Which iPhones can record the front and back camera at the same time?
Updated August 2026
Short version: iPhone XS and newer can record both cameras at once. iPhone X and older cannot, and no app can change that. What differs across models is not whether the hardware can do it, but how you get at it.
The full list
| iPhone | Both cameras at once? | How |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, Air | Yes | Built into the Camera app (Dual Capture), or an app |
| iPhone 16 series | Yes | Dual-camera app |
| iPhone 15 series | Yes | Dual-camera app |
| iPhone 14 series | Yes | Dual-camera app |
| iPhone 13 series | Yes | Dual-camera app |
| iPhone 12 series | Yes | Dual-camera app |
| iPhone 11 series | Yes | Dual-camera app |
| iPhone XS, XS Max, XR | Yes | Dual-camera app |
| iPhone X and older | No | Not possible — hardware limit |
| iPhone SE (all generations) | Varies | Depends on the chip; later models with A12 or newer support it |
Why iPhone XS is the cut-off
Recording two cameras at once means running two camera streams through the image pipeline simultaneously. That needs the A12 Bionic chip or newer, which arrived with the iPhone XS in 2018. The iPhone X's A11 cannot do it. This is a hardware limitation, so no app, update or setting can enable it on older phones.
Having the hardware is not the same as having the feature
Every iPhone since the XS can do this, but Apple only added it to the Camera app with the iPhone 17, where it is called Dual Capture. On an iPhone 11 or 14 or 16 the hardware is sitting there unused unless you install an app that asks for it.
That is the gap a dual-camera app fills. Dual Camera - Front & Back Pro runs on anything from the iPhone XS up, and offers layouts Apple's version does not — split-screen as well as picture-in-picture — plus background removal, green screen, beauty and filters.
What about the Simulator, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro?
None of these support simultaneous dual-camera capture. The iOS Simulator has no real cameras, and the "Designed for iPhone" runtimes on Mac and Apple Vision Pro do not provide dual-camera hardware. A dual-camera app will correctly tell you it is unsupported in these environments — that is expected, not a fault.
How do I check my iPhone model?
Open Settings → General → About and look at Model Name. If it is iPhone XS or later, you are fine.
Record both cameras into one video or photo on any iPhone XS or newer. Picture-in-picture, split-screen, green screen, beauty and 10 filters. Free, no watermark, no account, and nothing ever leaves your iPhone.
Download on the App Store →More: Dual Camera overview · How to record both cameras · Which iPhones support it · iPhone 17 Dual Capture vs an app