A camera app built by Los Angeles wildlife creator Derrick Downey Jr. hit No. 1 on Apple's top paid apps chart within 12 hours of release, The Verge reported. The DualShot Recorder iPhone app records portrait and landscape video simultaneously in a single take, producing two synced files that save directly to the Photos library. No export step. No account.
Launch-period coverage described DualShot Recorder as a paid app, starting at $6.99 before rising to $9.99. As of May 2026, however, the live App Store listing shows it as free with in-app purchases, and The Verge reported that its advanced options moved to a subscription model on May 2.
Why dual-format video matters
TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are built around vertical video, while long-form YouTube and many traditional video workflows still favor horizontal framing. For solo creators publishing across platforms, that gap has meant either filming the same scene twice or cropping footage and accepting the quality tradeoff.
The costs are practical and immediate. Every extra take means hoping the light holds, that an interview subject delivers the same answer again, or that a piece of wildlife footage can somehow be captured twice. For Downey, shooting wildlife outdoors under variable conditions, a second take often isn't possible. The Verge reported that he built the app to solve that problem in his own creator workflow.
How DualShot Recorder works
DualShot Recorder captures a 9:16 portrait file and a 16:9 landscape file from one recording session, then saves both synced videos directly to the Photos library. The app supports dual-lens recording on compatible iPhones, while its single-lens mode can use the front or back camera to produce both outputs from one camera.
Output goes up to 4K at 24, 30, or 60 fps in MOV or MP4 format, with a real-time storage counter showing remaining capacity as you shoot. The App Store currently lists the app as requiring iOS 17.6 or later, while earlier coverage said it works on iPhone models with dual-camera capabilities, such as the iPhone XS and newer.
The current App Store version history lists Version 3.0, released May 2, with time-lapse recording, tap-to-focus with exposure lock, bitrate settings, pinch-to-zoom, pause/resume recording, and fixes for HDR metadata, audio/video sync, and long recordings. Those features and long-recording fixes still need independent testing.
The app's current listing leans on the same practical pitch: creators can shoot once, save both formats, and avoid reshoots.
Who made DualShot Recorder
Downey is a viral wildlife creator who released DualShot Recorder through DDJR Productions LLC after building it around his own cross-platform filming workflow.
When a creator releases a tool built for his own workflow, the pitch to his existing audience is implicit. They already know the problem.
Pricing and privacy
DualShot Recorder launched as a one-time paid app, but it is now free to download with optional Basic and Advanced subscriptions. The App Store lists Advanced at $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year, and its privacy label says the developer does not collect data from the app. The version history also says recordings stay on the iPhone, with no tracking or server upload.
What to watch next
An Android version has been described as coming soon, but no official timeline or compatibility list has been published. Readers should also be careful with similarly named apps: DDJR Productions warns that the original DualShot Recorder is the version from DDJR Productions LLC.
Some questions still need real-world testing. Battery drain, thermal load during longer dual-capture sessions, low-light quality, and audio sync reliability are not yet well documented in independent reviews. Readers should still check the App Store before downloading, since the app's pricing has already changed once since launch.
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