How the internet’s favorite squirrel dad made the hottest camera app of 2026
Derrick Downey Jr., known as the internet's 'squirrel dad,' created the popular camera app DualShot Recorder in 2026. The app quickly became the top paid app on the App Store within 12 hours of its release. Downey developed it to solve the challenge of capturing both vertical and horizontal video simultaneously without losing resolution.
- ▪Derrick Downey Jr. gained fame through his short-form videos featuring squirrels he cares for in Los Angeles.
- ▪He built DualShot Recorder to capture both vertical and horizontal footage at once using the iPhone's full camera sensor.
- ▪The app reached number one on the App Store's top paid apps list within 12 hours of launch.
- ▪DualShot Recorder uses Apple's camera API to avoid resolution loss from cropping during post-processing.
- ▪Downey initially experimented with ChatGPT to help code the app but ultimately developed it by leveraging his research into iPhone camera capabilities.
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TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AIAppleCloseApplePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AppleHow the internet’s favorite squirrel dad made the hottest camera app of 2026Viral wildlife creator Derrick Downey Jr.
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