Snapseed’s RAW Update Fixes Android, Leaves iPhone Waiting

Google pushed Snapseed 4.1 to Android on July 13, and the free photo editor can now open RAW files from seven major camera formats without converting them first. iPhone owners get none of it yet. The update also adds undo and redo inside individual tools, the first major refresh since May’s full redesign.

Google’s own release notes hedge harder than the headlines suggest. A few RAW formats are not ready, the Android rollout is staged device by device, and there is still no date for iOS.

Android Finally Gets Native RAW Support

The rollout marks Snapseed’s biggest functional jump since version 4.0’s redesign landed in May. Version 4.1 adds native processing for DNG (Digital Negative, Adobe’s open RAW standard) plus six proprietary camera formats: Sony’s ARW, Canon’s CR3, Nikon’s NEF, Fujifilm’s RAF, Olympus and OM System’s ORF, and Pentax’s PEF.

Before now, Android’s version of the app leaned almost entirely on DNG, leaving anyone shooting a camera-specific raw format to convert files elsewhere first. Google says the change involved rebuilding parts of its image pipeline and, in its words, “ironing out corner cases” across formats and camera bodies.

• Native RAW processing expands from essentially one format to seven: DNG, ARW, CR3, NEF, RAF, ORF and PEF.
• Undo and redo now work inside individual editing tools instead of only the main filmstrip screen.
• The rollout is staged, so the update may not reach every Android device immediately.

On the Google Play Store, Snapseed is still listed as a free download with no subscription tier in front of the new RAW tools.

Seven Formats In, Panasonic Still Out

Seven formats now load natively inside Snapseed 4.1, spanning most of the mirrorless and DSLR market. Google has not published a full list of what remains missing, only that a few formats “aren’t quite there yet.”

Panasonic’s RW2 format is the most obvious gap. It does not appear anywhere on Google’s list, despite Panasonic ranking among the more common mirrorless systems photographers use for stills and video. Google has not said which of the excluded formats, including RW2, are close to done.

Google keeps a running device and file compatibility reference for the app, the logical place to check as the remaining formats get added.

A Neglected App Suddenly Gets Attention

Snapseed spent years with comparatively little development attention before this stretch. After years of sitting largely untouched, Google shipped a full redesign in May, with a new interface, one-tap camera access and batch editing among the headline additions.

Google followed that redesign with grid lines and leveling guides at the start of July, then RAW support and in-tool undo and redo on July 13. Three rounds of improvement in about ten weeks is a different pace than the app kept for years beforehand.

The Workaround Culture Built Around a Gap

The format gap was real enough that outside developers built tools to route around it. On GitHub, a developer using the handle xerootg built an app converting raw camera files to DNG specifically so they could be opened inside Snapseed, with a JPEG export option for sharing afterward.

Desktop tools like Adobe’s free DNG Converter served a similar purpose for years, turning camera-specific raw files into the one format Snapseed’s Android version could actually read. Native support does not retire those tools completely, since formats outside the newly supported seven still need a workaround.

Why Hasn’t Snapseed 4.1 Reached iPhone Yet?

Google has only said an iPhone version is coming, without a firm date attached. The Android release itself is staged, reaching devices gradually so Google’s team can catch problems before the update reaches everyone, and RAW support is complex enough that the company is bracing for bugs even after internal testing.

RAW processing is tricky.

Google said in its release notes, an admission that lines up with the cautious, staggered rollout schedule rather than a simultaneous launch everywhere.

What we know:

• Snapseed 4.1 is rolling out to Android now, with native support for DNG, ARW, CR3, NEF, RAF, ORF and PEF files.
• In-tool undo and redo work inside individual editing tools rather than only the main screen.

What’s unconfirmed:

• An exact release date for the iOS version.
• The complete list of RAW formats Google still needs to finish beyond DNG, ARW, CR3, NEF, RAF, ORF and PEF.

For a walkthrough of the tools available once a RAW file loads, Google publishes a step-by-step guide to developing RAW images inside the app. Until Google says otherwise, the safest assumption for iPhone shooters is that native RAW editing stays an Android-only feature for at least the next several weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Snapseed 4.1 Available on iPhone Yet?

Not yet. Google has only said an iPhone version is coming in the near future, without a firm date. The iPhone build currently sits at version 4.0.2, last refreshed June 1, 2026, well before Android jumped to 4.1 on July 13.

What RAW Camera Formats Does Snapseed 4.1 Support?

Seven so far: DNG, Sony’s ARW, Canon’s CR3, Nikon’s NEF, Fujifilm’s RAF, Olympus and OM System’s ORF, and Pentax’s PEF. Google has acknowledged a few additional formats are not ready but has not published which ones remain excluded.

What Does the New Undo and Redo Feature Actually Change?

Before this update, reversing a mistake made inside a tool like Healing or Brush meant exiting all the way back to the main filmstrip screen first. Snapseed 4.1 lets most actions be undone or redone directly inside the tool itself, without losing your place in a multi step edit.

What Did the May 2026 Snapseed Redesign Add?

Version 4.0 introduced a rebuilt interface along with one tap camera access, batch editing across multiple photos, one touch masking, and a set of camera and film filters, the foundation the July updates have been building on.

Is Snapseed Free to Use?

Yes. Snapseed has remained free on both Android and iOS throughout its history, and Google has not signaled any plan to put RAW editing or the rest of the 4.1 features behind a paywall.