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Export and share photos in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)

  1. Adobe Lightroom User Guide
  2. Introduction
    1. What's new in Lightroom
    2. Lightroom system requirements
    3. Lightroom | Common questions
    4. Lightroom tutorials
    5. Work with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for mobile
    6. Set preferences
  3. In-app learning
    1. In-app learning and inspiration
    2. In-app learning and inspiration | Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    3. In-app learning and inspiration | Lightroom for mobile (Android)
  4. Add, import, and capture photos
    1. Add photos
    2. Capture photos with Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    3. Capture photos with Lightroom for mobile (Android)
    4. Import photos in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    5. Import photos and videos in Lightroom for mobile (Android)
  5. Organize photos
    1. Organize photos
    2. Find and organize photos of people in the People View
    3. Search and organize photos in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    4. Search and organize photos in Lightroom for mobile (Android)
  6. Edit photos
    1. Edit photos
    2. Edit photos in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    3. Edit photos in Lightroom for mobile (Android)
    4. Quickly edit photos with Quick Action in Lightroom on mobile (Android)
    5. Quickly edit photos with Quick Action in Lightroom on mobile (iOS)
    6. Presets in Lightroom
    7. Presets in Lightroom for mobile (Android)
    8. Crop, Rotate, & Geometry tool in Lightroom
    9. Remove tool in Lightroom
    10. Remove tool in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    11. Remove tool in Lightroom for mobile (Android)
    12. Edit panel in Lightroom
    13. Masking in Lightroom
    14. Lens Blur in Lightroom
    15. Merge photos to create HDRs, panoramas, and HDR panoramas
    16. Edit HDR photos
    17. Edit HDR photos in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    18. Edit HDR photos in Lightroom for mobile (Android
    19. Easily enhance image quality in Lightroom
    20. Edit photos in other apps
    21. Learn about Content Credentials
    22. Add Content Credentials in Lightroom on mobile (Android)
    23. Add Content Credentials in Lightroom on mobile (iOS)
  7. Edit videos
    1. Edit videos 
    2. Edit videos in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    3. Edit videos in Lightroom for mobile (Android)
  8. Save, share, and export
    1. Export or share your photos
    2. Export and share photos in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    3. Save, share, and export photos with Lightroom for mobile (Android)
  9. Lightroom for mobile, TV and the web
    1. Get started with Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    2. Get started with Lightroom for mobile (Android)
    3. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom on the web
    4. Set up Lightroom for Apple TV app
    5. Use keyboard shortcuts in Lightroom for mobile (iOS and Android)
    6. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for mobile and Apple TV | FAQ
    7. View Lightroom photos and videos on your TV
    8. How to Add Presets/Sync Presets with mobile
  10. Migrate photos
    1. Migrate Apple Photos Library to Lightroom
    2. Migrate photos and videos from Lightroom Classic to Lightroom
    3. Migrate photos from Photoshop Elements to Lightroom
  11. Troubleshooting 
    1. Fixed Issues 
    2. Known Issues

 

Learn how to export photos and videos and share albums from the Lightroom for mobile (iOS) app. Share photos with their metadata and add a watermark if you want to.

Use the Share option in Lightroom for mobile (iOS) to send photographs over email, print, or save them to iOS photos. Share a photo from the Loupe view or select multiple photographs and share them from the Lightroom view. You can also share videos from the app.

Starting with Lightroom for mobile (iOS) version 10.1, you will be able to share directly to Instagram by selecting the Share   icon > Send to Instagram. If you have HDR turned on while sharing directly to Instagram, the app will include the HDR information in an AVIF file and send it to Instagram. For the feature to work, Lightroom for mobile (iOS) would require full access to Photos and Instagram installed on the device.

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Follow along with any project to learn how to share an image. 

Export photos in the format of your choice

You can export edited photos as OriginalJPGAVIF, JXL, TIF, and DNG, with HDR Output for AVIF and JXL. HDR-optimized images are also stored in JPG using Gain Map.

Gain Map provides a solution for a consistent and adaptive display of HDR images. Conceptually, this method combines both SDR and HDR renditions within a single image and interpolates between the two dynamically at display time. A Gain Map represents the quotient between the two renditions. The image file stores a Base rendition (SDR or HDR), the Gain Map, and some associated metadata. At display time, the Base image is combined with the scaled version of the Gain map, where the scale factor depends on the image metadata and the HDR capacity of the display. Gain Maps can be downsampled and compressed to save space. View Gain Map to learn more.

To export photos, follow these steps:

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Open the image, that you want to export, in the Edit view. Tap the Share icon at the top of the screen.
    • In the Lightroom view, long press any photo to select and bring up the multi-selection view and select all the photos that you want to export. Tap the Share icon at the bottom of the screen. 
  2. In the pop-up menu that appears, tap Export as....

  3. In the Export dialog box, select the following options:

    File Type

    Choose from JPG, AVIF, JXLTIF, DNG and Original (export the photo as full-size original).

    Dimensions (JPG and TIF only)

    Choose from the following options:

    • Largest Available Dimensions: Exports the selected photos in the highest available quality in JPG and TIF format.
    • Small (2048 px): Limits the length of the exported photos to 2048 pixels. The breadth is scaled accordingly to maintain the original aspect ratio.
    • Custom: Applies the specified pixel value to the long edge of the photo and uses the original aspect ratio of the photo to calculate the other edge. The long edge value can't exceed 15,000 pixels.

    Image Quality (JPG only)

    Choose an option from 10% to 100%.

    Bit Depth (TIF only)

    Choose the bit depth from 8 bits or 16 bits.

    Save Transparency (TIF only)

    Select this option to save the transparency of the exported photos.

    Compression (TIF only)

    Choose from ZIP or LZW as the compression method, if you want the exported photos to be compressed.

    Include Watermark

    Turn on this option to include watermark text or graphics in your exported photos. To place the watermark on or near any corner of your photo, tap on the dot anchor of the particular corner before placing the watermark. The bottom-left corner is selected by default.

    Tap More Options to access:

    • Option to Include Metadata.2
    • Option to include Camera & Camera Raw Info and Location Info.
    • File Naming: You can choose to name you exported photo(s) as the original name, custom name, or in 'date-filename' format.
    • Output Sharpening: Set the sharpening settings based on the medium in which you want to view the photo(s) and the amount of sharpening you want.
    • Color Space: Choose a color space based on the intended output.
    • HDR Output Toggle the switch in JXL and AVIF to include HDR data. JPG also stores HDR data with Gain Map.
    Export options
    Export options for JPG.

  4. The number of selected photos to be exported is displayed at the top of the screen.

Export edited photos to iOS photos

After you've edited a photo, you can export a copy of the modified photo to iOS photos. To do this, do one of the following:

For multiple photos

  1. In the Grid view (viewing photos in an album), long-press a photo to bring up multi-select, select one or more photos. Tap the Share icon at the bottom of the screen and then tap the Save copy to device option from the pop-up menu.
  2. In the Image Size dialog, tap to choose one of the following options:
    • Small (2048 px) Limits the length of the exported JPG photos to 2048 pixels. The breadth is scaled accordingly to maintain the original aspect ratio.
    • Maximum available Exports the selected photos in highest available quality in JPG format.

For a single photo

  1. In the Loupe view (viewing a single photo), tap the Share icon, and then tap Save copy to device.
  2. In Image Size dialog, tap to choose one of the following options:
    • Small (2048 px) Limits the length of the exported JPG photos to 2048 pixels. The breadth is scaled accordingly to maintain the original aspect ratio.
    • Maximum available Exports the selected photos in highest available quality in JPG format.
  3. Tap OK.

Once the edited image is exported, it will be denoted as a badge on the top left corner of the photo in the Device view.

Note:

Before you select an option to export or share the photo, tap the Settings toggle icon beside  Share or Save copy to device to view export settings. These settings include options to add a watermark, include metadata, add a caption, and more.

Note:

Lightroom allows you to retry saving your photos if the export process fails. Do the following if the Export dialog displays these error messages:

  • No Internet connection: Ensure that your device is connected to the Internet. Switch back to Adobe Lightroom for mobile (iOS) and tap Retry.
  • Not enough storage to perform export: Free up some storage space in iOS photos. Switch back to Adobe Lightroom for mobile (iOS) and tap Retry.
  • Lightroom does not have permission to save photos in iOS photos: Provide permissions to Adobe Lightroom for mobile (iOS)  in your device settings. Switch back to Adobe Lightroom for mobile (iOS) and tap Retry.

Export videos to iOS photos

In the Grid or Loupe view, do the following:

  1. Select the video that you want to export or share.

  2. Tap the Share icon.

  3. In the Share panel, do one of the following:

    • Save copy to device Tap this option to save a copy of the video to iOS photos.
    • Share Tap this option to share the video with AirDrop, Mail, Shared Albums, and more. You can also find options such as Save Video, Copy, and Save to Files, among other options.
    • Export as...Tap this option to export the video as MP4 or original with AirDrop, Mail, Shared Albums, and more. You can also find options such as Save Video, Copy, and Save to Files, among other options.

Once the edited video is exported, it will be denoted as a badge on the top left corner of the video in the Device view.

Create edit replay

Create and share a short video that shows the edits you’ve made to your photo to achieve your final look in just a few taps. Following the steps mentioned, Lightroom will create a before and after video to which you can add personal touches and share on any platform.

  1. Select the edited photo that you want to create a replay for.

  2. Tap the Share icon ().

  3. In the Share panel, tap Create edit replay.

  4. From the pop-up, tap on the desired mode of sharing the created video or save it to iOS photos.

Tip:

Share your edit replay videos on social media and tag @Lightroom for a chance to get featured. 

Share an album

Create a shared album and invite others to edit and contribute

You can now share and invite others to view, edit, and contribute to an album. You can also select photos which aren't a part of any album, share them through an invite, and request others to edit and contribute to the album. This way, you can easily access all your desired photos in one place.

To share and invite others to an album, follow these steps:

  1. In the Lightroom panel, tap () icon next to the desired album and tap Share & Invite from the pop-up menu.  You can also long-press desired photos in the grid view that are not part of any album, tap the Share icon in the bottom panel, and tap Invite & get a link.

  2. Tap Get sharable link if your album is private.

  3. In the Stay in the loop dialog box that appears, click Allow to receive notifications when viewers comment or like your shared photos.

  4. In the Share & Invite panel, you can click  to copy the generated link to share it with others and specify the following settings: 

    Share and invite on iOS

    Link Access

    Tap to view the following:

    Invite OnlyThe Link Access field is set to Invite Only, by default. This creates a private link that only people whom you invite can access or contribute to your album.

    Anyone Can View: Change the Link Access setting to Anyone Can View to allow anyone with the album's shared link to view or contribute to the album. 

    Invite People

    Tap to enter the email addresses of people to send the invite to and click Send. You can also view the list of the email addresses you have already sent the invite to. Next to each email address, tap  to set the album access setting of that person. You can select from one of the following settings: 

    Can view: The invitee can only view the shared album.

    Can contribute: The invitee can add photos to the shared album.

    Can edit and contribute: The invitee can edit photos in the shared album and add more photos. They can also export the photos in JPG format.

    Remove: Removes the invitee from the shared album list.

    Link Settings Tap to specify the following link settings:

    Show metadata: Turn on to allow others to view metadata of the shared album photos.

    Show location info: Turn on to allow others to view location info of the shared album photos.

    Allow comments and likes: This setting is turned on by default to allow others to comment and like your shared album photos.

    Allow JPG downloads: Turn on to allow others to download the shared album photos.

    Allow access request: Turn on to allow other users to request access to view your shared album.

    Customize Display

    Tap to specify the following display options:

    Show title: Turn on to make the album title visible on the top of the shared album.

    Show author: Turn on to make the author's name visible on the shared album.

    Theme: Choose from Photo grid, One-up, or Column to specify the layout of photos in a shared album. By default, Photo grid is selected.

    Appearance: Select Dark or Light to choose the background of photos displayed in a shared album. By default, Dark is selected.

  5. Tap the tick icon to complete.

Note:
  • To modify the share settings of a shared album, open the shared album in the Lightroom albums panel and click Share & Invite icon in the upper-right corner.
  • If multiple people are editing the same photo, you can find all the different edits in the Auto tab of the Versions panel. 

View or contribute to a shared album as an invitee

If you have the shared album link or invite by email, follow these steps to access it:

Note:
  • You can contribute photos using Lightroom for mobile (iOS), in addition to Lightroom on the web, to any shared album where you are invited as a contributor.
    If you're using an earlier version of Lightroom for mobile (iOS), you can contribute photos to shared albums using the Lightroom on the web link, which is sent to you in an email invite.
  • You can view and contribute photos to shared albums even if you haven't subscribed to the premium features. The album owner, however needs to have a valid trial or paid subscription for premium features to invite people to shared albums.

    • If a Lightroom shared album owner has sent you an email invitation, tap the View Album link in the body of the email. This directs you to Lightroom on the web where you can sign into your Adobe account and view the shared album.
    • If you've received the URL of a Lightroom shared album from another source, sign into your Adobe account to view the shared album using the given link.

    In case the shared album owner has restricted your access to contribute photos, you can request access once you sign into your Adobe account. The shared album owner will be notified of your access request by email and may grant you access to contribute.

    Note:

    When you accept the invitation using the email, you can create or sign into any Adobe ID that you have. It does not have to be the same email address to which the invitation was sent.

  1. After the shared album owner has granted you access to contribute, launch Lightroom for mobile (iOS) and tap the tick icon.

  2. Tap Shared with You to view the list of albums that are shared with you.

  3. If the group album owner has provided the Can Contribute access to you, you can add photos and videos to the album. To contribute, do one of the following:

    • While in the Albums list view, tap the () icon near the album name and then select Add Photos
    • Open the album, tap () icon, and select Add Photos
    • Open the album and tap the Add photos icon in the bottom-right of the screen
  4. If the group album owner has provided editing access to you, you can add and edit photos in the album. To learn more about editing, see Edit photos in Lightroom for mobile (iOS).

Note:
  • When you select Add Photos from the All Photos view, you can contribute photos that are already imported into your Lightroom catalog.
  • If you choose Add Photos From iOS photos, From Files, or From Camera Device, photos or videos that are not already part of your own account are imported into your Lightroom catalog before they're copied to the shared album. After these files are synced to the shared album, you can remove them from your catalog to save your account’s used cloud storage space.
  • You can remove any photos and videos that you have contributed to a shared Lightroom album within 48 hours of adding them.

Add a text watermark to your photo

You can add a customizable text watermark while sharing your photos and while exporting photos to iOS photos.

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Open the photo that you want to export in Loupe view. Tap the Share () icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
    • In the Grid view, long press any photo to bring up the multi-selection view and select all the photos that you want to export. Tap the Share () icon in the bottom panel of the screen. 
  2. In the pop-up menu that appears, select Export as.

  3. In the Export as screen, select the Include Watermark toggle and then click Customize.

  4. In the Customize Watermark screen, tap the Text tab.  In the field above the preview, enter the text you want to use as a watermark. Then, use the given options to format the font, adjust text size, rotate, change color between black or white, use drop shadow, change opacity, and set horizontal and vertical offsets to position your watermark. You can see an instant preview of your watermark settings in the same screen.

    The text watermark options in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    The text watermark settings in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)

  5. After customizing your watermark, tap the (<) icon in the upper-left corner to return to the Export as screen. Then, tap the (✓) icon in the upper-right corner to export your photo with the watermark.

Add a graphical watermark to your photo

Lightroom for mobile (iOS) now supports graphical watermark which you can add while exporting or sharing your photos. To add a graphical watermark, follow these steps:

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Open the photo that you want to export in Loupe view. Tap the Share () icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
    • In the Grid view, long press any photo to bring up the multi-selection view and select all the photos that you want to export. Tap the Share () icon in the bottom panel of the screen. 
  2. In the pop-up menu that appears, select Export as.

  3. In the Export as screen, select the Include Watermark toggle and then click Customize.

  4. In the Customize Watermark screen, tap the Graphic tab.  In the field above the preview, tap the folders icon to upload an image that you want to use as a watermark. Then, use the roatate icon below the preview to rotate the watermark. You can also adjust the watermark size, opacity, and set horizontal and vertical offsets to position your watermark.

    You can see an instant preview of your watermark settings in the same screen.

    The graphical watermark settings in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)
    The graphical watermark settings in Lightroom for mobile (iOS)

  5. After customizing your watermark, tap the (<) icon in the upper-left corner to return to the Export as screen. Then, tap the (✓) icon in the upper-right corner to export your photo with the watermark.

Message or mail photos

  1. Do one of the following:

    • If you're in Loupe view (viewing an individual photo), tap the () icon, and then tap Share To.
    • If you're in Grid view (viewing all photos in an album), long-press a photo to bring up multi-select, select one or more photos. Tap the Share icon at the bottom of the screen and then tap the Share To option from the pop-up menu.
  2. The next dialog that appears displays a list of installed apps that you can use to share your photos.

    Choose an app to share with and follow the onscreen instructions.

  3. Follow the onscreen instructions and provide the necessary information to send a mail or message containing the photos.

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