-resolution by capturing several slightly offset frames during zoom — relying on your natural hand movement. This real-data technique provides sharper detail without the AI “hallucinations” seen in other apps.
Seamless Lightroom Integration
As an Adobe product, Project Indigo integrates tightly with Lightroom Mobile. You can send JPEG or RAW files straight into Lightroom with metadata and HDR/SDR profiles preserved — perfect for photographers who want complete control from capture to editing.
Experimental Features from Adobe Labs
Project Indigo is more than just a camera app—it’s a testbed for future features. One such innovation is the AI-powered “Remove Reflections” mode, which minimizes window glare and unwanted reflections in your shots.
Device Compatibility and Availability
Project Indigo is compatible with:
- All iPhone Pro and Pro Max models from iPhone 12 onwards
- Non-Pro iPhones starting from iPhone 14
The app is completely free, requires no Adobe account, and is available now on the app store.
Adobe recommends newer iPhones for the best experience, as the app’s high-end processing is CPU-intensive.
