diff --git a/src/Camera.android.tsx b/src/Camera.android.tsx
index 0a47aff6d..16d97e42d 100644
--- a/src/Camera.android.tsx
+++ b/src/Camera.android.tsx
@@ -8,16 +8,6 @@ import NativeCameraKitModule from './specs/NativeCameraKitModule';
 const Camera = React.forwardRef<CameraApi, CameraProps>((props, ref) => {
   const nativeRef = React.useRef(null);
 
-  // RN doesn't support optional view props yet (sigh)
-  // so we have to use -1 to indicate 'undefined'
-  // All int/float/double props from src/specs/CameraNativeComponent.ts need be mentioned here
-  props.zoom = props.zoom ?? -1;
-  props.maxZoom = props.maxZoom ?? -1;
-  props.scanThrottleDelay = props.scanThrottleDelay ?? -1;
-  props.faceDetectionThrottleMs = props.faceDetectionThrottleMs ?? -1;
-
-  props.allowedBarcodeTypes = props.allowedBarcodeTypes ?? supportedCodeFormats;
-
   React.useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
     capture: async (options = {}) => {
       return await NativeCameraKitModule.capture(options, findNodeHandle(nativeRef.current) ?? undefined);
@@ -30,10 +20,25 @@ const Camera = React.forwardRef<CameraApi, CameraProps>((props, ref) => {
     },
   }));
 
-  const transformedProps: CameraProps = { ...props };
-  transformedProps.ratioOverlayColor = processColor(props.ratioOverlayColor) as any;
-  transformedProps.frameColor = processColor(props.frameColor) as any;
-  transformedProps.laserColor = processColor(props.laserColor) as any;
+  // RN doesn't support optional view props yet (sigh)
+  // so we have to use -1 to indicate 'undefined'
+  // All int/float/double props from src/specs/CameraNativeComponent.ts need be mentioned here
+  //
+  // These must land on a new object rather than on `props`: React freezes element.props in
+  // development, so assigning to `props` is silently dropped there while it works in release.
+  const transformedProps: CameraProps = {
+    ...props,
+    zoom: props.zoom ?? -1,
+    maxZoom: props.maxZoom ?? -1,
+    scanThrottleDelay: props.scanThrottleDelay ?? -1,
+    faceDetectionThrottleMs: props.faceDetectionThrottleMs ?? -1,
+
+    allowedBarcodeTypes: props.allowedBarcodeTypes ?? supportedCodeFormats,
+
+    ratioOverlayColor: processColor(props.ratioOverlayColor) as any,
+    frameColor: processColor(props.frameColor) as any,
+    laserColor: processColor(props.laserColor) as any,
+  };
 
   // @ts-expect-error props for codegen differ a bit from the user-facing ones
   return <NativeCamera style={{ minWidth: 100, minHeight: 100 }} ref={nativeRef} {...transformedProps} />;
diff --git a/src/Camera.ios.tsx b/src/Camera.ios.tsx
index 63d3c87b6..b26bf9d2b 100644
--- a/src/Camera.ios.tsx
+++ b/src/Camera.ios.tsx
@@ -11,16 +11,22 @@ const Camera = React.forwardRef<CameraApi, CameraProps>((props, ref) => {
   // RN doesn't support optional view props yet (sigh)
   // so we have to use -1 to indicate 'undefined'
   // All int/float/double props from src/specs/CameraNativeComponent.ts need be mentioned here
-  props.zoom = props.zoom ?? -1;
-  props.maxZoom = props.maxZoom ?? -1;
-  props.scanThrottleDelay = props.scanThrottleDelay ?? -1;
-  props.faceDetectionThrottleMs = props.faceDetectionThrottleMs ?? -1;
-  props.iOsDeferredStart = props.iOsDeferredStart ?? true;
+  //
+  // These must land on a new object rather than on `props`: React freezes element.props in
+  // development, so assigning to `props` is silently dropped there while it works in release.
+  const nativeProps: CameraProps = {
+    ...props,
+    zoom: props.zoom ?? -1,
+    maxZoom: props.maxZoom ?? -1,
+    scanThrottleDelay: props.scanThrottleDelay ?? -1,
+    faceDetectionThrottleMs: props.faceDetectionThrottleMs ?? -1,
+    iOsDeferredStart: props.iOsDeferredStart ?? true,
 
-  props.allowedBarcodeTypes = props.allowedBarcodeTypes ?? supportedCodeFormats;
+    allowedBarcodeTypes: props.allowedBarcodeTypes ?? supportedCodeFormats,
 
-  props.resetFocusTimeout = props.resetFocusTimeout ?? 0;
-  props.resetFocusWhenMotionDetected = props.resetFocusWhenMotionDetected ?? true;
+    resetFocusTimeout: props.resetFocusTimeout ?? 0,
+    resetFocusWhenMotionDetected: props.resetFocusWhenMotionDetected ?? true,
+  };
 
   React.useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
     capture: async () => {
@@ -35,7 +41,7 @@ const Camera = React.forwardRef<CameraApi, CameraProps>((props, ref) => {
   }));
 
   // @ts-expect-error props for codegen differ a bit from the user-facing ones
-  return <NativeCamera style={{ minWidth: 100, minHeight: 100 }} ref={nativeRef} {...props} />;
+  return <NativeCamera style={{ minWidth: 100, minHeight: 100 }} ref={nativeRef} {...nativeProps} />;
 });
 
 export default Camera;