How to Take a BeReal-Style Front and Back Photo Without BeReal (2026)
To take a BeReal-style front and back photo without BeReal, use ContentCam's Front & Back mode on iPhone or Android: one press saves the selfie and the back photo as two separate photos, with no 2-minute window and no ads. Snapchat's Dual Camera gives one combined Snap on iPhone only, while iPhone Dual Capture and Instagram Dual record video.
Disclosure: I build ContentCam, so I'm not neutral. Every claim about BeReal, Snapchat, Instagram and Apple comes from their own help pages, listings or announcements, checked 5 November 2026. The general version is how to take a selfie and a back camera photo at the same time.
What does BeReal actually save when you take a BeReal?
BeReal saves one post made of a front photo and a back photo. The BeReal App Store listing (version 4.99.0) says "The camera snaps both the front and back simultaneously" inside "the same two-minute window" everyone gets. BeReal's help centre says you can post after the 2 minutes, "but your friends will know you posted late".
Getting the photo out is limited. BeReal's "Share & Download Memories" article gives one route: open a Memory, tap the three-dot menu, then "the option to add to photos", and adds "It is not possible to download all your Memories at once." The help centre does not document saving the selfie and the back photo as two separate files.
Which apps take a front and back photo like BeReal?
| Option | Photo or video | What you get | Phones | Ads | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ContentCam Front & Back photo | Photo | Two separate photos, selfie and rear, from one press | Any iPhone on iOS 18 or later (iPhone XS, XR and newer); Android phones that can run both cameras | No ads | Photo capture is Premium |
| BeReal | Photo | One BeReal post; download is one Memory at a time | iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and Android | Contains ads | Free |
| Snapchat Dual Camera | Snap | One Snap with both cameras in one of 4 layouts: vertical, horizontal, picture in picture, cutout | iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later; Android "soon" | Contains ads | Free |
| iPhone Camera, Dual Capture | Video only | One video with you and the scene; screenshot a frame for a still | iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, Air, 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, Duo | None | Built in |
| Instagram Dual | Video | A clip recorded with the front and back cameras in the Instagram camera | Not stated by Meta | Contains ads | Free |
"Contains ads" is what each app's own App Store listing declares. ContentCam has no ads and no watermark, free or Premium.
How do you get the selfie and the back photo as two separate photos?
Use ContentCam's Front & Back mode (iPhone, or an Android phone that can run both cameras at once):
- Open ContentCam and switch to Front & Back mode.
- Frame the rear shot.
- Press the photo shutter once. ContentCam saves the selfie and the rear photo as two separate photos.
Two separate photos mean you can post the back photo clean, place the selfie anywhere in an editor, or use the two as carousel slides 1 and 2. Front & Back photo works on every iPhone running iOS 18 or later, including iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, which don't have Apple's Dual Capture. On Android, the app only offers the mode on phones that can run both cameras at once. Photo capture is Premium on both; the free tier includes 5 Front & Back video recordings to try the mode.
How do you take a BeReal-style photo on Snapchat?
Open the Snapchat Camera, tap the Dual Camera icon in the toolbar, pick a layout and take a Snap. Snapchat Support says Dual Camera "allows you to capture content using the front and back cameras at the same time". Picture in picture is the BeReal look, but the selfie window is baked into the image, so you can't move or remove it afterwards. The full walkthrough is in how to take a Snap with the front and back camera.
Can the iPhone Camera app take a BeReal-style photo?
No, not as a photo. Apple's iPhone User Guide puts Dual Capture in Video mode: open Camera, select Video, tap the camera-controls button, then tap Dual Capture. On the seven supported models, a still means recording a clip and screenshotting a frame. The model list and limits are in which iPhones have Dual Capture.
Can Instagram take a BeReal-style photo?
Not as a photo. Meta's 21 July 2022 announcement says "You can record using your phone's front and back cameras simultaneously" with Dual in the Instagram camera. A still means a screenshot.
Which option should you pick for a BeReal-style photo?
Pick ContentCam for the selfie and the back photo as two separate files you can edit and reuse, on any iPhone from iOS 18 or on Android, with no ads. Pick BeReal if the point is posting with friends in the same 2-minute window.
FAQ
Can you take a BeReal photo without the notification?
Yes. BeReal's help centre says you can post any time after the notification, but friends will see it was late. To take a front and back photo with no notification at all, use ContentCam's Front & Back mode on iPhone or Android, which saves the selfie and the back photo as two separate photos.
Can you save the BeReal selfie and the back photo separately?
BeReal's help centre does not document it. Its one download route saves a Memory to Photos from the three-dot menu, one Memory at a time. To get the selfie and the back photo as separate files from the start, use ContentCam's Front & Back mode.
Does the iPhone 17 Camera app take a BeReal-style photo?
Not as a photo. Apple's iPhone User Guide documents Dual Capture only in Video mode, on iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, Air, 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo. Screenshot a frame from a clip for a still.
Which app saves the front and back photo as two separate photos on iPhone?
ContentCam. In Front & Back mode, one press saves the selfie and the rear photo as two separate photos, on any iPhone running iOS 18 or later (iPhone XS and XR onwards). Photo capture is Premium.
How do you take a BeReal-style photo on Android?
Use ContentCam's Front & Back mode on an Android phone that can run both cameras at once; it saves the selfie and the back photo as two separate photos (Premium). Snapchat's help centre still says Dual Camera is coming to Android soon.
Try ContentCam free. Front and back from one press as separate files, plus vertical and wide video from a single shoot. Free to download on iPhone and Android.
Related: taking a selfie and a back photo at once · front and back camera on Snapchat · which iPhones have Dual Capture · using the front and back camera at the same time