Lightroom update lets iOS and iPadOS users import photos directly

Lightroom users on a device with iOS or iPadOS now have the option to import photos directly into the photo-editing program, without the need for a detour.

Adobe writes that users with an iPad or iPhone with iOS 13.2 or later can import their raw files directly into Lightroom, via a Lightning to SD adapter, Lightning to USB 3.0 adapter, a USB-C card reader, or directly from a camera connected via a cable.

Previously it was already possible to import photos into Lightroom on an iPad or iPhone, but this had to be done via the detour from the camera roll, after which Lightroom could be opened and the photos had to be removed from the camera roll afterwards. Apple made this workaround possible early this year, partly due to the inability of iPads to connect to external storage devices.

In addition, the update allows users of iOS and iPadOS devices to now export multiple photos from Lightroom in their original file formats, as well as as tif, jpeg, and dng files. This export function was already released in November for Android and ChromeOS.

The Lightroom versions for Windows, Mac, Android, ChromeOS, and iOS are also getting an update that allows users to add photos to shared albums in Lightroom via the web, desktop, or mobile devices. This album sharing feature came out in August, where someone can share their album and invite others to add photos as well, but it wasn’t available back then through desktops or mobile devices.