Samsung may have brought some of the best Galaxy S24 software features to older flagship smartphones through the One UI 6.1 update, but the Galaxy S24 series still has some exclusive functionality that isn’t available on any older device.
One feature exclusive to the Galaxy S24 series that not enough people are talking about is the Dual Recording mode in the camera app. Dual Recording is not a new concept in the mobile world, and it certainly isn’t a new concept where Samsung’s Android smartphones are concerned.
But Dual Recording on the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra is not the same as Dual Recording on other Galaxy smartphones, and in the video below and in this article, we take a deeper look at what this feature does and how you can use it.
What is Dual Recording mode on the Galaxy S24 series?
Dual Recording is not a new feature. It used to be available on most Samsung smartphones a few years ago, and it was the inspiration for the Director’s View mode on some recent flagships like the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Z Fold 5.
On the S24 series, the basic concept is the same: this mode lets you record videos from two of the phone’s cameras at the same time. But Dual Recording on the Galaxy S24 series goes a step further by giving you more control and freedom over which two cameras are used to record the video.
In Director’s View, out of the two camera feeds, one will always come from the front-facing camera, and you can only choose which rear camera is active alongside the front-facing camera.
With the Galaxy S24’s Dual Recording mode, there is no such limitation: you can choose to record video from any two cameras on the phone at the same time. It just doesn’t allow the use of the 5x zoom camera on the S24 Ultra, which was probably a limitation put in place to ensure a consistent experience across every Galaxy S24 model.
The Dual Recording mode makes a lot of sense in different situations. For example, if you’re at a music concert, you can record a video from the regular wide-angle rear camera and the telephoto camera so you can capture the crowd while also being able to focus on what the artists are doing on stage.
It’s also useful in general as you can use it to record videos at different zoom levels simultaneously without missing the moment, something the standard video recording mode does not allow.
Dual Recording has different layouts, can combine or save separate videos
Like Director’s View, Dual Recording mode lets you choose how the feeds from two cameras will be mixed together in the final video. Picture-in-picture mode is the default setting and shows the feed from one camera in a small window superimposed on the feed from the other camera, but you can also have the feeds split down in the middle.
That’s not all: you can also save the recording from the two cameras as separate videos. This is an excellent option for those who are simply looking for the ability to record videos from two cameras at the same time and don’t want them combined into one.
How to use Dual Recording mode on a Galaxy S24, S24+, or S24 Ultra?
The Dual Recording mode, or Dual Rec, as Samsung calls it, can be found in the Modes section of the camera app. Just open the camera app, tap the More button to the right of the shutter button to see all available modes, and tap Dual Rec.
By default, the primary rear camera and the selfie camera will be selected, with the selfie feed showing in a small window that can be moved around. To change which lenses are active, tap the Select lenses button (highlighted in the first screenshot below) next to the shutter button, then tap the two lenses that you wish to use.
Switch between split-screen view or picture-in-picture view
If you don’t like the picture-in-picture (PiP) view, you can have the feed from the two selected cameras split in the middle. To change between PiP and split-screen view, tap the rightmost icon at the top of the screen if you’re holding the phone in portrait orienation or the icon in the top left corner of the screen if you’re holding the phone in landscape orientation.
You can also change the position of the two camera feeds by tapping the circle icon next to the shutter button (the same button that you use for switching between the front and rear cameras when capturing standard photos and videos).
Save videos as previewed or as separate video files
This setting is for those who wish to record separate videos from two different cameras simultaneously instead of having them combined together.
Tap the icon with the downward arrow symbol (highlighted in the screenshot below) to switch between saving a single video with a picture-in-picture/split-screen view or saving the output from the two selected lenses as two separate videos.
Unfortunately, this is an either/or choice. You can either save two separate videos or create a single video that includes the output from each lens. Samsung probably made this decision to ensure the phone’s hardware isn’t taxed too much, but we’ll update this article if the company changes its decision later on.
Galaxy S24 Ultra owners can switch between Full HD and 4K resolution
If you own a Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can record videos in the Dual Recording mode in either Full HD or 4K resolution. To switch between the two resolutions, tap the video size icon (highlighted in the screenshot below).
Can you capture photos in Dual Recording mode?
Dual Recording is a video feature and doesn’t have any option to capture still photos. While you can capture stills when you’re using the standard video recording mode, there is no such option in Dual Recording mode.
To get still images from videos you record in Dual Recording mode, play the video in the Gallery app, pause it at the right moment, and tap the Quick crop button on the left side of the screen, which will save that frame as an image.
Does the Galaxy S24 series have the old Director’s View mode?
While Dual Recording is an excellent feature, it doesn’t allow you to switch between the rear cameras while recording is active, unlike Director’s View. Unfortunately, Director’s View is not available on the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung could bring Director’s View back as a separate mode with a software update, though the chances of that happening are slim.