Report Claims iOS 13 Will Allow Lightroom CC to Import Photos Directly From External Storage

Big updates of iOS always bring the promise of new and exciting features, there are few updates photographers have been clamoring for more than the ability to directly import photos into apps, and it looks like the wait is over.Lightroom on the iPad Pro is pretty impressive. I have used it to edit several sessions, even one where I had to do a skin color change for a cosplay series; something made incredibly easy by utilizing the Apple Pencil. However, I have always gone the route of importing raw files to my computer and uploading as a Smart Collection that I would then edit on my iPad, because importing images into Lightroom CC for iPad is such a pain in the ass. You have to import them from your memory card into your camera roll, then from your camera roll into Lightroom CC. Trust me, it sucks. A new report from 9To5Mac indicates that mind-numbingly awful process may soon be coming to an end as one of the updates that will be announced with iOS 13 will include API access for third party apps to access and import media from external storage.

With a new API, apps will be able to capture photos from external devices such as cameras and SD cards, without having to go through the Photos app.

While the current multiple steps might seem like a small inconvenience, it's the primary reason many photographers don't bother with utilizing their iPad Pros for editing. I, for one, am very excited about this new update and look forward to taking it for a spin.

This new feature (and many more) is expected to be announced at Apple's annual Worldwide Developer's Conference this June. We will be sure to test out the new feature if/when it becomes available and let you know what we think.