Take photos AND video at once with this simple smartphone trick

Ever had a hankering to shoot a video but continue to capture still images of each moment whilst recording? We've certainly had the blinders on as we always thought two separate devices would be needed to make this dream a reality. How wrong we were. As it turns out, you can multitask photographically, and you can do it on both Android and iOs. And how to do it has been right there, staring at us in the face all this time. Don't we feel like silly sausages. 

We'll tell you exactly what to do in a moment, and it really is so simple you'll wish you'd noticed it before. There'll be no more scrambling to stop your video to take a photo, or enlisting a friend to take the pictures for you – all you have to do is make sure you've got one of the best best camera phones and follow the instructions below.

When capturing your video (after pressing the red record button), you may not have noticed but the camera button stays live alongside the 'record' symbol – this could be the round white circle, or a camera icon depending on your phone. To take photos, all you need to do is press that button while your video is recording, and voila! Unfortunately the resolution will be of video-quality, but that's something we can live with.

For more brilliant smartphone photography tips, see our guide. and to edit your photos, make sure you explore our pick of top photo apps. 

Read more:

• Portrait photography: How to take perfect portraits
• Best monitors for photo editing: See your work in all its glory
• Best photo-editing software: Edit your photos like a pro