iPhone footage is deceptively tricky to grade because of how Apple records it — Dolby Vision HDR by default, and Apple Log on Pro models. Get the setup right and iPhone footage grades beautifully. Here is how to handle both in DaVinci Resolve.
By default iPhones record Dolby Vision HDR. Dropped onto a standard Rec.709 timeline, that footage often looks flat, washed out or weirdly oversaturated. The fix is to tell Resolve how to interpret it rather than fighting it with the color wheels.
Switch Project Settings → Color Management to DaVinci YRGB Color Managed, then set the input to the clip's HDR standard and the Timeline / Output to Rec.709 Gamma 2.4. Resolve tone-maps the HDR down to a correct SDR base you can grade normally. See color management explained.
If you shot Apple Log (ProRes Log), treat it like any log footage: add a Color Space Transform with input Apple Log and output Rec.709 / Gamma 2.4, or apply Apple's official Log LUT. Full method: convert log to Rec.709.
For the most control, shoot Apple Log (or Apple ProRes) on a Pro model. If your phone cannot, turning off HDR video in the iPhone camera settings records standard SDR, which is simpler to grade even if it holds less range.
Once you have a clean Rec.709 base, everything else on this site applies — balance and contrast, a cinematic look, or a one-click LUT.
iPhones record Dolby Vision HDR by default. On a standard Rec.709 timeline that HDR footage looks flat or washed out. Use DaVinci YRGB Color Managed and set the output to Rec.709 so Resolve tone-maps it correctly, or shoot in SDR/Apple Log instead.
Add a Color Space Transform node with input set to Apple Log and output to Rec.709 / Gamma 2.4, or apply Apple's official Apple Log LUT on its own node before you grade.
Apple Log (on Pro models) gives you the most grading flexibility. If Apple Log is not available, turning off HDR to record standard SDR makes footage much easier to grade than default Dolby Vision HDR.