The Lightroom Mobile Hidden Tricks No One Talks About

When I upgraded to my new iPhone 17 Pro Max, I decided not to restore from my old phone’s backup. Instead, I set everything up from scratch. Doing this forced me to carefully choose which apps to reinstall and dig through their settings. When I got to Lightroom for Mobile, I rediscovered a bunch of hidden features and shortcuts that I’d forgotten about — many of which make using the app faster, more powerful, and simply more fun.

Today, I’m sharing seven of my favorite hidden Lightroom Mobile tricks (plus a bonus one). Whether you’re on iPhone, iPad, or Android, these will help you edit smarter and enjoy the process more.

1. Fast Access to App Settings

Instead of digging through menus, just tap the Lightroom logo in the top left corner. This takes you straight to App Settings — perfect if you frequently toggle preferences when switching between personal editing and screen recordings.

2. Cycle Through Info Overlays in Grid View

Double-tap on the grid to cycle through different overlays — file type, star ratings, file details, EXIF data, and even likes/comments if you’ve shared an album. Double-tap once more to hide everything. This is a great way to customize how much info you want visible at a glance.

3. Reveal Hidden Metadata in Detail View

Open a photo, then double-tap with two fingers to bring up detailed info about the file. Tap again to see file names, ratings, lens/camera data, and even copyright info. One more double-tap reveals the histogram — a must-have for precise edits.

4. Adjust Grid Size with Pinch Gestures

Want more images on screen at once? Pinch in with two fingers to make the grid smaller and more info-dense. Pinch out to enlarge until you get a one-up view. Pair this with the Square Grid option under View Settings if you prefer a uniform look.

5. Store Albums Locally (the Smart Way)

Tap the three-dot menu next to any album and toggle Store Locally to keep copies on your device. Pair this with the setting for Only Download Reduced Resolution so Lightroom saves space by using Smart Previews — unless you need full resolution for AI tools like Generative Remove.

6. Enable Project Indigo as Your Camera

If you’re on iPhone, check Early Access settings and toggle Use Indigo for Camera. Indigo is Adobe’s powerful standalone camera app with unique features like on-device reflection removal and denoise. Support for iPhone 17 series is coming soon, but if you have a compatible phone, it’s worth trying right now.

7. Two-Finger Tap While Adjusting Sliders

This one is a game-changer: when adjusting sliders like Highlights, Whites, or Sharpening, drag with one finger and tap-and-hold with another to reveal clipping masks or grayscale sharpening previews. It’s the fastest way to fine-tune edits with precision.

It's Time to Learn How To Use Lightroom Everywhere!

If you enjoyed this topic and want to learn how to get the most out of Lightroom's cloud-based ecosystem on the desktop, smartphone, and tablet, then you should check out my Lightroom Everywhere course! It has over 11 hours of easy-paced lessons that'll teach you how to make the most out of Lightroom Desktop, Mobile, and Web.