How to record with both cameras on iPhone 16, 15 and older iPhones

You cannot use Apple's Dual Capture on an iPhone 16 or older: Apple limited it to the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air (heise). On older iPhones you can still record the front and back camera at the same time, either inside Snapchat or Instagram, or with a dedicated dual-camera app that saves a normal video to your library. Which one fits depends on where the video is going.

Why Dual Capture is missing on your iPhone

Dual Capture is a Camera app feature that shows the front camera as a picture-in-picture window over the back camera. It shipped with the 2025 models only, so updating iOS on an iPhone 16 does not add it. Even on supported phones it has one layout, does not record at 60 or 120 fps, and the front window cannot be moved after recording (iPhone Life, iGeeksBlog).

Recording both cameras at once is still a hardware feature, though. Apps can only use it on iPhones that support multi-camera capture, so check an app's device requirements before you pay for anything.

Option 1: Snapchat or Instagram (free, for posting there)

Both apps have a dual camera mode built into their own camera. Snapchat offers horizontal, vertical and picture-in-picture layouts (iGeeksBlog).

Open the app's camera and find the dual camera tool in the camera tools.
Pick a layout and record.
Post it, or save it from the app.

This is the quickest route if the clip is going straight to Snapchat or Instagram. The downside is that the result lives inside those apps (drafts, Stories or Memories) rather than as a standalone high-quality file you would edit elsewhere.

Option 2: a dual-camera app

A dedicated app records both cameras in one take and saves the result to your Photos library. The main choices differ in a few ways that matter:

Dualgram saves the combined video plus both original feeds, and has a teleprompter in Pro. It needs iOS 17 or later (App Store).
MultiCam+ is a paid-once app with many layouts, but its latest App Store version dates from 2022 (App Store).
Dualify runs on iOS 16.4 or later and focuses on editing after the shot: you can change the layout and the output format later, and export vertical and horizontal versions of the same take.

For a wider comparison see the best dual camera apps for iPhone.

Recording both cameras with Dualify, step by step

Check your iPhone. Dualify needs iOS 16.4 or later and an iPhone with multi-camera support. Simultaneous capture depends on that support.
Choose a layout. Picture-in-picture suits a reaction over a scene. A 50/50 split suits a conversation where both sides matter. Shaped frames are there when you want something less boxy.
Set quality and lens. Dualify can record in 4K at 60fps on supported devices. Choose 0.5x for wide scenery, 1x for normal framing or telephoto for distance; the 1x, 2x and 5x presets switch zoom with one tap.
Record once. Both cameras roll together, so there is nothing to sync later.
Fix the layout afterwards if needed. ReFrame changes the layout and the output format (9:16, 16:9 or original) without recording again.
Export. Save one merged file, or use Dual Format (Dualify Pro) to export 9:16 and 16:9 versions together for short-form apps and YouTube.

Dualify is free to download; Pro is offered weekly, yearly or as a one-time lifetime purchase.

Tips for better dual-camera clips

Light your face. The front camera is usually the weaker one. Face a window or a lamp.
Get close to the mic when you narrate. A quiet room or a clip-on mic makes your voice clearer than the scene behind you.
Hold the phone steady. Two views make shake more obvious. Brace your elbows or use a small grip.
Keep clips short at first. 4K at 60fps makes large files, so check your free storage before a long take.

Which route should you pick?

If the video is for Snapchat or Instagram only, use their dual camera mode. If you want a file you can keep, edit and post anywhere, use an app. Pick Dualgram when you need the two original files, MultiCam+ when you want to pay once, and Dualify when you want to change the layout after recording or post the same take in two formats. If you are already on an iPhone 17, try the built-in Dual Capture first; here is how it compares with Dualify.