To crop an image in Lightroom Classic, open it in Develop, select the crop tool, set the aspect ratio, adjust the boundary, and select Close. In Lightroom mobile, open the photo, select Crop, choose Aspect, adjust the framing, and select Done. Exporting is a separate step from deciding the crop.
Identify your Lightroom interface first
This guide covers Lightroom Classic on desktop and Lightroom on iOS and Android. It does not treat the separate cloud-based Lightroom desktop application as Classic. Classic has a Develop module and a separate export dialog. Mobile uses a photo detail view and touch controls.
Adobe’s live Classic crop help now calls the tool Crop and its settings Crop & Straighten. Many readers know this editing area as Crop Overlay. Follow the tool and settings described here rather than assuming that every release prints the same heading.
For mobile, Adobe’s former iOS and Android crop help addresses currently resolve to one consolidated Crop photos guide. Its labels are the current documented workflow for both platforms, not a verified claim about every older installed build. Adobe does not attach a minimum app version to those particular instructions.
| Interface | Where cropping starts | Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Lightroom Classic | Develop, Crop | Close, then export separately |
| Lightroom mobile on iOS | Detail view, Crop, Aspect | Done |
| Lightroom mobile on Android | Detail view, Crop, Aspect | Done |
Crop an image in Lightroom Classic
Use this sequence for the desktop Classic workflow. Adobe’s official crop instructions document the crop handles, aspect lock, straightening controls, and Close action.
- Open the photo in the Develop module. Confirm that you are editing the intended image, especially when several similar frames appear in the filmstrip.
- Select Crop. Drag a crop handle to set the crop boundary. Drag a corner handle when you want to adjust both width and height.
- In Crop & Straighten, choose a fixed ratio with the aspect-ratio control, or enter a custom ratio. Decide the delivery shape before fine-tuning the subject’s position.
- Use the lock icon to maintain that ratio while resizing. Unlock it only when you want the width and height to change independently.
- Refine the boundary so distracting edges fall outside it. Zoom in if a precise edge matters, then inspect the whole composition again.
- If necessary, adjust Angle for manual rotation or choose Auto for automatic straightening. Recheck the crop after either operation.
- Select Close to apply the crop in the editing workflow. Continue to export when you need a separate file for delivery.
Use the crop mask to inspect excluded content
If the outside area is difficult to judge, right-click the photo and choose an opacity percentage under Crop Mask. This changes the visibility of the area outside the boundary while cropping. It is an inspection aid, not a way to add more image area to your export.
Choose proportions before dimensions
A ratio of 1:1 produces a square; 4:5 describes a portrait rectangle when width is listed first. Neither specifies how many pixels remain. Adobe documents that Classic stores up to five custom crop ratios, dropping older entries when additional ones are created. Keep a record of recurring delivery requirements rather than relying on that short history.
For a single square deliverable without a catalog workflow, the square crop tool can be a simpler alternative. For a prescribed width and height, use crop image to size. These are alternative workflows, not commands inside Adobe’s interface.
Crop in Lightroom mobile on iOS and Android
The following numbered sequence follows Adobe’s consolidated mobile documentation. On both platforms, work from the photo itself, not from Classic instructions involving modules or a desktop export dialog. Screen spacing can differ between phones and tablets.
- Open the photo in detail view and select Crop.
- In the Crop and geometry panel, select Aspect.
- Choose Original to work from the image’s original proportions, Ratios for an available ratio, or Social Media Aspect Sizes for a platform-oriented preset.
- For Original, select inside the crop border to reposition the image, then drag a corner or edge handle to adjust the boundaries.
- If you need a free crop, select Locked to release the preset constraint. This is Adobe’s documented action wording, not an instruction to keep the proportions locked.
- Select Orientation if you need to switch between portrait and landscape framing.
- Drag the cropping wheel next to the border if the image needs rotation. Adobe documents a range from minus 45 to plus 45 degrees.
- Select Done when the composition is correct.
If your installed iOS or Android release instead shows older controls, do not substitute a guessed label. Adobe’s earlier introductory mobile tutorial illustrates a checkmark confirmation and explicitly warns that iPhone, iPad, and Android interfaces can vary. The steps above describe the current consolidated help, not that older screenshot layout.
For social delivery, confirm the actual requested placement before choosing a preset. An account avatar, portrait feed image, and full-screen story can require different shapes. The Instagram crop tool is useful when you want a dedicated framing workflow outside Lightroom.
Export the cropped photo from Classic
Closing the crop tool does not create the deliverable file. Adobe’s export workflow separates the edited photo from the file written to disk.
- Select the photo you want to deliver.
- Choose File > Export. Alternatively, use Export in the Library module.
- At the top of the dialog, choose Export To > Hard Drive for a local file.
- Specify the destination and naming options. In File Settings, select the required format and color space.
- Review Image Sizing for dimensions and resolution. Match the destination’s specification rather than confusing the crop ratio with a finished pixel size.
- Select Export, then open the resulting file and inspect its framing and dimensions.
These export steps are for Classic only. They are not mobile export menu instructions. Read crop versus resize if a delivery specification mixes shape, dimensions, and file size. For a different desktop editor, see cropping an image in Photoshop rather than transferring Classic labels into Photoshop.
Common problems
The crop changes shape unexpectedly
In Classic, inspect the lock icon and selected ratio. On mobile, inspect Aspect and whether you released the ratio constraint. Set the intended shape again before refining the boundary; repeatedly dragging a free crop is an unreliable way to match a fixed proportion.
The export is smaller than expected
A tight crop retains fewer source pixels, and export sizing can reduce the output further. Check both stages. A large output setting does not guarantee that the original detail survives a severe crop. Make a less aggressive crop when the subject allows it.
Constrain to Image does not seem relevant
Adobe limits Constrain to Image to cases involving Lens Corrections or Transform. Do not treat it as the ordinary aspect lock. Use the ratio lock to control proportions, and review corrected or transformed edges separately for unwanted empty areas.
Frequently asked questions
Does cropping in Lightroom set the export pixel dimensions?
No. An aspect ratio controls the shape of the retained area. Export sizing controls the dimensions of the delivered file. Set the ratio while cropping, then review Image Sizing during Classic export. A square crop is not automatically a particular number of pixels.
How do I crop freely in Lightroom Classic?
Open the crop controls in Develop and unlock the lock icon. Adobe documents the unlocked state as allowing unconstrained resizing. Drag a handle to adjust the boundary, check the composition, and select Close. Lock the ratio again when you need consistent proportions.
Are the Lightroom iOS and Android crop instructions different?
Adobe’s former platform-specific crop URLs currently lead to the same consolidated mobile Crop photos documentation. That workflow uses Crop, Aspect, and Done. Older installed versions can show a different layout or confirmation icon, so do not look for Classic’s Develop module on a phone.
Why does straightening cut off more of the picture?
Rotating a rectangular image leaves corners that cannot all fit inside a smaller rectangular crop without losing some edge content. Leave extra space around important details before straightening. Review the final boundary after rotation rather than assuming the original crop still contains everything.
Should I crop before or after exporting?
Finalize the composition before your delivery export. Export a rendered file that includes that framing, then inspect the result. Keep the editable Lightroom photo available if you need another layout later, instead of repeatedly cropping and saving an already compressed delivery JPEG.