Lightroom Mobile: import RAW file - does it work?

The import options for RAW files in Lightroom Mobile are very obvious due to the editing options. Unfortunately, you have not yet been able to simply import RAW files via the device.

Trailer: Adobe Lightroom mobile for the iPad

No RAW file import for Lightroom Mobile

Adobe has so far understood "Lightroom Mobile" as a partner application for the correct "Lightroom" on the computer. So you should be able to edit images on your tablet, but not completely without Lightroom. According to the official Adobe FAQ for Lightroom Mobile, there is no support for RAW files. There are several reasons against a RAW import:

• RAW files are too large: A RAW file is usually 20 megabytes in size or larger. After importing, you would have to upload all of these files to your tablet in order to make them available later in the collection. In addition to your own data volume, Adobe would also suffer because the information is first loaded into the "Adobe Creative Cloud" and then downloaded back to your computer.
• Not enough computing power: Most mobile devices are not powerful enough to process a RAW file. While you could definitely carry out complex edits with newer devices such as the iPad Air 2 or an equivalent Android tablet, most mobile devices are not yet able to do this. Loading the color information of a RAW file alone would be too much of a challenge.
• No native support for RAW files: RAW files are not yet recognized as an image file by the mobile operating system. So that you can import RAW files, your device must either already recognize the file as an image file or have to be converted beforehand by a third-party program.

Of course, you can sync the RAW files on your computer with the cloud and then edit them on your tablet. Another practical tip tells you how to set up Lightroom Mobile synchronization on a PC.