How to Install Lightroom Presets on Mobile (Free + Premium, iOS & Android)

If you’ve just bought a Lightroom preset pack and you’re staring at a folder of .dng or .xmp files wondering how to actually get them into Lightroom Mobile, you’re in the right place. This guide walks you through every method — the free Lightroom Mobile app, Lightroom Mobile Premium, both iOS and Android — with the exact taps, no fluff.

By the end you’ll know:

• The difference between .dng and .xmp presets and which one your phone can use
• How to install presets in free Lightroom Mobile (the most common scenario)
• How to install .xmp presets directly in Lightroom Mobile Premium
• How to fix the most common “presets aren’t showing up” problems

What you’ll need before you start

• The free Adobe Lightroom Mobile app (iOS App Store or Google Play)
• Your downloaded preset files — usually a .zip you’ve unzipped to your Files / Downloads folder
• 2 minutes

First: .dng vs .xmp — which one am I dealing with?

This trips up almost everyone. The format determines which method you’ll use:

• .dng files — work in free Lightroom Mobile. They’re “preset photos”: each .dng looks like a tiny image, but the editing recipe is baked into its metadata. You import the .dng as a photo and “copy settings” from it.
• .xmp files — only work directly in Lightroom Mobile Premium (the paid Adobe Creative Cloud version) or in Lightroom Classic / CC on desktop. The free mobile app cannot import .xmp directly.
• .lrtemplate files — older format, desktop-only.

If your preset pack contains both .dng and .xmp (most premium packs do): use the .dng files for free Lightroom Mobile. Use the .xmp files if you have Lightroom Premium or Lightroom on desktop.

Method 1 — Install .dng presets in free Lightroom Mobile (iOS)

This is the most common path for anyone who buys mobile presets.

1. Unzip the preset pack on your iPhone. The Files app handles .zip natively — long-press the zip and tap Uncompress.
2. Open the unzipped folder and tap a .dng file. iOS will show a preview.
3. Tap the Share icon (square with up-arrow), scroll the share sheet, and pick Lightroom.
4. Lightroom imports the file as a photo. Repeat for every .dng in the pack — or use multi-select to share them all at once.
5. Open Lightroom. Tap All Photos. The imported preset photos will be there (they often look like tiny abstract images).
6. Tap one of them, tap the three-dot menu (top right), and choose Copy Settings. Confirm.
7. Open the actual photo you want to edit, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Paste Settings. Done — your preset is applied.

Pro tip: save them as proper Presets in the Presets panel

Doing Copy Settings every time gets old. Convert the .dng into a real saved preset:

1. Open the imported .dng photo in Lightroom Mobile
2. Tap Presets at the bottom (you may need to swipe the toolbar)
3. Tap the three-dot menu on the Presets panel and choose Create Preset
4. Name it (e.g., “AlenPalander_Spring_01”), pick or create a Group, tap the checkmark
5. Now this preset lives in your Presets panel forever — one tap to apply

Method 2 — Install .dng presets in free Lightroom Mobile (Android)

1. Unzip the preset pack on your Android device (Files app, Google Files, or any file manager will do).
2. Open Lightroom Mobile. Tap the blue + icon at the bottom right to add photos.
3. Choose From Files or From Camera Roll depending on where you saved the unzipped folder.
4. Navigate to the unzipped folder, select all the .dng files, tap Add.
5. Lightroom will import them. They appear in your library like ordinary photos.
6. From here, the workflow is identical to iOS: open a .dng → three-dot menu → Copy Settings → open your real photo → Paste Settings. Or save as a permanent preset using the steps above.

Method 3 — Install .xmp presets in Lightroom Mobile Premium

If you pay for Adobe Creative Cloud (Lightroom Premium subscription), Lightroom Mobile syncs presets directly from the desktop app — and it can also import .xmp files locally.

1. Open Lightroom Mobile (Premium / signed-in to Creative Cloud)
2. Open any photo for editing
3. Tap Presets at the bottom
4. Tap the three-dot menu on the Presets panel
5. Choose Import Presets
6. Navigate to your unzipped .xmp files and select them
7. They’ll appear under User Presets in your Presets panel and sync to your Lightroom desktop too

Common problems and how to fix them

“Lightroom doesn’t appear in my Share sheet”

On iOS, scroll the Share sheet all the way right and tap More, then enable Lightroom. If Lightroom still isn’t there, your file probably isn’t a recognized image — make sure it’s a .dng, not a .xmp.

“I imported the .dng but it just looks like a weird thumbnail”

That’s correct. Preset .dng files are intentionally small reference images. The value is in the editing settings attached, not the photo itself. Use Copy Settings from it onto your own photo.

“I have .xmp files but I’m on free Lightroom Mobile”

Free Lightroom Mobile cannot read .xmp. Two options: (1) check whether the pack includes .dng files (most paid packs do), or (2) install the presets in Lightroom on a desktop computer (Classic or CC), then sign in with the same Adobe account on mobile to sync them.

“My presets installed but the colors look totally different on my phone”

This usually means the preset was built for a different camera profile or a RAW file, and you’re applying it to a JPEG or HEIC. Presets are RAW-optimized — they always look stronger on a RAW file. Try the same preset on a RAW image and it’ll behave correctly.

Where to find presets worth installing

If you’re shopping for premium Lightroom Mobile presets, browse our Mobile Presets collection — every pack is officially licensed from working photographers, tested on iOS and Android, and includes both .dng and .xmp files so you’re covered whether you’re on free or premium Lightroom.

For Lightroom Classic and CC desktop users, see our companion guide on installing Lightroom presets on desktop.