Apple Gave You a Pro Camera—Lightroom Mobile Lets You Actually Use It
Image by Craig Boehman
For nearly three months, I debated which third-party camera app could actually work as a true companion to the iPhone 16 Pro’s native camera. And I say companion because, let’s be real, you can’t fully replace Apple’s default camera—third-party apps are locked out of key system features, including those sweet additional focal lengths like 28mm, 35mm, and 48mm.
That’s the reality with Lightroom Mobile’s camera, too. It’s far from perfect—missing a few minor bells and whistles, especially when it comes to filters and presets (which, frankly, I couldn’t care less about). But when it comes to what actually matters—manual control, RAW shooting, and a clean interface—Lightroom Mobile checks the most boxes for me when shooting stills.
In this article, I’ll break down exactly why it’s my go-to. If you’re rocking an iPhone 16 Pro (or any future model), you’ll likely go through your own trial-and-error process to figure out which third-party app works best as a companion—because at the end of the day, we all have different needs, but we all want full control over the Exposure Triangle.
Why Lightroom Mobile Won Me Over
I’ve still got three or four manual camera apps lingering on my phone—deleting them is on today’s to-do list. Sure, I could write a side-by-side comparison of why Lightroom Mobile won out, but honestly? I don’t care to. There are already a ton of those comparison articles and YouTube videos out there, but most are so neutral and generic they end up being useless. No review really helped me decide what to actually use. I had to take these apps out into the field, shoot street photography in real-world conditions, and figure it out for myself.
So, let me be clear—I’m not here to convince anyone to use Lightroom Mobile. It just happens to be the best companion camera app for me. But if this helps you trim down your pile of third-party camera apps—because let’s face the facts, they’re hoarding your phone’s resources like a bunch of data-hungry parasites—then that alone makes this worth it. Let’s get to it.
I’m Paying for the Adobe Photography Plan—Might as Well Use It
Money talks, and Adobe takes a hefty cut from me every year for access to Photoshop, Lightroom, and the rest of the Photography Plan bundle. If you’re already paying for it, you’re not just getting the desktop apps—you’ve also unlocked all the premium Lightroom Mobile features that free users miss out on.
These include:
Healing Brush: Remove unwanted objects or blemishes with precision.
Selective Adjustments: Apply edits to specific areas using brush, gradient, or radial tools.
Geometry Tools: Correct perspective distortions and straighten images.
Raw Editing: Import and edit RAW files directly on your mobile device.
Premium Presets: Access a wide range of professional-grade presets to enhance your photos.
Cloud Storage: Sync and back up your photos across devices with Adobe's cloud services.
Sensei Search: Utilize Adobe's AI-driven search to quickly find photos based on content.
Batch Editing: Apply edits to multiple photos simultaneously for a streamlined workflow.
I don’t do much in-phone editing with my best shots, but having access to Lightroom’s expanding feature set for quick social media posts or casual edits makes the subscription well worth it. So if you’re on an Adobe subscription that includes Lightroom, this is a strong argument for putting Lightroom Mobile on your list of contenders.
Cloud Storage & Workflow
The cloud storage feature is worth highlighting, especially for those of us who primarily edit on a desktop. In short, as long as my images are synced to the cloud, they’ll be ready and waiting when I get home to access them via Lightroom Web. I’m still refining my workflow, but based on my experience so far, Lightroom Web just isn’t a practical editing solution. The data demands and occasional lag make it unreliable—sometimes it runs smoothly, other times it’s frustratingly slow.
That said, it is useful for culling images and deciding which ones to download for editing in Photoshop via Adobe Camera Raw. From there, it’s just a click away to Photoshop, where the real work begins.
Until recently, I was dumping all my RAW files into Dropbox, and I’ll probably continue switching between Lightroom and Dropbox depending on which has the most available space. Bottom line: photographers need to think about their workflow when choosing a companion camera app for their iPhone 16 Pro (or any model). More importantly, they need to decide where their editing happens most—on their phone or their desktop—before locking into a system.
Lightroom Camera Usability
The truth is, Lightroom Mobile doesn’t give you perfect access to the Exposure Triangle. You get control over shutter speed and ISO, but aperture? That’s a different story. There’s no dedicated aperture setting—just focus adjustments ranging from macro to infinity. But that’s the trade-off when using a third-party app on the iPhone 16 Pro. Still, it’s workable. Here’s how I set up my camera.
Black and White Preset - High Contrast B&W
First things first—I’m currently experimenting with high-contrast black and white and want to preview the look while shooting in RAW. Lightroom Mobile makes this possible. Just tap the Presets icon in the lower right, choose your preferred filter, and you’ll see a real-time black-and-white preview as you shoot. When your images sync to the Cloud, the preset look stays visible in Lightroom.
However, here’s the catch—if you download the RAW DNG file for editing elsewhere, you’ll get the original color version, not the preset. If you’re attached to the black-and-white look you used in-camera, the best workaround is to check what settings the preset applied. For example, my High Contrast B&W preset relies heavily on a +70 contrast boost, with minor tweaks elsewhere. Knowing this, when I bring my RAW files into Lightroom or Photoshop, I can manually apply the same adjustments to recreate the look.
Bottom line—Lightroom Mobile is great for previewing a B&W aesthetic, but if you plan to work with RAW files later, take note of the key adjustments so you can easily replicate them.
Using the Camera
Here’s the core of it—the main reason I’m using a third-party camera app is to take control of the Exposure Triangle, specifically shutter speed and ISO. Lightroom Mobile makes that process seamless. I keep my ISO as low as possible and adjust shutter speed on the fly. If I’m shooting in stable lighting conditions, I’ll lock in the ISO and rely solely on shutter speed for exposure adjustments.
I don’t bother with much else. My only focus is capturing a slightly underexposed image, giving me a head start in post-processing. Since I already lean toward a darker, moody aesthetic in my fine art work, this approach ensures I have the right tonal foundation straight out of the camera.
Adjusting the shutter speed slider on the fly during a street photography session takes some getting used to, especially with moving subjects and constantly shifting scenes. But when shooting still subjects, it’s effortless. Switching between shutter speed and ISO in Lightroom Mobile is as smooth as it gets for a touchscreen interface—though, of course, it’s not as intuitive as the dedicated dials on a traditional camera.
The Frustration: Locked-Out Focal Length Presets in the Native Camera App
The Lightroom Mobile camera app isn’t alone in this limitation—no third-party camera app has access to all the preset focal lengths found in the native iPhone camera. Specifically, the extended focal lengths on the 1x camera, such as 28mm and 35mm, as well as the 2x camera’s 48mm option, are completely locked out. In Lightroom Mobile, the only available focal lengths are Wide (24mm), Ultra Wide (13mm), and Telephoto (120mm).
This adds another step to shooting with Lightroom Mobile beyond just adjusting shutter speed and ISO. To the right of the shutter button, you’ll find three focal length options, which you’ll need to manually switch between while composing your shots.
There’s definitely a bit of a learning curve in making the process feel seamless during a street photography session. But that’s just part of shooting with a phone. Every camera—no matter the type—has its own quirks. For many of us, myself included, it’s all about adapting and integrating a smartphone workflow into our shooting process.
The Fix for Missing Focal Lengths – Using Lightroom Mobile as a Companion to the iPhone 16 Pro’s Native Camera
It’s not a perfect fix, but it’s a quick one—especially with the dedicated camera button on the iPhone 16 Pro. Having access to only three focal lengths in Lightroom Mobile isn’t ideal, but you can always pinch to zoom for adjustments. I do this often, though the trade-off is not knowing the exact focal length in the moment. Not a huge deal, unless you need a specific focal length or want access to features exclusive to the native camera app.
Here’s my solution: I keep the Lightroom Mobile camera open while shooting, but if I need to switch immediately, I just press the dedicated camera button. In less than a second, I’m back in the iPhone’s native camera app, ready to go. That’s all there is to it.
For those of us stuck in a world where Apple still hasn’t given stills photographers full manual control, finding the right third-party camera app is a necessary step. The decision isn’t always straightforward, and while you can keep multiple apps, settling on one that integrates smoothly into your workflow makes shooting far more efficient.
For me, it came down to a few key factors. My existing Adobe Photography Plan, the need for cloud syncing, and the ability to edit seamlessly on a desktop all played a role in making Lightroom Mobile my go-to for manual controls. It’s not perfect—no third-party app is—but it gives me the control I need without disrupting my process.
At the end of the day, every photographer has to find what works best for them. The trial-and-error process is inevitable, but once you land on the right tool, everything starts to fall into place. Hopefully, this has helped you decide whether Lightroom Mobile deserves a spot on your contender’s list—or if it’s one you can scratch off and move on.
