How to use Versions in Lightroom Mobile

Until now, Lightroom Mobile did not have a feature similar to virtual copies that you can find in Lightroom on the Desktop. Using this feature, you can create copies of a photo and try different edits.

With the latest update of Lightroom Mobile, Adobe added a similar - and in my humble opinion - cool feature to Lightroom Mobile, and that's called versions.

A few weeks later, Adobe upgraded the feature again! Now, Lightroom will create versions automatically, too, but you can still create a version manually. The two different types of versions are called Named Version (for a manually created version) and Autosave for an automatically created version.

So, in this article, I'll explain how to use the manual versions and the automatic versions in Lightroom Mobile and when to use which version (pun intended).

What are Versions Lightroom Mobile

Versions are a feature that will enable you to save any state (=version) of an edit. This way, you can try out different edits in Lightroom and always return to a previously saved edit and continue from there. Basically, versions will keep you from needing to reset every edit if you want to go a different route.

Since versions were released, I'm heavily using them to try different edits and approaches for my photos.

To demonstrate the automatic and manual way to create versions in Lightroom Mobile, I'll use a photo of an abandoned and decayed building that I discovered during a hike.

Where to find versions in Lightroom Mobile?

To access the new versions in Lightroom Mobile, open any photo for editing and make sure Edit is selected in the drop-down in the upper left corner.

Once you've applied a few adjustments, swipe the toolbar at the bottom of the screen to the left until you see the versions icon. It's almost at the end of the toolbar.

Tap it. Here you'll find the named version and autosave versions from now on.

How to use autosave (automatic versions) in Lightroom Mobile

Automatic versions in Lightroom Mobile are also called autosaves. Adobe states that Lightroom will automatically create a version for each important edit.

But Adobe does not tell us (yet?), what an important edit is. I assumed that an autosave is created after every single edit, as soon as you turn to a different slider or adjustment. But, as of October 2020, it does not seem to work that way. I'll update the article once I figure this out.

In the screenshot below, you'll see three automatically saved versions (from right to left)

1. The original
2. A version automatically created after I applied perspective correction and color adjustments
3. Another automatic version was created after applying more color adjustments

In step number two, I applied two different color adjustments, but Lightroom saved them as a single version, whereas the single color adjustment to the sky was saved as a separate version. So, as mentioned above, I still need to figure out what Lightroom deems worth saving.

From this tab, you can revert and continue to use any previously saved version.

1. Tap the version you want to revert to in the Auto tab under versions
2. Tap the big blue Apply button in the upper right corner.

If you want to save any autosaved version as a named version, then:

1. Tap the three dots next to the big blue Apply button
2. At the bottom of the screen, a menu will appear containing Save as Named Version and Delete
3. Tap Save as Named Version to create a named version.

Once you've created a named version, it will show up under this name in the Named tab under Versions.

And, if you want to delete an automatic version, follow the same procedure as outlined above and tap Delete in step 2.

Finally, autosaves are synced between devices.

How to use named versions in Lightroom Mobile

Named versions work similarly to autosaves in Lightroom Mobile. Once you've reached a point where you want to save an edit (a version):

1. Open the Versions tab in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. A small drawer will open at the bottom of the screen.
2. Make sure you've selected the Named tab
3. Now tap the big blue Create Version button in the upper left corner of the screen.
4. A dialog will appear, asking you for a name for the named version. Enter any name and tap Create.

The newly created, named, version will be displayed as the last version.

You can also rename or delete a named version. To do so:

1. Select the version to delete or rename in the Named tab under Versions.
2. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner right next to the big blue Apply button. A small pane will appear at the bottom of the screen.
3. Now select either Rename or Delete

Similar to the autosaved versions, you can always revert back to a previously named version:

1. Tap the version you want to set as the current version in the Named or Auto tab under Versions.
2. Tap the big blue Apply in the upper righter corner
3. There is no step 3.

Now Lightroom Mobile will set the selected version as the current version while all the other versions remain saved. The most left version in the versions tab will always display the most current edit. If you chose to revert to any previously saved edit, this version will be displayed as the current version.

Do Versions Sync between iPhone and iPad?

I think I've already mentioned it (and I'm probably too lazy to scroll back). Versions do sync between Lightroom on iPhone and iPad and to Lightroom CC on the Desktop.

Conclusion

I genuinely like the Versions feature in Lightroom Mobile. Previously, If I tried a different edit, I had to copy all the adjustments to the clipboard and paste them back if I didn't like the current edit.

Using versions, that's so much easier. Just create a version anytime during the editing process, and you can revert to a previous version anytime.

It also looks like that this feature is not a Lightroom Mobile Premium feature so that anyone can use it.

If you found this tutorial helpful, check out all the other iPhone Photography Tutorials on my blog. To learn about all the iPhone camera and photo editing apps I use, head over to my page about iPhone Photography Apps and Accessories.