Use your own .cube LUT on iPhone
Looks lets you import a 3D .cube LUT from Files and apply it to photos and videos on your iPhone. The key is choosing a LUT designed for the camera and colour space of your source media.
Before you import: check the LUT’s input
A .cube file describes a colour transformation. Its filename or extension does not guarantee it is suitable for your recording. Check the creator’s documentation for the expected camera, log profile, colour space, and output.
- Apple Log LUT: check whether it expects Apple Log 1 or Apple Log 2.
- Creative Rec. 709 LUT: check whether it expects footage that has already been converted from log.
- Another camera’s log LUT: do not assume it will correctly transform iPhone footage.
- Photo or standard video look: use the source type and colour space specified by the LUT’s creator.
Looks applies the selected LUT. Importing a file does not automatically build a chain of camera conversions around it. If your LUT requires a separate log-to-standard conversion, use a LUT that includes the required transformation or prepare the footage in a suitable editor first.
Import, preview, and export
- Save the .cube file somewhere you can access in the iPhone Files app. If the download is a ZIP archive, extract the LUT first.
- Use Looks’ LUT import option to select the .cube file. Looks keeps a local copy so you can use it again.
- Select a representative photo or video in Looks and choose the imported LUT.
- Inspect the preview before adding more media. Check faces, neutral objects, shadows, and highlights; adjust intensity and grain to taste.
- Process a test export and review it in Photos. Then apply the look to a batch of compatible media.
Which .cube files work?
Looks supports 3D .cube LUTs with grid sizes from 2 to 65 points per axis. The file must contain a valid 3D size, input domain, and the complete set of colour values. One-dimensional LUTs are not supported.
If a LUT is rejected, obtain the original 3D .cube export from its creator. Renaming a preset, image, ZIP, or another LUT format to .cube does not convert it.
Common questions
Why are the colours too strong or wrong?
Check the expected input first. Applying a log conversion to an already graded clip, mixing up log profiles, or using a standard-video LUT directly on log can produce an unsuitable result. Lower intensity changes the blend; it does not correct a mismatched colour pipeline.
Can I use the same LUT on photos and videos?
Looks can apply imported LUTs to both, but a shared file does not guarantee a shared result. The LUT must suit each source. An Apple Log conversion is not an appropriate default for an ordinary photo.
Is the imported LUT uploaded?
No. Looks stores and processes the LUT on your iPhone. See the privacy policy for details about media, purchases, and Apple services.
Recording log? Read the Apple Log guide and the Final Cut Camera workflow.