How to Use Apple Reference Image on iPhone 18 Pro

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max come with a new camera feature called Apple Reference Image. It lets you verify that a photo was actually captured on an iPhone and check whether it has been edited or altered afterwards.

Think of it as a secure digital negative for your photo.

Here’s what it does and how to set it up.

What is Apple Reference Image?

When you take a photo in Reference mode, the Main camera securely captures and signs image data directly on the camera sensor. This data is also securely timestamped.
Your iPhone saves your regular photo as normal, but it also stores the signed sensor data. You can then develop this data into an unalterable Reference Image in the Photos app.

You can compare the Reference Image with your regular photo to see whether changes have been made, including:

• Cropping

• Color adjustments

• Other photo edits

• Generative AI edits

The easiest way to think about it is:

Your normal photo is the finished image. The Reference Image is the secure digital negative showing what the camera originally captured.

How to set up Reference Image

Reference Image is turned off by default, so you'll need to enable it first.

1. Open Settings.

2. Tap Camera.

3. Tap Reference Image.

4. Tap Setup Reference Image

5. Follow the instructions on your screen.

You only need to complete this setup once.

How to take a Reference Image

Once you've set it up:

1. Open the Camera app.

2. Swipe to Reference mode.

3. Tap the Shutter button or use Camera Control.

4. Your iPhone captures the regular photo together with the signed sensor data.

You can still use features such as Live Photos, Portraits and Photographic Styles in Reference mode. Some features, including Night Mode, aren't available.

How to find your Reference photos

Open:

Photos → Collections → Media Types → Reference

Here you'll find the photos you've captured using Reference mode.

How to develop a Reference Image

Before you can view and compare the Reference Image, you need to develop it.

1. Open Photos.

2. Select a photo captured in Reference mode.

3. Tap the Reference badge in the top-left corner.

Your iPhone sends the signed sensor data and associated metadata to Private Cloud Compute, where the photo is authenticated and the Reference Image is developed.

You'll need an internet connection for this step.

How to check if your photo was edited

Once the Reference Image has been developed:

1. Open the photo in Photos.

2. Tap the Reference badge.

3. Tap the image to switch between the regular photo and Reference Image

   .

This lets you quickly compare what the camera originally captured with the finished photo.

Don't be surprised if the Reference Image looks flatter. Apple applies minimal processing to it, so it can have less contrast and saturation than your regular photo.

Reference Images use extra storage

Reference Image stores additional camera data, so it takes up more space.

For 12MP and 24MP photos, the undeveloped Reference data uses around 8–10MB extra. For 48MP photos, this increases to around 35–40MB.

Once developed, Reference Images use approximately 3MB for 12MP/24MP photos and 7–8MB for 48MP photos.

If you use Reference mode regularly, keep an eye on your iPhone and iCloud storage.

Sharing a Reference Image

You can decide whether to include the Reference Image when sharing a photo.

Open the photo and go to:

Share → Options → Reference Image

You can then turn Reference Image on or off before sharing.

You can also enable it by default under:

Settings → Camera → Reference Image → Share Reference Image

One thing to keep in mind: Apple recommends developing a Reference Image before sharing it. An undeveloped Reference Image may contain additional information about your device, including its serial number, as well as the full image frame.

Where is Apple Reference Image available?

Apple Reference Image capture is available on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Reference Images can be developed, viewed and shared on supported iPhones, iPads and Macs running iOS 27, iPadOS 27 or macOS 27 and later.

There is one important limitation: Reference mode isn't currently available for capturing photos in the European Union. Users in the EU can still develop and view Reference Images.

My thoughts

Apple Reference Image isn't something you'll need for every photo I believe. But when you want to prove what the camera originally captured, it becomes incredibly useful. You essentially get a secure digital negative that can be compared with your regular photo to see what changed.

With AI-generated and heavily edited images becoming more common, I think Reference Image is a very interesting addition to the iPhone 18 Pro camera. Personally, I believe people are looking for more authenticity in photography. Knowing that what you’re looking at is actually what the camera captured. Reference Image gives us a new way to show exactly that.

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