If you love taking photos on your iPhone, Adobe’s new app might quickly become your favourite tool. Called Project Indigo, this newly released app brings powerful “computational photography” features to your mobile camera—the kind that used to be exclusive to high-end devices. The brains behind it, Marc Levoy, is the same expert who helped shape the remarkable photo quality of early Google Pixel phones.
Adobe Labs released Indigo last week. It is free to download and works on a range of iPhones—specifically the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, and all iPhone 14 models and newer. However, Adobe recommends using it on the iPhone 15 Pro or later to get the most out of it.
Transform your photos with smart technology
Unlike your phone’s built-in camera, Indigo doesn’t just snap a single photo. Instead, it captures a burst of images and merges them into one high-quality shot. This technique reduces noise and improves the dynamic range, giving you a sharper and more vivid photo. The result is an image that looks natural, polished, and closer to what you might expect from a DSLR or SLR camera.
You also get manual controls over your camera settings, something many built-in phone apps lack. With Indigo, you can adjust the focus, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance to fine-tune your shots as a professional photographer would. But even if you’re not a pro, the app is designed to be easy to use and enjoyable for casual users.
And best of all? You don’t need to log into an Adobe account to use it. Just download the app and start shooting.
A testing ground for future innovations
Project Indigo isn’t just another photography app. It’s a testing ground for what Adobe calls “new photographic experiences.” According to Levoy and co-developer Florian Kainz, this app could soon include features like reflection removal with a single tap. That means you could take a photo through a window without annoying glare – something that even expensive cameras struggle with.
More tools are on the way, too. Adobe says it’s working on adding portrait mode and video recording, and it is even expanding the app to Android devices in the future.
“This is the beginning of a journey for Adobe,” said Levoy and Kainz. “Our goal is to create a seamless mobile photography and editing experience that blends the latest computational photography and AI breakthroughs.”
They hope Indigo appeals to a wide range of users – from casual mobile photographers who want beautiful photos for social media or family albums to advanced users who wish to control top-tier image quality. And for anyone who enjoys experimenting with creative new photo tools, Indigo promises a fun and fresh way to capture your world.
A new chapter for mobile photography
With Project Indigo, Adobe is confidently stepping into a space that continues to grow—where your phone camera can deliver professional results without the bulky gear. And with leaders like Levoy behind the scenes, the future of mobile photography is looking clearer and crisper than ever.
Whether you’re a beginner, a seasoned pro, or just someone who wants their photos to pop on the big screen, Indigo could be your next go-to app for capturing life’s moments.
