diff --git a/App.tsx b/App.tsx
index 55e5715..f0bb21f 100644
--- a/App.tsx
+++ b/App.tsx
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ import './global.css';
 
 const SESSION_KEY = 'saved_session';
 const STARTUP_MODE_KEY = 'startup_mode';
+// Camera/device settings that survive restarts regardless of startup mode
+// (the session file only restores the full look under 'last session').
+const CAMERA_SETTINGS_KEY = 'camera_settings';
 
 // P5: native Kotlin export path. EXPO_PUBLIC_NATIVE_EXPORT=1 swaps the Skia
 // render engine for the RecipesCamExport native pipeline (same look contract,
@@ -204,10 +207,31 @@ export default function App() {
     return () => subscription.remove();
   }, [mode, libraryImageUri, adjustments, selectedFrame, useGeotag, selectedRecipe, gpsInfo, customWm, aspectRatio, meterMode, shutterSound]);
 
+  // Guards the camera-settings persist effect below: until initSession has
+  // read the stored values, changes are just the initial defaults — writing
+  // them would overwrite the saved settings (async restore loses the race
+  // against the mount effect).
+  const settingsHydratedRef = useRef(false);
+
   const initSession = async () => {
     const list = await getAllRecipes();
     setRecipes(list);
 
+    // Device/camera settings restore first: they apply under BOTH startup
+    // modes ('default' resets only the look, not these hardware choices).
+    try {
+      const raw = await AsyncStorage.getItem(CAMERA_SETTINGS_KEY);
+      if (raw) {
+        const s = JSON.parse(raw);
+        if (s.shutterSound === 'on' || s.shutterSound === 'off') setShutterSound(s.shutterSound);
+        if (s.meterMode === 'evaluative' || s.meterMode === 'highlight') setMeterMode(s.meterMode);
+        if (typeof s.rawEnabled === 'boolean') setRawEnabled(s.rawEnabled);
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.warn('Failed to read camera settings:', e);
+    }
+    settingsHydratedRef.current = true;
+
     // Startup mode: 'default' opens camera + PROVIA film sim (neutral
     // adjustments, DEFAULT_ADJUSTMENTS) at 4:3. 'last' restores the previous
     // session from AsyncStorage; with no saved session it falls back to the
@@ -266,9 +290,11 @@ export default function App() {
         setAdjustments({ ...DEFAULT_ADJUSTMENTS, ...session.adjustments });
       if (session.selectedFrame) setSelectedFrame(session.selectedFrame);
       if (session.useGeotag !== undefined) setUseGeotag(session.useGeotag);
-      if (session.aspectRatio === '4:3' || session.aspectRatio === '3:2') setAspectRatio(session.aspectRatio);
-      if (session.meterMode === 'evaluative' || session.meterMode === 'highlight') setMeterMode(session.meterMode);
-      if (session.shutterSound === 'on' || session.shutterSound === 'off') setShutterSound(session.shutterSound);
+      if (session.aspectRatio === 'full' || session.aspectRatio === '4:3' || session.aspectRatio === '3:2') setAspectRatio(session.aspectRatio);
+      // NOTE: meterMode/shutterSound/rawEnabled are NOT restored from the
+      // session snapshot here — the session file is only written on background,
+      // so it can be stale after a force-kill. CAMERA_SETTINGS_KEY above
+      // persists them on every change and is authoritative for these three.
       if (session.gpsInfo) setGpsInfo(session.gpsInfo);
       if (session.customWm && typeof session.customWm === 'object') {
         // Restore defensively: a session saved by an older build may miss the
@@ -384,6 +410,17 @@ export default function App() {
     AsyncStorage.setItem(STARTUP_MODE_KEY, mode).catch(() => {});
   };
 
+  // Persist device/camera settings on every change — not just on background —
+  // so they survive a kill/relaunch even under 'default' startup, which only
+  // resets the look (mode/ratio/recipe/geotag), not these.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!settingsHydratedRef.current) return;
+    AsyncStorage.setItem(
+      CAMERA_SETTINGS_KEY,
+      JSON.stringify({ shutterSound, meterMode, rawEnabled })
+    ).catch(() => {});
+  }, [shutterSound, meterMode, rawEnabled]);
+
   // Latest-rawEnabled ref so the stable session-error callback below can read
   // the live toggle without re-subscribing the Camera session on every render.
   const rawEnabledRef = useRef(rawEnabled);