[🐛] auth.PhoneAuthProvider.credential is undefined on IOS release build

## Issue

Just noticed our phone authentication does not work anymore (**only on release builds**), it seems very very similar to this issue

https://github.com/invertase/react-native-firebase/issues/8315

More specifically when calling `auth.PhoneAuthProvider.credential`

---

## Project Files

### Javascript

Click To Expand

```JavaScript
import auth, {
FirebaseAuthTypes,
getAuth,
signInWithCredential,
verifyPhoneNumber,
} from '@react-native-firebase/auth';
import React, {useCallback} from 'react';
import {UNKNOWN_ERROR} from '../../shared/utils/translateError';

const AUTOVERIFY_TIME = 10;
const RESEND_DELAY = 30;

export const useFirebasePhoneAuth = (phoneNumber: string) => {
const [canResend, setCanResend] = React.useState(false);

const timerRef = React.useRef(null);

const phoneAuthSnapshotRef =
React.useRef(null);

const startResendTimer = useCallback(() => {
setCanResend(false);

if (timerRef.current) {
clearTimeout(timerRef.current);
}

timerRef.current = setTimeout(
() => setCanResend(true),
RESEND_DELAY * 1000,
);
}, [setCanResend]);

const sendCode = useCallback(
async (force: boolean) => {
startResendTimer();

phoneAuthSnapshotRef.current =
await new Promise(
(resolve, reject) => {
verifyPhoneNumber(
getAuth(),
phoneNumber,
AUTOVERIFY_TIME,
force,
).on(
'state_changed',
phoneAuthSnapshot => {},
error => {
reject(error);
},
phoneAuthSnapshot => {
resolve(phoneAuthSnapshot);
},
);
},
);

// try auto retrieve the code on android
if (phoneAuthSnapshotRef.current.code) {
return phoneAuthSnapshotRef.current.code;
}
},
[phoneNumber, startResendTimer],
);

const authenticateWithCode = useCallback(
async (code: string) => {
if (!phoneAuthSnapshotRef.current) {
throw {code: UNKNOWN_ERROR};
}

const credential = auth.PhoneAuthProvider.credential(
phoneAuthSnapshotRef.current.verificationId,
code,
);

let userCredential: FirebaseAuthTypes.UserCredential | null = null;

// Upgrading current anonymous user has some limitations, please check :
// https://github.com/firebase/flutterfire/issues/6006
// https://github.com/firebase/flutterfire/issues/3949
//
// We can't use linkWithCredential because if an user already exists
// with that specific phone number we will get a session expired exception
// and will be forced to resend a new SMS code
//
// const {currentUser} = firebase.auth();
// if (currentUser && currentUser.isAnonymous) {
// try {
// userCredential = await currentUser.linkWithCredential(credential);
// } catch (error) {
// console.log(error);
// }
// }

if (!userCredential) {
userCredential = await signInWithCredential(getAuth(), credential);
}

return userCredential.user;
},
[phoneAuthSnapshotRef],
);

// proper cleanup on unmount
React.useEffect(() => {
return () => {
timerRef.current && clearTimeout(timerRef.current);
};
}, []);

return {sendCode, authenticateWithCode, canResend};
};

```

#### `package.json`:

```json
"dependencies": {
// if you need more please let me know
"@react-native-firebase/analytics": "^21.13.0",
"@react-native-firebase/app": "^21.13.0",
"@react-native-firebase/auth": "^21.13.0",
"@react-native-firebase/messaging": "^21.13.0",
"react-native": "0.78.2",
}
"devDependencies": {
"@babel/core": "^7.26.10",
"@babel/preset-env": "^7.26.9",
"@babel/runtime": "^7.27.0",
"@react-native-community/cli": "15.1.3",
"@react-native-community/cli-platform-android": "15.1.3",
"@react-native-community/cli-platform-ios": "15.1.3",
"@react-native/babel-preset": "0.78.2",
"@react-native/eslint-config": "0.78.2",
"@react-native/metro-config": "0.78.2",
"@react-native/typescript-config": "0.78.2",
"@types/jest": "^29.5.14",
"@types/react": "^19.1.0",
"@types/react-native-vector-icons": "^6.4.18",
"@types/react-test-renderer": "^19.1.0",
"eslint": "^8.57.1",
"jest": "^29.7.0",
"patch-package": "^8.0.0",
"react-test-renderer": "19.0.0",
"typescript": "^5.8.2"
},
```

#### `firebase.json` for react-native-firebase v6:

```json
{
"react-native": {
"messaging_ios_auto_register_for_remote_messages": true
}
}
```

### iOS

Click To Expand

#### `ios/Podfile`:

- [ ] I'm not using Pods
- [x] I'm using Pods and my Podfile looks like:

```ruby
ENV['RCT_NEW_ARCH_ENABLED'] = '0'

def node_require(script)
# Resolve script with node to allow for hoisting
require Pod::Executable.execute_command('node', ['-p',
"require.resolve(
'#{script}',
{paths: [process.argv[1]]},
)", __dir__]).strip
end

node_require('react-native/scripts/react_native_pods.rb')

platform :ios, min_ios_version_supported
prepare_react_native_project!

use_frameworks! :linkage => :static

$RNFirebaseAsStaticFramework = true
$RNFirebaseAnalyticsWithoutAdIdSupport = true

target 'Menoo' do
config = use_native_modules!(packages_to_skip: ['react-native-compressed-jsbundle'])

use_react_native!(
:path => config[:reactNativePath],
# Hermes should be disabled in AppClip due to size constraints
# Be aware that "export USE_HERMES=false" is also set in .xcode.env
:hermes_enabled => false,
# An absolute path to your application root.
:app_path => "#{Pod::Config.instance.installation_root}/.."
)
end
```

#### `AppDelegate.m`:

```objc
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
NSLog(@"Menoo");

[FIRApp configure];

self.moduleName = @"Menoo";
// You can add your custom initial props in the dictionary below.
// They will be passed down to the ViewController used by React Native.

NSDictionary *initProps = [self prepareInitialProps];
// this is for passing isHeadless parameter
// https://rnfirebase.io/messaging/usage
NSDictionary *appProperties = [RNFBMessagingModule addCustomPropsToUserProps:initProps withLaunchOptions:launchOptions];

self.initialProps = appProperties;
return [super application:application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:launchOptions];
}
```

---

### Android

Click To Expand

#### Have you converted to AndroidX?

- [ ] my application is an AndroidX application?
- [ ] I am using `android/gradle.settings` `jetifier=true` for Android compatibility?
- [ ] I am using the NPM package `jetifier` for react-native compatibility?

#### `android/build.gradle`:

```groovy
// N/A
```

#### `android/app/build.gradle`:

```groovy
// N/A
```

#### `android/settings.gradle`:

```groovy
// N/A
```

#### `MainApplication.java`:

```java
// N/A
```

#### `AndroidManifest.xml`:

```xml

```

---

## Environment

Click To Expand

**`react-native info` output:**

```
System:
OS: macOS 14.5
CPU: (8) arm64 Apple M1
Memory: 72.11 MB / 8.00 GB
Shell:
version: "5.9"
path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
Node:
version: 18.20.4
path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v18.20.4/bin/node
Yarn: Not Found
npm:
version: 10.7.0
path: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v18.20.4/bin/npm
Watchman:
version: 2024.08.26.00
path: /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
Managers:
CocoaPods:
version: 1.15.2
path: /opt/homebrew/bin/pod
SDKs:
iOS SDK:
Platforms:
- DriverKit 24.2
- iOS 18.2
- macOS 15.2
- tvOS 18.2
- visionOS 2.2
- watchOS 11.2
Android SDK: Not Found
IDEs:
Android Studio: Not Found
Xcode:
version: 16.2/16C5032a
path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
Java: Not Found
Ruby:
version: 2.6.10
path: /usr/bin/ruby
npmPackages:
"@react-native-community/cli":
installed: 15.1.3
wanted: 15.1.3
react:
installed: 19.0.0
wanted: 19.0.0
react-native:
installed: 0.78.2
wanted: 0.78.2
react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
"*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
hermesEnabled: true
newArchEnabled: false
iOS:
hermesEnabled: false
newArchEnabled: false
```

- **Platform that you're experiencing the issue on**:
- [ ] iOS
- [ ] Android
- [x] **iOS** but have not tested behavior on Android
- [ ] **Android** but have not tested behavior on iOS
- [ ] Both
- **`react-native-firebase` version you're using that has this issue:**
- `21.13.0`
- **`Firebase` module(s) you're using that has the issue:**
- `e.g. Instance ID`
- **Are you using `TypeScript`?**
- `Y/N` & `VERSION`

---

- 👉 Check out [`React Native Firebase`](https://twitter.com/rnfirebase) and [`Invertase`](https://twitter.com/invertaseio) on Twitter for updates on the library.