Using High Dynamic Range (HDR) iPhone Footage in Premiere Pro: The Complete 2025 Guide

When editing iPhone videos in Adobe Premiere Pro, the HDR format appears to be oversaturated and unnatural. Many YouTubers and creators are frustrated due to this. Most of the recent models of iPhones have an HDR mode switched on by default.

The good news? Adobe fixed this in February 2023 by adding proper support. You no longer need expensive workarounds, plugins, or LUTs.  If you have any issue related to to iphone guide then visit this page.

Why Your iPhone HDR Footage Looks Terrible in Premiere Pro

The HDR Problem That’s Frustrating iPhone Videographers

When you import HDR video from your iPhone into Premiere Pro, it often looks oversaturated with blown-out whites. Colors look wrong. Highlights are clipped. This happens because of a color space mismatch.

Newer iPhones record in HDR automatically. Your phone records video using a wider color gamut than a standard video. Seeing problems when using this iPhone footage and Premiere Pro default.

Many creators waste hours searching for solutions. Some purchase plugins. Others download LUTs. The real fix is simpler and free.

What Changed: Adobe’s HDR Support Update

In February 2023, Adobe Premiere Pro 23.2 version has been released which supports HDR editing workflow fully. This update transformed iPhone video editing for creators.

The tools you need are included when you are using Adobe Premiere Pro 23.2 or later. No plugins needed. Just correct settings.  If you have any issue related to Iphone Touch Up Photos then dont worry we also provide solution of this issue here on this website.

Understanding HDR Video and Color Spaces

What is High Dynamic Range (HDR) iPhone Video?

HDR video can be the same thing as an SDR video but with a huge difference. It’s Dynamic Range of HDR video is wider, giving it a huge potential for image quality excellence. HDR will show whiter whites, darker blacks and more vibrant HDR colours in between.

SDR has been the standard for decades. HDR goes further than these limits and creates more realistic footage.

iPhone 12 and newer versions by Apple have HDR as their default settings. These devices record HDR video automatically.

Rec. 709 vs Rec. 2100: The Color Space Clash

Color spaces standardize colors so they look the same everywhere. Consider them as containers with different capacities for colours.

Rec. 709 is the color space used for normal video. It’s the industry standard. Adobe Premiere Pro uses Rec. 709 is the default working color space.

Rec. 2100 is the latest standard for HDR video. The larger size and extra colors captured by HDR are handled by it no problem.

iPhone HDR options save video footage in a Rec.709 color space. 2100. Here’s where problems start.

If your Premiere timeline settings use Rec. 709 and you add Rec. 2100 clips, images look terrible. The color gamut is too large to fit inside Rec. 709. It’s like forcing a large box into a small space.

Why Display Settings Matter When Editing HDR iPhone Footage

Your computer screen may show colors in sRGB, the computer version of Rec. 709. It’s not an HDR-compatible display.

When you preview Rec. When you view 2100 footage on a standard monitor without the correct display setting, the colours seem wrong. The footage is fine. Your display simply can’t show it correctly.

This confuses editors. “We thought our footage was broken, but it looks like a preview problem.”

Setting Up Premiere Pro for HDR iPhone Footage

Essential Premiere Pro Settings for Editing iPhone HDR Video

Make these important changes before importing iPhone movie footage.

Navigate to Settings > General in Premiere Pro. Find two specific options.

Display Color Management must be enabled. This allows Premiere to manage various color ranges properly.

Extended dynamic range monitoring must also be turned on. This allows HDR preview mode to work properly.

These settings are required. If you don’t use them, your HDR footage will have blown-out highlights.

How to Identify HDR Footage from Your iPhone

Open your iPhone clip in QuickTime on Mac. Click Window > Show Movie Inspector.

Look for transfer function information. If you see ITU-R BT.2100 (HLG) then your video is HDR.

HLG stands for Hybrid Log-Gamma. It is the HDR encoding format that your iPhone uses.

Method 1: Editing and Exporting HDR iPhone Footage as True HDR

Creating an HDR-Native Sequence in Premiere Pro

The simplest way to handle iPhone HDR video in Premiere is to let it automatically create the sequence.

Right-click your HDR clip in the project pane. Select New Sequence From Clip. It automatically sets an appropriate sequence.

The settings of the clip match the color space resolution and frame rate of the sequence. No manual configuration needed.

Proper Sequence Settings for HDR iPhone Video

Right-click on the Sequence and click on the Sequence Settings to check it.

Your Working Color Space should display Rec. 2100 HLG. The video previews codec should be Apple ProRes 422 HQ. This compression standard properly supports HDR.

Resolution matches your iPhone camera settings. Most newer iPhones shoot 4K, though some use 1080p.

Exporting HDR iPhone Footage for YouTube and Vimeo

Choose QuickTime as your export format. This matters for HDR video upload to platforms.

In export settings, verify the color space is Rec. 2100. Don’t change to Rec. 709 or you’ll lose HDR.

Upload to YouTube or Vimeo. Anyone with an HDR compatible display will be able to playback HDR content on both platforms.

Verifying Your HDR Export Worked

After uploading to YouTube, click the settings gear. If “HDR” appears in quality options, it worked.

YouTube HDR processing takes several minutes. Vimeo HDR processing works similarly.

Your video’s whites must be able to be brighter than the white of the webpage. That confirms HDR is active.

Method 2: Converting HDR iPhone Footage to Standard (SDR) Video

When to Use SDR Instead of HDR for Your iPhone Footage

Sometimes HDR delivery isn’t ideal. Your audience might use older devices. Your client might request SDR.

Converting HDR to SDR is simple with correct settings. You’re mapping Rec. 2100 to Rec. 709 and lessening the color gamut.

Setting Up Auto Tone Mapping in Premiere Pro

Create a new sequence and set working color space to Rec. 709. Enable Auto Tone Map Media.

This is crucial. When you drag HDR footage to the timeline, it is tone-mapped automatically. Conversion happens in real-time.

Your blown out HDR video now looks normal. Determines the colours and spacing of your content automatically.

Exporting iPhone Footage as Standard Dynamic Range Video

When exporting, select Rec. 709 as your color space. This video plays without any issues on any device or HDR.

This workflow offers flexibility. Shoot HDR on iPhone but make sure to export as SDR for best compatibility. Why Am I Not Receiving Emails On My iPhone? Reasons & Fixes

The Bottom Line: Mastering HDR iPhone Footage in Premiere Pro

Once you know how, using HDR iPhone footage in Premiere Pro is a cinch.

Always remember to activate Display Color Management and Extended dynamic range monitoring within the settings. Making Use of New Sequence From Clip helps to match the colour of the iPhone video. Enable Auto Tone Map Media when working in Rec. 709.

For YouTube HDR uploads, keep everything in Rec. 2100 from sequence to export. For standard delivery, work in Rec. 709 with tone mapping enabled.

Out with blown-out highlights and saturation problems. Adobe’s color management takes care of everything with Premiere Pro 23.2 and later.

Test your setup. Check your settings. Start creating better videos with your iPhone today.