Dual Capture on iPhone: how to use it, which iPhones have it, and where it stops
Dual Capture is a video mode in the iPhone's Camera app. It records the back camera and the front camera at the same time, with your face in a small window over the main video, and saves one file. Apple introduced it alongside the iPhone 17 in September 2025.
Short answer: if you have an iPhone 16 or newer, open Camera, choose Video, open the on-screen camera controls and tap Dual Capture. If you have an older iPhone, or you want a photo rather than a video, the Camera app cannot do it and you need an app that can.
How to use Dual Capture
These are Apple's own steps, from the iPhone User Guide for iOS 27.
- Open Camera.
- Select Video mode.
- Tap the camera controls button, then tap Dual Capture.
- Tap the screen to show the Record button, then tap Record.
- To turn Dual Capture off, tap the same button again.
The front camera appears as a small window over the back-camera video. The recording saves to Photos as one video.
Which iPhones have it
Apple's guide says Dual Capture works on the models with the Camera Control. As of iOS 27 that list is:
| Has Dual Capture | Does not |
|---|---|
| iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max | iPhone 16e |
| iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max | iPhone 15 and every earlier model |
| iPhone Air | iPhone SE, all generations |
| iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max |
If your iPhone is not on the left, no iOS update will add it. The feature is tied to the hardware.
Where it stops
Three things Dual Capture does not do, on any model:
- Photos. It is a video mode. No iPhone can take a photo with both cameras at once in the built-in Camera app.
- Older iPhones. Nothing before the iPhone 16.
- Looks. No filters or presets on the recording.
Apple's guide does not say whether the small window can be moved, so we do not claim it either way.
Getting the same shot on an older iPhone, or as a photo
The hardware for running both cameras at once has been in iPhones since 2018. Apple gives app developers access to it, so an app can do on an iPhone 12 or 15 what Camera only does on a 16 or newer, and can do it for photos as well as video.
Selfie, which we make, is one such app. It takes a photo or records up to 60 seconds of video with both cameras at once, on any iPhone running iOS 17, with the small window in the corner you choose and 48 old-camera looks for photos. The first capture is free; after that it is a subscription. How to use it, step by step.
Two things to know before you install any dual camera app:
- The ultra-wide lens is not available while both cameras run. In Selfie, dual mode uses 1x to 5x on the back camera.
- Two cameras use more battery than one, and the phone runs warmer on long recordings. That is true of Apple's mode too.
Common questions
Does Dual Capture do photos? No. For a photo with both cameras you need an app.
Does the iPhone 16e have it? No. Apple's list is the models with the Camera Control, and the 16e does not have one.
Is Dual Capture the same as FaceTime's picture-in-picture? No. FaceTime shows both cameras during a call but does not save a combined video to your library. Dual Capture records one.
Which iPhones can run both cameras at once in an app? Every iPhone that runs iOS 17 has the hardware, which goes back to the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR from 2018. The iPhone SE second generation and later SE models are included. If a dual camera app reports your phone as unsupported, check it is running iOS 17 or later first.
Will Apple add dual photos? Unknown. As of iOS 27, a photo with both cameras still needs an app.