Technology Previews in Lightroom on Mobile and Web
I sometimes forget that features I use all the time are only accessible after enabling them as Technology Previews. For example, the Long Exposure function found in the camera module in Lightroom for mobile has been available as a Technology Preview on supported devices for a few years now, so long that I forget it is not available by default. So, if you should see a feature discussed or demoed in Lightroom for iOS, Android, or even the web (meaning lightroom.adobe.com) chances are it is a Technology Preview that you have to enable.
Caveat, you also have to keep in mind that a certain Technology Preview may need certain minimum hardware and/or software requirements be met before it would show as an option for a given device. For example, Long Exposure will only show as a Technology Preview for iPhone 7, 7+, and newer models. So depending on your device, the age of the device, and the operating system version installed you may not have access to all possible features offered as a Technology Preview.
What is a Technology Preview?
Technology Previews are typically new features that may not yet be completely production ready for certain devices/operating systems, but may be enabled for testing on some devices. These previews can be released along with any app update and can sometimes slip under the radar. The newer your device (with the latest updates) the more likely it will support a Technology Preview.
You can see what Technology Previews (if any) are supported on your device by opening the Lightroom Settings menu on that device and looking for the Technology Previews menu.
If you go to Lightroom.adobe.com and sign in with your Adobe ID you can look for your profile icon in the upper-right corner and click that to access the settings menu where Technology Previews are located.
At the time of this writing, I am aware of the following Technology Previews for iOS:
- Long Exposure
- Depth Capture
On Android:
- Select Subject and Select Sky
- HDR Support
On Lightroom.adobe.com:
- Collaborative Proofing
Over time some of those features may evolve into full integrated features or may quietly go away. I always enable them to see how they work, but if you run into a problem you can just as easily disable them the same way.