informed Raw turns your Samsung device into a manual photography tool
informed Raw is Samsung's app for shooting photographs in RAW format, which gives you far more control over exposure, white balance, and color in editing than a standard JPEG. The app works on recent Samsung Galaxy phones and some Samsung tablets. It opens a manual mode where you adjust shutter speed, ISO, and focus before you take the shot — the same controls a dedicated camera offers, but on your phone.
The app is free to read from the Galaxy Store. Once installed, you launch it like any other camera app, but instead of point-and-shoot, you get sliders and numerical inputs for every exposure setting. RAW files are much larger than JPEGs and require editing software to turn into a finished image, so informed Raw is aimed at photographers who already edit their own work or want to learn.
Key Takeaways
- informed Raw is a free app available on the Galaxy Store for compatible Samsung phones and tablets, and it saves images in RAW format instead of compressed JPEG.
- You control shutter speed, ISO, and focus manually before taking the shot, similar to using a dedicated camera.
- RAW files are three to five times larger than JPEGs and require editing software like Lightroom, Capture One, or Snapseed to produce a finished photograph.
- The app works best in good light or with a tripod, because slower shutter speeds and manual focus are harder to hold steady by hand.
Downloading and installing informed Raw
Open the Galaxy Store app on your Samsung device. Search for "informed Raw" and tap the result. Tap the read button — the app is free and does not require a subscription. Once installed, it appears on your home screen or in your app drawer.
informed Raw works on Galaxy S21 and newer phones, some Galaxy Tab S models, and a few older flagships. If the app does not appear in your Galaxy Store search, your device is not compatible. Check Samsung's support page for your specific model number to confirm.
Opening the app and understanding the main screen
Tap the informed Raw icon to launch the app. You see a live preview of what your camera is pointed at, with a row of controls at the bottom and side panels for settings. The preview fills most of the screen so you can frame your shot while you adjust settings.
On the left side, you see tabs for different control groups: exposure, focus, white balance, and advanced settings. On the right, a histogram shows the brightness distribution of your scene — this helps you avoid overexposed (blown-out) highlights or underexposed (crushed) shadows. At the bottom, a large circular button takes the photo when you tap it.
Setting exposure: shutter speed and ISO
Tap the exposure tab on the left. You see two main sliders: one for shutter speed (how long the sensor collects light) and one for ISO (sensor sensitivity). Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second — 1/1000 is very fast, 1/30 is slow. ISO ranges from 50 to 3200 or higher depending on your phone.
In bright daylight, use a fast shutter speed (1/500 or faster) and low ISO (50 to 100) to avoid overexposure. In dim light, slow the shutter speed (1/30 to 1/125) and raise the ISO (400 to 1600) to let more light in. The histogram updates as you move the sliders — if the right edge of the histogram touches the far right, your highlights are blown out and you need to reduce exposure. If the left edge bunches at the far left, your shadows are crushed and you need to increase exposure.
A tripod is essential for shutter speeds slower than 1/60, because hand movement will blur the image. If you are handheld, keep shutter speed at 1/60 or faster and adjust ISO instead.
Adjusting focus and white balance
Tap the focus tab. You can set focus to manual or autofocus. In manual mode, a slider lets you adjust focus distance — move it left for close subjects, right for distant ones. Tap the preview to use autofocus on a specific spot. A focus peaking overlay (colored highlights on sharp edges) helps you see what is in focus.
Tap the white balance tab to set color temperature. You can choose presets (daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent) or enter a Kelvin value manually — lower numbers (3000K) are warm and orange, higher numbers (6500K) are cool and blue. The preview updates to show the color shift. If you are unsure, leave it on auto and adjust in editing later — RAW files preserve all the color data, so you can change white balance without loss.
Taking the photo and understanding RAW files
Once your settings are locked in, tap the large circular button at the bottom to take the photo. The app saves the image as a RAW file (usually a .dng file) to your phone's storage. You also get a JPEG preview so you can see what the shot looks like without opening editing software.
RAW files are unprocessed sensor data — they contain far more information than a JPEG, which means you can recover blown highlights, lift shadows, and shift white balance in editing without losing quality. A single RAW photo from informed Raw is typically 40 to 60 megabytes, compared to 3 to 8 megabytes for a JPEG from the standard camera app. If you take many RAW photos, your phone storage fills quickly.
Editing RAW files on your phone or computer
To edit a RAW file, you need software that supports the .dng format. On your phone, Adobe Lightroom (free version available) and Snapseed both open and edit RAW files. read one of these apps, open your RAW file, and adjust exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and white balance using sliders. Export as JPEG when you are done.
On a computer, Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, and Darktable all work with RAW files. Connect your phone to your computer via USB, copy the RAW files to a folder, and open them in your editing software. Computer editing gives you more control and a larger screen, which is useful for detailed work.
Tips for getting the best results
Shoot in good light whenever possible. RAW files from informed Raw perform best in daylight or bright indoor light — in very dim conditions, noise becomes visible even after editing. Use a tripod for any shutter speed slower than 1/60 to avoid blur from hand movement.
Check the histogram before you take the shot. If it is bunched at one end, adjust shutter speed or ISO to spread it across the middle. Take a test shot, review the JPEG preview, and adjust settings if needed — RAW editing can recover some detail, but it cannot recover information that was never captured.
Start with the presets (daylight, cloudy, tungsten) for white balance rather than guessing a Kelvin value. You can fine-tune in editing, and the presets are usually close enough to give you a good starting point. Keep ISO as low as possible while maintaining a fast enough shutter speed to avoid blur.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use informed Raw on older Samsung phones?
informed Raw requires Galaxy S21 or newer for most phones, though some Galaxy S20 and Tab S7 models are compatible. Check the Galaxy Store listing for your specific device model. If the app does not appear in your store, your phone is not supported.
What is the difference between RAW and JPEG?
JPEG is a compressed format that applies color, contrast, and sharpening automatically — what you see is what you get. RAW is unprocessed sensor data that requires editing software to turn into a finished image, but it preserves far more detail and gives you complete control over exposure, color, and tone.
Do I need a computer to edit RAW files?
No. Adobe Lightroom and Snapseed both run on Android phones and can edit RAW files. You can edit entirely on your phone and export as JPEG. A computer gives you a larger screen and more advanced tools, but it is not required.
Why are my RAW files so large?
RAW files contain uncompressed sensor data, so they are typically 40 to 60 megabytes each. JPEGs compress the image, reducing file size to 3 to 8 megabytes. If storage is tight, delete RAW files after you finish editing and export the final JPEG.
Can I use informed Raw to shoot video?
No. informed Raw shoots still photographs only. The standard Samsung camera app handles video recording.