Raw SmithBlog
Apple's new RAW decoder in iOS 27 and macOS 27: what 'Enhanced' does
RAW 9 is the new version of Apple's system RAW decoder in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. It uses a machine-learning model to demosaic and remove noise in a single step, so RAW files come out sharper and far cleaner at high ISO. Apple's own apps use it, but third-party apps have to opt in. In Raw Smith it's the Enhanced switch in the Detail panel.
What is RAW 9?
Every app on an Apple device that opens camera RAW files through Core Image uses the same system decoder. It turns the sensor's raw data into a picture: it fills in the missing colours at each pixel (demosaicing), reduces noise, sharpens, and hands the result to the app. Apple has revised that decoder several times since 2006, and each revision is kept as a numbered version so old edits keep looking the same.
Version 9 was introduced at WWDC 2026 in the session Enhance RAW image processing with Core Image. The big change is that demosaicing and noise reduction are no longer separate, hand-tuned stages. A Core ML model, run in tiles on the Neural Engine, does both together. Because it removes noise while it reconstructs detail, rather than after, it can keep fine texture that a later noise filter would smear. DPReview's write-up, Apple buried its most interesting photography update in a developer session, covers Apple's examples, including a very noisy high-ISO file that RAW 9 renders much more cleanly.
What changes in your photos
- Less noise, especially at high ISO. This is the most visible difference. Grain in shadows and smooth areas such as skies drops a long way, and colour blotches mostly disappear.
- More fine detail. Edges and textures are reconstructed more cleanly, so the photo looks sharper without extra sharpening.
- Different controls. Apple says the model handles colour noise itself, so the decoder's colour noise reduction has no effect in RAW 9, and its detail and moiré controls are no longer supported. Luminance noise reduction, sharpness and contrast still work.
It isn't a filter you add on top of a finished picture. It replaces the first stage of development, so everything else you do to the photo, from exposure to masks, works on the cleaner result.
Which devices and cameras does it work with?
| Systems | iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 (also visionOS 27). Apple's documentation lists version 9 as available from those releases; earlier systems don't have it. |
|---|---|
| Cameras | Apple says hundreds of models from all the major makers, and that the list will grow through software updates. DNG files, including iPhone ProRAW, are supported. |
| Old photos | Yes. It develops the RAW data you already have, so a file from years ago can be developed again with it. |
RAW 9 support isn't quite the same as RAW support. A camera can open fine with the older decoder and still not be on the RAW 9 list yet. Apps can ask the system for the RAW 9 list, but there's no public page that lists it. The practical check is to open a file in an app that offers RAW 9 and see whether the option appears for it. For basic RAW support, see Will my camera's RAW files open on iPhone, iPad and Mac?
Why it isn't the default in third-party apps
Apple is explicit about this in the WWDC session: RAW 9 is not enabled by default. An app has to check that a file supports version 9 and then choose it. Apple's own apps, such as Photos and Preview, use it, as DPReview reports.
There are two good reasons for the opt-in. First, Apple says RAW 9 is more demanding than earlier versions: the model runs hundreds of times on each image. Once a photo has been decoded, later edits are quick because Core Image caches the result, but the first decode and every full-size export take longer. Second, an app that has already edited your photos can't switch decoders under you without changing how those photos look. A decoder change is a change to the photo, so it should be your call.
So if your editor hasn't added RAW 9, you're still getting the older decoder, even on iOS 27. If it has, look for a setting: apps name it differently.
Is there a downside?
Mostly time. Each decode takes more work, and that adds up most when you export a large batch at full size. On a low-ISO photo shot in good light the gain is also smaller: there isn't much noise to remove, and the older decoder already did a good job. RAW 9 earns its keep on high-ISO, low-light and night shots, and on files where you plan to lift the shadows a long way.
It also looks different. Noise that the old decoder left as fine grain may now be gone, which some people like less on purpose-made gritty photos. You can add grain back afterwards, and you can always switch back.
How Enhanced works in Raw Smith
Raw Smith develops every RAW with Apple's system decoder, and it calls RAW 9 Enhanced.
- Where it is. Open a photo, go to the Detail panel and turn on Enhanced ("Apple's machine-learning demosaic and noise reduction").
- When you'll see it. Only when your system offers the RAW 9 decoder for that file. On iOS 26 or macOS 26, or for a camera that isn't on Apple's RAW 9 list, the switch isn't there.
- Each photo keeps its decoder. When you import a photo, Raw Smith pins it to the newest decoder that isn't Enhanced. A system update that adds a newer decoder never changes a photo you've already edited. Enhanced is only used when you turn it on.
- Older photos work too. Photos imported before you updated to iOS 27 or macOS 27 get the switch as well, as long as the camera is supported. Turning it on develops the same RAW again with the new decoder; the original file is never changed.
- The first time. The system may need to fetch what the decoder needs, so a small spinner shows beside the switch until it's ready. Until then the photo stays on its old decoder.
| Standard decoder | Enhanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Detail panel controls | Sharpening, Noise Reduction, Color Noise, Detail, Moiré, Edge Contrast (those your camera supports) | Sharpening, Noise Reduction, Edge Contrast |
| Colour noise | Color Noise slider | Handled by the model |
| Speed | Faster | Slower to decode and export |
A few details worth knowing. Enhanced is set photo by photo: copied adjustments and presets don't turn it on, so switch it on in each photo that needs it. The Detail panel works on the original RAW, so on a device where the original is still in iCloud, download it first. With iCloud sync the choice travels with the photo; a device on an older system draws it with the decoder it has. And as with every decode setting, the effect shows once the photo settles after you let go of a slider.
For a full noise workflow, from exposure to export size, see How to reduce noise in high-ISO RAW photos. The editing guide covers the Detail panel. Raw Smith is a free download with a free tier and a 14-day trial; Pro is a one-time purchase or a yearly plan. It's in public beta on TestFlight for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Questions
What is RAW 9 on iPhone and Mac?
RAW 9 is version 9 of Apple's Core Image RAW decoder, new in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. It uses a machine-learning model on the Neural Engine to demosaic and reduce noise in one step, which gives sharper detail and much cleaner high-ISO photos.
Is RAW 9 used automatically in every app?
No. Apple's own apps such as Photos use it, but for third-party apps it isn't the default. Each app has to check that a file supports version 9 and opt in.
Does RAW 9 work on old RAW files?
Yes. It works on the RAW data itself, so photos you shot years ago can be developed again with it, as long as the camera is on Apple's RAW 9 list.
Which cameras does RAW 9 support?
Apple says hundreds of models from all the major makers, plus DNG files such as Apple ProRAW, with more added in software updates. Apps can ask the system for the exact list; the simplest check is whether an app offers RAW 9 for your file.
How do I turn on Enhanced in Raw Smith?
Open the photo, go to the Detail panel and turn on Enhanced. The switch only appears when your system offers the RAW 9 decoder for that file. It's set per photo and can be turned off again at any time.