How to edit iPhone photos using TikTok's favorite formula

The viral TikTok iPhone photo editing formula makes life look like a sunkissed wonderland.

TikTok users are finally taking advantage of iOS photo editing features with this "hack," which is less of a hack and more of an editing formula that plays with shadows, saturation, and color.

In one of the most popular videos demonstrating this method, TikTok creator anaugazz showed viewers the importance of trusting the process. The video, posted in April, has 17.3 million views. Using a selfie, anaugazz raised the photo's exposure and brilliance to the highest possible setting. Then, she adjusted the photo's highlights, shadows, black point, saturation, vibrance, warmth, and tint to achieve the final image's dreamy vibe.

The TikTok iPhone editing hack is perfect for the summer.

Credit: TikTok / anauagazz

The TikTok iPhone editing hack is perfect for the summer.

Credit: TIKTOK / ANAUAGAZZ

In the midst of editing, the photo looks like a relic of MySpace posts. Don't be ashamed of blown-out selfies, though — even superstars like Lizzo fell prey to the overexposed, oversaturated aesthetic of the early internet.

Once you play with the iOS vignette tool and then lower the photo's exposure and brilliance to zero, you'll end up with a sunkissed image worthy of any summer mood board.

Trust the process. Credit: tiktok / anaugazz

Here's the exact formula anaugazz used to achieve this final iPhone photo masterpiece:

• Exposure: 100

• Brilliance: 100

• Highlights: -32

• Shadows: -26

• Contrast: -30

• Brightness: -15

• Black point: 10

• Saturation: 10

• Vibrance: 8

• Warmth: 10

• Tint: 29

• Sharpness: 14

• Definition feature: 23

When you're done changing all of those settings, go back to the beginning of the iPhone's editing features and slide the exposure and brilliance back to 0.

Don't believe the hype? Here's another example of the editing formula posted by TikTok creator kawehi_. The golden hour clouds look unreal.

The viral editing hack works best with sunny photos.

Credit: tiktok / kawehi_

The viral editing hack works best with sunny photos.

Credit: tiktok / kawehi_

It's worth noting that this editing formula seems to work best with photos taken in bright, natural light. Happy iPhone editing!

Need some more editing tips? Here's how you can take HDR photos on your iPhone.

Related Video: 5 game-changing iPhone hacks for 2021

This story was originally published in May 2021 and updated in August 2021.