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How to Record Vertical and Horizontal Video at the Same Time on iPhone
Short videos go vertical (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) and long videos go horizontal (YouTube). If you shoot for both, you usually record everything twice or crop and lose quality.
Option 1: Record wide and crop
Record in 4K landscape, then crop a vertical 9:16 version in an editor like Photos, iMovie or CapCut.
- Pros: no extra app, and you pick the framing afterwards.
- Cons: the vertical version uses only a narrow slice of the frame, so it’s much less sharp. You also have to reframe every clip by hand.
Option 2: Record both at the same time
Dual-capture camera apps record a 9:16 and a 16:9 video from one take. You get two separate files, each framed for its platform, without losing resolution to a crop.
Loppo: Dual Camera Recorder does exactly this: tap record once and it saves a vertical and a horizontal video side by side. (Loppo is made by the GroveTab team.)
Tips for shooting for both formats
- Keep the subject in the center third. That area appears in both frames.
- Leave headroom. The vertical frame is taller, so don’t frame the top of the head too tight.
- Put text on screen in the edit, not in the shot. Each format needs its own text layout.
- Hold the phone steady and upright. Dual-capture apps expect a fixed orientation while recording.
Looking for more video apps? Paid camera and editing apps regularly go free on our App Deals page.
FAQ
Can the iPhone Camera app record both orientations at once?
No. It records in the orientation you hold the phone. To get both from one take you need a dual-capture app, or you record once and crop.
Isn't cropping a horizontal video to vertical good enough?
It works, but a 9:16 crop of a 16:9 video keeps only about a third of the width. On a 4K recording the vertical version ends up well below full HD sharpness.