Apple has introduced a new Dual Capture feature on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air models, enabling users to record video from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
The feature is accessible through a dedicated button within the Apple Camera app on the iPhone 17. This capability was initially demonstrated by Apple in 2019 during the iPhone 11 Pro keynote, where they showcased multi-cam recording using a modified version of Filmic Pro. However, at that time, the feature was only available via third-party applications.
Following Apple’s 2019 demonstration, several Android phone manufacturers integrated dual-camera recording into their native camera apps. In contrast, Apple chose to provide an API for third-party video apps to incorporate this functionality.
Now, five years after the initial demo, Apple is incorporating a basic version of Dual Capture directly into the stock Camera app.
In the iPhone 17’s Video mode, a button within the viewfinder allows users to quickly add a picture-in-picture thumbnail of the front camera. The final video product combines the main rear camera footage with an overlay of the front camera view.
This allows users to record events, such as concerts, while simultaneously capturing their reactions using the selfie camera.
As of now, Apple has not announced any plans to bring the Dual Capture feature to older iPhone models running iOS 26. The feature remains exclusive to the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineups.
