How the internet’s favorite squirrel dad made the hottest camera app of 2026
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Follow Follow See All Apple How the internet’s favorite squirrel dad made the hottest camera app of 2026 Viral wildlife creator Derrick Downey Jr. vibe-coded his way to a hit app in DualShot Recorder. by Allison Johnson Close Allison Johnson Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
Technical Details
Follow Follow See All by Allison Johnson May 3, 2026, 1:00 PM UTC Link Share Gift Downey at home in LA with one of his channel’s frequent guest stars. | Image: The Verge; Shutterstock Tech Close Tech Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Tech AI Close AI Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
Follow Follow See All AI Apple Close Apple Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Apple How the internet’s favorite squirrel dad made the hottest camera app of 2026 Viral wildlife creator Derrick Downey Jr. vibe-coded his way to a hit app in DualShot Recorder.
by Allison Johnson Close Allison Johnson Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Allison Johnson May 3, 2026, 1:00 PM UTC Link Share Gift Allison Johnson Close Allison Johnson Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Allison Johnson is a senior reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech.
Industry Implications
She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. It’s not hyperbole to call DualShot Recorder an overnight sensation.
It took only 12 hours from the time it was released to hit number one on the App Store’s list of top paid apps. It was a surprise success — but what’s even more surprising is the app’s origin story: it all started with a cadre of friendly neighborhood squirrels and their favorite caretaker. built a career on short-form videos documenting his interactions with the squirrels that visit his patio in LA.
His Instagram and TikTok accounts each have well over a million followers (myself included) who know well the regular cast of characters: Maxine, Richard, and less frequent but affectionately named visitors like Hoodrat Raymond. Downey treats them to plenty of nuts, custom-built shelters, and trips to the local vet when emergency medical care is needed. It’s delightful and about as wholesome as it gets.
This advance offers important signals about the future of the sector, and the tech world is watching closely.
