Quick answer: install DaVinci Resolve for iPad from Apple’s App Store. The US listing checked on September 8, 2026 offers 21.0.4 as a free download. Apple requires iPadOS 18.0 or later and an A12 Bionic chip or newer. Blackmagic separately recommends an iPad Pro with M1 or newer and at least 8GB of RAM. Being allowed to install the app is not a promise that your footage will edit smoothly.
Before buying an iPad or moving a desktop project, test three things that the store badge cannot answer: whether your source files play with audio, whether the device has enough working storage, and whether the project opens on the desktop Resolve version you plan to use. A tablet can be compatible with the app and still be the wrong machine for a heavy camera format or a long-form timeline.
This page covers the dedicated iPad app. For Windows, macOS, Linux, Studio and older builds, start at the Download & Install hub. An iPhone or Android phone is a different availability question; the iPad listing is not an installer for those devices.
Use the Real App Store Listing
The legitimate app is named DaVinci Resolve for iPad and the developer is Blackmagic Design Inc. It is not an APK, a configuration profile, a remote-control wrapper or a “mobile Resolve” download from a file site. If the developer name does not match, stop.
- Open the App Store on the iPad.
- Search for DaVinci Resolve for iPad.
- Confirm the developer is Blackmagic Design Inc.
- Read the current Compatibility section before tapping Get.
- Install the free app first; make a Studio decision after the real workflow test.
The September 8 listing reports an app size of about 3.8GB. That is Apple’s listed app size, not the storage budget for an editing project. Source clips, working files, backups and finished exports need additional space. Check the free space on the device rather than assuming that 3.8GB spare is enough.
Compatible Does Not Mean Comfortable
Apple's current installation floor is iPadOS 18.0 and an A12 Bionic chip or later. Blackmagic's own description recommends an iPad Pro with M1 or newer and at least 8GB of RAM. It also warns that earlier models may be limited to HD and that memory limits can disable or restrict features.
| Question | What the current listing says | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Can the app install? | iPadOS 18.0+ and A12 Bionic+ | Hard compatibility gate from Apple |
| What does Blackmagic recommend? | iPad Pro with M1 or newer and at least 8GB RAM | Better floor for buying specifically for Resolve |
| Will an older iPad behave like a desktop? | Earlier models may be HD-limited or lose features under memory pressure | Test before committing a project |
| Is the listed app size enough free space? | No; it describes the app, not working media | Budget for sources, cache and exports |
If you already own the iPad, install Free and run the acceptance test below. If you are shopping for hardware, buy for the heaviest footage and timeline you expect, not the lightest demo that launches. Our Resolve system requirements guide explains the difference between a minimum and a comfortable editing target, although its desktop GPU advice does not map directly to iPad silicon.
Plan Storage Before You Import Media
Keep enough room for the originals you store locally, any working files the project creates, and the finished export. A drive with space for the source clips alone may still fill during the job. Before importing a large folder, decide where those files and the backup will live.
- Keep the original media on a known volume with a backup.
- Use a fast external SSD when the project size makes internal storage impractical.
- In Files, open Browse and look under Locations for the external drive; then confirm Resolve can access its media.
- Leave room for cache and the final export at the same time.
- Disconnect the drive only after imports, playback and exports using it have finished.
Apple’s external-storage requirements for iPad specify a single data partition and a supported format, such as APFS, exFAT or FAT32. Some drives need external power. If a drive does not appear in Files, check its format, cable, adapter and power before blaming Resolve. Do not erase or reformat the only copy of your media. A drive appearing in Files is only the first check; test playback and export with that same connection.
An external SSD can make a small internal drive more workable, but keep the media folders identifiable and backed up. Moving originals between folders after import can leave clips offline. Confirm the project still opens with its media before you leave for a shoot or hand it to another editor.
Import a Real Clip and Learn the iPad Interface
Blackmagic advertises H.264, H.265, Apple ProRes and Blackmagic RAW support in the current listing. That is not a promise that every profile, bit depth, frame rate, audio track and storage path behaves identically on every iPad. Import one file from the actual camera or phone you use.
- Create a disposable project.
- Import a representative clip from internal or external storage.
- Confirm picture and audio both appear.
- Scrub, trim and play the clip at the timeline frame rate you expect to use.
- Add one title or transition and one basic color correction.
- Export a short section and play it outside Resolve.
The current listing says the app supports Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Both can improve control, but neither fixes a codec, memory or storage bottleneck. Buy accessories for the workflow you have already tested.
Color Tools Are Real, but Feature Parity Is Not Automatic
Start with one clip on the Color page. The viewer, color wheels, scopes and node graph let you inspect the correction without judging the whole timeline at once. In the first Color example below, the selected clip is highlighted in the filmstrip and its node graph appears at the upper right. Check the clip selection before changing a grade.
Older tutorials describe only Cut and Color, but that is no longer a complete account of the app. The iPad release history records Deliver-page support in 20.1 and the Photo page in 21. Use the supported pages in your installed release; a keyboard trick that exposes another page is not evidence of full desktop feature support. The official store images here illustrate the controls, not every page in the current version.
Blackmagic’s Resolve 20 Studio and iPad feature matrix is a historical reference, not a verified feature list for 21.0.4. Use the current iPad release notes and inspect the feature you need on your model before buying Studio for it. Do not infer that a desktop effect is available just because a shared project contains it.
Free or Studio on iPad
Install Free first. The US App Store listing shows a $94.99 DaVinci Resolve Studio in-app purchase as of September 8, 2026. Prices can vary by country and change over time; check the amount on the Apple Account that will buy the upgrade.
The iPad upgrade is a separate Apple in-app purchase, not a desktop Studio activation-key entry. Blackmagic’s licensing explanation distinguishes it from desktop licences. Owning Studio for Windows, Linux or a direct Mac installation does not by itself unlock the iPad upgrade.
Already paid on this Apple Account? Look for the app’s restore-purchases option before paying again. Apple’s purchase-restoration guidance says to use the same account and allow in-app purchases. If restoration still fails, restart the device and contact the developer or Apple with the purchase record.
Our Free versus Studio guide covers the broader feature decision, while the Resolve cost guide separates the purchase channels. For this iPad, buy only when the feature you need is both Studio-only and supported on the device—not simply because the desktop edition offers it.
Move Projects Between iPad and Desktop Safely
Record the versions on both devices before moving work. On September 8, the iPad listing still offers 21.0.4 while desktop 21.1 is available; you cannot assume both platforms update together. The store description also still names Resolve 20 for desktop project exchange. That wording does not establish a guaranteed round trip between every newer build. Test a duplicate before either application changes your only working project.
A .drp is a project export, not a backup of all source footage. A .dra is a project archive; verify what media it includes before relying on it. Keep the originals separately backed up. The safe-update guide explains why reinstalling an older app is not the same as recovering a compatible project.
- Record the Resolve version on both devices.
- Export a separate project or project archive backup.
- Move a duplicate project first.
- Verify that all media paths relink on the destination.
- Check titles, effects, fonts, audio routing and color before continuing work.
- Do not overwrite the only known-good copy until the round trip has succeeded.
A Blackmagic Cloud project library can reduce manual project-file transfers, but still verify the media on the destination. If you use media syncing, check what has actually finished syncing; if you move files on a drive, check those paths instead. Opening the project is not proof that every source clip, font or effect is available. In the Color example below, inspect the named nodes as well as the image when checking a handoff.
If the App Will Not Install or a Project Will Not Open
| Symptom | First check |
|---|---|
| The App Store says the iPad is incompatible | Check iPadOS version and exact iPad model; do not sideload an imitation app. |
| The download stalls | Check free internal storage, network stability and App Store account status. |
| The clip has no picture or no audio | Identify the video and audio codecs, then test a short native file copied to internal storage. |
| An external drive appears in Files but media goes offline | Confirm the same volume and folder remain mounted and accessible to Resolve. |
| A desktop project warns about its version | Stop and preserve the original. Record both versions and test a duplicate; do not let either device upgrade the only copy. |
| The interface or effect differs from desktop | Check current iPad release notes and the exact feature on your model; the Resolve 20 matrix is historical. |
Do not erase the project, uninstall the app or delete cache as a first response. Preserve the error, note the app and iPadOS versions, and test with a disposable project. That keeps a storage issue from becoming a data-loss issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DaVinci Resolve free on iPad?
Yes. Blackmagic Design publishes DaVinci Resolve for iPad as a free App Store download. Optional Studio features are sold through a separate in-app purchase. Start with Free and test the actual media, timeline and export workflow before deciding to upgrade.
Which iPads can install DaVinci Resolve?
The Apple listing checked on September 8, 2026 requires iPadOS 18.0 or later and an A12 Bionic chip or newer. Blackmagic separately recommends an iPad Pro with M1 or newer and at least 8GB of RAM. An older eligible iPad may still face HD, memory or feature limits.
How much storage does DaVinci Resolve need on iPad?
The US App Store lists about 3.8GB for the app as of September 8, 2026. Source media, working files, backups and exports need additional space. Check the footprint of your actual project; the listed app size is not a free-space recommendation.
Does DaVinci Resolve for iPad work with an external SSD?
Yes, with compatible storage and media. Apple requires a single data partition and a supported file system, and some drives need external power. Check the drive in Files, then test the exact cable, power connection and clips in Resolve. Back up the media before changing the drive’s format.
Can iPad Resolve projects open on desktop?
Project exchange is supported, but verify the two app versions and test a duplicate with its media before moving real work. On September 8, 2026, the iPad listing offers 21.0.4 while desktop 21.1 is available; the store description still names Resolve 20 interchange. None of that proves every newer-version round trip is safe.
Does a desktop Studio license unlock Studio on iPad?
No. Studio on iPad is a separate Apple in-app purchase, not a desktop activation-key unlock. If you previously bought the iPad upgrade, use the same Apple Account and try restoring that purchase before buying again.
Is DaVinci Resolve available on iPhone?
This App Store listing is for the iPad editor, not an iPhone version. Other Blackmagic mobile apps have different jobs and are not substitutes for the Resolve editing app. Avoid third-party downloads that imitate the name.
