Snapchat is bringing a dual-camera feature, aptly called “Dual Camera” which the app previewed earlier this year during its partner summit. The feature will be available on iOS for iPhone XS and newer starting August 29, with the Android rollout taking a few more months.
The feature allows users to take snaps while simultaneously using the front and back cameras simultaneously and was first teased in April as part of a suite of more advanced video features for creators called “Director Mode”. The entire suite is yet to launch, with Snap saying that it’ll be available in a few months, but the dual camera feature has been launched as a standalone option.
This isn’t a new concept by any means, with the selfie app BeReal popularising the feature already. Snapchat’s implementation might seem like a rip-off, but it takes a different approach.
Users can record videos or take pictures with both cameras at the same time and have the option of choosing different layouts for the two clips. A split-screen mode divides the screen into two halves, one for each camera, in addition to a picture-in-picture style layout and a cutout mode, similar to what TikTok offers with its green-screen feature. You can also use Snapchat’s famous augmented reality lenses on these videos, although they only apply once the video has been recorded.
Outside of BeReal and Snapchat implementing the feature, Instagram is also testing a dual camera feature called ‘dual’ and is rumoured to be working on something called “Candid Challenges” that challenge people to record and post candid photos or videos in under two minutes. Meta’s implementation of the dual camera feature in Instagram, however, is a lot like a BeReal clone at the moment.
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