Samsung users who updated their phones to One UI 8.5 may have thought Dual Recording disappeared from the Camera app. In practice, the feature was not removed; it was moved and redesigned to work more flexibly.
The biggest change is that Dual Rec is now tied directly to Video mode and can use zoom while recording. That makes the feature more practical for concertgoers and content creators who need to adjust framing without stopping the recording.
How the new Dual Rec works
In One UI 8.5, users open the Camera app, enter Video, and tap the four-square icon next to the zoom controls. From there, they choose the collage-style layout icon, which opens the new Dual Recording mode.
Samsung offers multiple layouts in this version, including Picture-in-Picture, which resembles a video call view, and Split View, which divides the screen into two sections. After selecting a layout, users can start recording immediately.
This setup makes Dual Rec feel part of the main video workflow instead of a separate mode hidden under the More menu. The change is especially noticeable for users who record fast-moving events such as concerts.
Zoom is the key upgrade
The most important improvement in the new version is zoom support during recording. Because the feature is integrated with regular Video mode, users can now take advantage of the camera’s zoom range while both views are recording at the same time.
On the Galaxy S26 Ultra, that range goes from 0.6x to 25x when Dual Recording is active. Samsung had not offered dynamic zoom in the older version, making this update a significant shift in how the feature can be used.
For concert recording, the benefit is clear. Users can reframe the shot on the fly as the subject or stage distance changes, instead of being locked into a fixed focal length.
The old version is still available
Samsung did not remove the previous Dual Rec setup. It is still present, but it no longer appears by default after the One UI 8.5 update.
Users who want the old mode back can enable it through Camera Settings, then Camera Assistant, and turn on Dual Rec. After that, the menu returns to the More section as before.
The older version keeps its original behavior, including fixed focal-length camera choices and no dynamic zoom. Samsung also still lets users save the result as a single layout video or as separate files from each camera.
| Dual Rec version | Access path | Zoom support | Output options |
|---|---|---|---|
| New One UI 8.5 version | Camera > Video > four-square icon > collage layout | Yes | Layout-based recording |
| Old version | Camera > Settings > Camera Assistant > Dual Rec | No | Layout or separate files |
The split between the two versions gives Samsung users more control than before. They can choose the newer workflow for convenience and zoom flexibility, or switch back to the older setup if they want more specific lens combinations.
Dual Rec first arrived with One UI 3.1 in March 2021, and it has remained a favorite among creators because it can record from two cameras at once. One UI 8.5 does not eliminate that idea; it simply changes where the feature lives and how it behaves.
For anyone who thought Dual Recording had vanished after the update, the answer is simpler than it looked. The feature is still there, and in One UI 8.5 it is now split into two approaches that serve different recording needs.