diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_camera.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_camera.h
index d351ea2dac..25d7a32d0f 100644
--- a/include/SDL3/SDL_camera.h
+++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_camera.h
@@ -230,8 +230,7 @@ extern SDL_DECLSPEC SDL_CameraSpec *SDLCALL SDL_GetCameraDeviceSupportedFormats(
 /**
  * Get the human-readable device name for a camera.
  *
- * The returned string is owned by the caller; please release it with
- * SDL_free() when done with it.
+ * The returned string follows the SDL_GetStringRule.
  *
  * \param instance_id the camera device instance ID
  * \returns a human-readable device name, or NULL on error; call
@@ -243,7 +242,7 @@ extern SDL_DECLSPEC SDL_CameraSpec *SDLCALL SDL_GetCameraDeviceSupportedFormats(
  *
  * \sa SDL_GetCameraDevices
  */
-extern SDL_DECLSPEC char * SDLCALL SDL_GetCameraDeviceName(SDL_CameraDeviceID instance_id);
+extern SDL_DECLSPEC const char * SDLCALL SDL_GetCameraDeviceName(SDL_CameraDeviceID instance_id);
 
 /**
  * Get the position of the camera in relation to the system.
diff --git a/src/camera/SDL_camera.c b/src/camera/SDL_camera.c
index 8009136497..28323abccf 100644
--- a/src/camera/SDL_camera.c
+++ b/src/camera/SDL_camera.c
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ static void DestroyPhysicalCameraDevice(SDL_CameraDevice *device)
         camera_driver.impl.FreeDeviceHandle(device);
         SDL_DestroyMutex(device->lock);
         SDL_free(device->all_specs);
-        SDL_free(device->name);
+        SDL_FreeLater(device->name);  // this is returned in SDL_GetCameraDeviceName.
         SDL_free(device);
     }
 }
@@ -662,12 +662,12 @@ int SDL_GetCameraFormat(SDL_Camera *camera, SDL_CameraSpec *spec)
     return 0;
 }
 
-char *SDL_GetCameraDeviceName(SDL_CameraDeviceID instance_id)
+const char *SDL_GetCameraDeviceName(SDL_CameraDeviceID instance_id)
 {
     char *retval = NULL;
     SDL_CameraDevice *device = ObtainPhysicalCameraDevice(instance_id);
     if (device) {
-        retval = SDL_strdup(device->name);
+        retval = device->name;
         ReleaseCameraDevice(device);
     }
     return retval;
diff --git a/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h b/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
index e283c17591..9294d16cd5 100644
--- a/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
+++ b/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(char*,SDL_GetBasePath,(void),(),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_bool,SDL_GetBooleanProperty,(SDL_PropertiesID a, const char *b, SDL_bool c),(a,b,c),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(int,SDL_GetCPUCacheLineSize,(void),(),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(int,SDL_GetCPUCount,(void),(),return)
-SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(char*,SDL_GetCameraDeviceName,(SDL_CameraDeviceID a),(a),return)
+SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(const char*,SDL_GetCameraDeviceName,(SDL_CameraDeviceID a),(a),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_CameraPosition,SDL_GetCameraDevicePosition,(SDL_CameraDeviceID a),(a),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_CameraSpec*,SDL_GetCameraDeviceSupportedFormats,(SDL_CameraDeviceID a, int *b),(a,b),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_CameraDeviceID*,SDL_GetCameraDevices,(int *a),(a),return)
diff --git a/test/testcamera.c b/test/testcamera.c
index 5502007fcb..0a8d4a4a01 100644
--- a/test/testcamera.c
+++ b/test/testcamera.c
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ int SDL_AppInit(void **appstate, int argc, char *argv[])
     SDL_Log("Saw %d camera devices.", devcount);
     for (i = 0; i < devcount; i++) {
         const SDL_CameraDeviceID device = devices[i];
-        char *name = SDL_GetCameraDeviceName(device);
+        const char *name = SDL_GetCameraDeviceName(device);
         const SDL_CameraPosition position = SDL_GetCameraDevicePosition(device);
         const char *posstr = "";
         if (position == SDL_CAMERA_POSITION_FRONT_FACING) {
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ int SDL_AppInit(void **appstate, int argc, char *argv[])
             camera_id = device;
         }
         SDL_Log("  - Camera #%d: %s %s", i, posstr, name);
-        SDL_free(name);
     }
 
     if (!camera_id) {