TLDRs:
- Adobe has released Project Indigo, a new camera app that uses computational photography to enhance image quality on iPhones.
- The app works best on iPhone 15 Pro or newer but supports several Pro models starting from iPhone 12.
- It offers advanced manual controls, enabling a more natural, SLR-style look for mobile photography.
- Adobe hints that Project Indigo is the first step toward merging mobile photography and editing in a unified experience.
Adobe has launched Project Indigo, a free camera app designed to elevate mobile photography by harnessing the power of computational imaging.
Available for select iPhone models, including the iPhone 12 Pro series and newer, the app represents a bold leap in how smartphone users capture and process photos. Adobe recommends the iPhone 15 Pro or higher for the best results, pointing to the intensive image-processing demands that underpin Indigo’s core features.
Unlike standard camera apps, Indigo captures a series of exposures and fuses them together in real time. This multi-frame approach helps minimize noise and boost dynamic range, making even low-light or high-contrast shots clearer and more detailed. Adobe isn’t merely playing catch-up with the likes of Apple’s Night Mode or Google’s HDR+, it’s setting out to define a new standard in image quality using software-first techniques.
Manual Precision Meets Computational Power
What sets Project Indigo apart is its hybrid approach. While it leans heavily on advanced algorithms to solve limitations inherent to smartphone cameras, it also offers granular manual controls over shutter speed, focus, ISO, and white balance. This dual nature, combining the brain of a supercomputer with the finesse of a traditional camera, lets users fine-tune their shots while benefiting from software that corrects technical imperfections behind the scenes.
Adobe says its goal is to produce a natural look, closer to what you might expect from a DSLR. In a market saturated with overly processed smartphone images, this emphasis on realism might be the app’s secret weapon. Importantly, the app doesn’t require users to log in with an Adobe account, lowering the barrier for entry and positioning it as a serious tool for both enthusiasts and professionals on the go.
From Capture to Creativity: A New Workflow Begins
According to Adobe, Project Indigo is more than just a camera app, it’s a foundation for an evolving mobile photography platform. The company hinted that this launch is only the beginning of a larger strategy to unify photo capture and editing. As AI continues to reshape Adobe’s creative suite, Indigo could eventually become part of a seamless, on-device workflow where users shoot and edit within a single environment.
This ambition mirrors an April move by Adobe to integrate agentic AI capabilities into its core platforms like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. By enabling AI to assist with tasks from photo capture to post-production, Adobe envisions a future where creative tools are not only smarter but also more intuitive and less reliant on multiple apps or complex workflows.
That said, Project Indigo’s release also fits neatly into Adobe’s broader push to democratize high-end creative tools. Recent advancements in AI-driven personalization for marketing and website navigation show Adobe’s commitment to embedding intelligence across its product line. With Indigo, the company now brings that same philosophy to mobile imaging, signaling its intent to stay at the forefront of both creative expression and technical innovation.
