Comparison
Best free dual-camera app for iPhone 17 Pro
Your iPhone 17 Pro has Dual Capture built in, but it is locked to one picture-in-picture layout. Here is the free-app field ranked for creators, and which one actually keeps up with the 17 Pro.
TL;DR
For iPhone 17 Pro, the best free dual-camera app is SplitRig. It gives you every layout mode, no recording time cap, an Apple Watch companion, an AirPods stem remote, and active thermal management, all free. DoubleTake (Bending Spoons, formerly FiLMiC Pro) is reliable but minimal, free to download with optional in-app purchases. MixCam and 2Cam are free to download but watermark your videos and gate full use behind a subscription.
Free · no subscription · no ads
both cameras
rear camera
The four iPhones that have Dual Capture
Apple's Dual Capture works on four iPhones only: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. It's the built-in Camera mode that records the front and rear cameras at once. No earlier iPhone has it, not even the iPhone 16 Pro. On iPhone 11 through iPhone 16, a free app records both cameras at once instead. See the full SplitRig vs Apple Dual Capture breakdown, or which iPhones can record front and back at the same time.
The ranking
For a creator on iPhone 17 Pro who wants the front and rear cameras in one file, ready to post, here is how the main dual-camera apps stack up.
1. SplitRig: best overall (free)
What makes SplitRig the strongest pick: every feature is free, including Full HD 1080p HEVC at up to 10 Mbps, four layout modes (PiP, Split Screen, Face Mode, Single), Action Cam at 60 FPS, eight live overlays including a GPS speedometer and goal gauge, full Apple Watch app, AirPods stem remote, and the iPhone 16+ Camera Control button. There's no recording time limit and no account. SplitRig has an optional logo you remove free in one tap. It also runs on every iPhone from iPhone 11 up, not just the iPhone 17 line.
The Iron Stream thermal management deserves its own callout: SplitRig actively scales the frame rate down gracefully when the iPhone heats up, instead of stopping the recording. It monitors the iPhone's thermal state continuously and steps the rate down one level at a time, so a long take keeps rolling. Recording in extreme direct sun will still warm any iPhone: that is physics, not the app.
2. DoubleTake (Bending Spoons): minimal but solid
DoubleTake is free to download (now with optional in-app purchases) and stable, but feature-spartan. Two layout modes, no live overlays, no Apple Watch app, no Action Cam mode, no thermal control, no AirPods support, no zoom switching to physical lenses (the rear camera is locked to wide). It's a good backup, but creators outgrow it quickly.
3. MixCam: heavy paywall
MixCam looks slick on the App Store screenshots, but the app behind that polish runs on a subscription that greets you on first launch. Without paying, recordings are watermarked, capped at short durations, and missing the layout transitions. The non-subscription experience is far more limited than SplitRig's full free experience. Check MixCam's App Store listing for its current rate.
4. 2Cam Front+Back: basic but stable
2Cam is the simplest, just front and rear in two windows, a couple of layouts, no extras. It is free to download, but the free tier watermarks your videos and puts full use behind a subscription. Fine for a one-off shot; no live overlays, no thermal handling, no Apple Watch. See the full SplitRig vs 2Cam comparison.
Where SplitRig pulls ahead specifically on iPhone 17 Pro
- Camera Control button (iPhone 16+). Full click starts/stops recording. Light-press-and-slide scrolls through your device's zoom levels (0.5×, 1×, 2×, plus 5× on Pro models). Double light press opens a picker for Zoom, Exposure, or Layout.
- Cinematic Extended stabilization. The most aggressive stabilization Apple offers, available only in Action Cam mode at 60 FPS. SplitRig is one of the few apps that exposes it.
- Dual-camera at 5× telephoto. iPhone 17 Pro has a 5× telephoto rear lens; SplitRig switches to it mid-shot without stopping the recording.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best dual camera app for iPhone 17 Pro?
SplitRig is the best fully-featured free dual-camera app for iPhone 17 Pro. It supports the Camera Control button, telephoto multi-cam, and includes Apple Watch + AirPods remote, all free with no subscription.
Is DoubleTake or SplitRig better?
For most creators, SplitRig has more features (Face Mode, GPS overlays, Apple Watch app, AirPods remote, no time limits) and is also free. DoubleTake is a simpler, more limited option from Bending Spoons (formerly FiLMiC Pro).
Is there a free alternative to Apple Dual Capture?
Yes. SplitRig records both iPhone cameras at once for free, with no subscription, and it works on every iPhone from iPhone 11 to iPhone 17 Pro, not just the iPhone 17 line. It adds four layouts, eight live overlays, and Apple Watch and AirPods control that Dual Capture does not have. Both record up to 4K, with SplitRig recording the rear camera in up to 4K via the new Camera Settings menu (Full HD 1080p is the default).