Adobe has released a new iPhone app (download here) called Project Indigo. It’s designed for people who want more control over their photos without giving up the convenience of a phone. This isn’t about filters or gimmicks. It’s about getting better images through smart use of computational photography.
Instead of capturing a single frame, Indigo takes up to 32 and merges them. That helps reduce noise, recover highlight detail, and improve shadows. The results can be saved as JPEG or raw, and both formats benefit from this multi-frame processing.
Adobe also gives users manual controls that go beyond what most smartphone apps offer. You can adjust shutter speed, ISO, focus, white balance, and even how many frames to use per photo. There’s a long exposure mode too, which works especially well on a tripod for effects like light trails or smoothing water.
Unlike typical smartphone photos that are often heavily processed, Indigo aims for a more natural look. That means less aggressive sharpening, more realistic contrast, and a style that holds up better on big screens. It’s not trying to impress with fake vibrance. It’s trying to look like photography.
There’s deep integration with Lightroom Mobile. Photos taken in Indigo can be sent straight into Lightroom for editing. If you’re shooting JPEG and DNG, it opens the raw version by default. Adobe also embeds both SDR and HDR profiles into each file, so you can toggle between them as needed.
Another interesting feature is multi-frame super-resolution. When you zoom in, Indigo uses slight hand movements to capture multiple perspectives. Those frames are combined to rebuild detail that would otherwise be lost. It avoids the hallucinated detail of some AI tools and sticks with what was actually in the scene.
Project Indigo supports zero shutter lag. That means it’s already capturing frames while you’re composing the shot, so when you press the button, it picks the ideal frame from just before. It works with both JPEG and raw, and helps you get the moment you were aiming for.
There’s also a filmstrip view with experimental features, including a tool for removing reflections. You can shoot through a window and clean up the image right after. It’s the kind of thing you’d normally need a desktop workflow for.
One thing worth noting: when you launch the app, Adobe prompts you to agree to share your usage and crash data. This includes how you use the app and might be used to personalize your experience. You can turn it off in the settings, but it’s enabled by default.
Indigo works on all Pro and Pro Max iPhones starting with the iPhone 12, and on non-Pro models starting with the iPhone 14. There’s no Adobe account required. Just download it from the App Store and start shooting.
An Android version is planned, and Adobe says it’s also working on features like portrait mode, panorama, and computational video tools. There’s talk of exposure and focus bracketing too, which could help with astrophotography and deep focus macro shots.
If you already like how your iPhone takes photos, Indigo is not here to change that. It’s here to give you more options. And if you care about raw files, subtle detail, and full control, it might just replace your default camera altogether.
