diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 795e52b..f28d2e3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 ## Next
 
+## 1.0.2 - 2025-02-24
+
+- fix: distinctId and anonymousId should degrade gracefully if they are strings that can't be parsed
+
 ## 1.0.1 - 2025-02-21
 
 - chore: pin the iOS SDK to 3.x.x
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/posthogreactnativesessionreplay/PosthogReactNativeSessionReplayModule.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/posthogreactnativesessionreplay/PosthogReactNativeSessionReplayModule.kt
index 5e4ae2a..25ab024 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/posthogreactnativesessionreplay/PosthogReactNativeSessionReplayModule.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/posthogreactnativesessionreplay/PosthogReactNativeSessionReplayModule.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.posthogreactnativesessionreplay
 
+import android.util.Log
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactApplicationContext
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactContextBaseJavaModule
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactMethod
@@ -25,59 +26,79 @@ class PosthogReactNativeSessionReplayModule(reactContext: ReactApplicationContex
   }
 
   @ReactMethod
-  fun start(sessionId: String, sdkOptions: ReadableMap, sdkReplayConfig: ReadableMap, decideReplayConfig: ReadableMap, promise: Promise) {
+  fun start(
+    sessionId: String,
+    sdkOptions: ReadableMap,
+    sdkReplayConfig: ReadableMap,
+    decideReplayConfig: ReadableMap,
+    promise: Promise
+  ) {
     val initRunnable = Runnable {
-      val uuid = UUID.fromString(sessionId)
-      PostHogSessionManager.setSessionId(uuid)
-
-      val context = this.reactApplicationContext
-      val apiKey = sdkOptions.getString("apiKey") ?: ""
-      val host = sdkOptions.getString("host") ?: PostHogConfig.DEFAULT_HOST
-      val debugValue = sdkOptions.getBoolean("debug")
-
-      val maskAllTextInputs = sdkReplayConfig.getBoolean("maskAllTextInputs")
-      val maskAllImages = sdkReplayConfig.getBoolean("maskAllImages")
-      val captureLog = sdkReplayConfig.getBoolean("captureLog")
-      val debouncerDelayMs = sdkReplayConfig.getInt("androidDebouncerDelayMs")
-
-      val endpoint = decideReplayConfig.getString("endpoint")
-
-      val distinctId = sdkOptions.getString("distinctId") ?: ""
-      val anonymousId = sdkOptions.getString("anonymousId") ?: ""
-      val theSdkVersion = sdkOptions.getString("sdkVersion")
-
-      var theFlushAt = 20
-      if (sdkOptions.hasKey("flushAt")) {
-        theFlushAt = sdkOptions.getInt("flushAt")
-      }
-
-      val config = PostHogAndroidConfig(apiKey, host).apply {
-        debug = debugValue
-        captureDeepLinks = false
-        captureApplicationLifecycleEvents = false
-        captureScreenViews = false
-        flushAt = theFlushAt
-        sessionReplay = true
-        sessionReplayConfig.screenshot = true
-        sessionReplayConfig.captureLogcat = captureLog
-        sessionReplayConfig.debouncerDelayMs = debouncerDelayMs.toLong()
-        sessionReplayConfig.maskAllImages = maskAllImages
-        sessionReplayConfig.maskAllTextInputs = maskAllTextInputs
-
-        if (!endpoint.isNullOrEmpty()) {
-          snapshotEndpoint = endpoint
+      try {
+        val uuid = UUID.fromString(sessionId)
+        PostHogSessionManager.setSessionId(uuid)
+
+        val context = this.reactApplicationContext
+        val apiKey = sdkOptions.getString("apiKey") ?: ""
+        val host = sdkOptions.getString("host") ?: PostHogConfig.DEFAULT_HOST
+        val debugValue = sdkOptions.getBoolean("debug")
+
+        val maskAllTextInputs = sdkReplayConfig.getBoolean("maskAllTextInputs")
+        val maskAllImages = sdkReplayConfig.getBoolean("maskAllImages")
+        val captureLog = sdkReplayConfig.getBoolean("captureLog")
+        val debouncerDelayMs = sdkReplayConfig.getInt("androidDebouncerDelayMs")
+
+        val endpoint = decideReplayConfig.getString("endpoint")
+
+        val distinctId = try {
+          sdkOptions.getString("distinctId") ?: ""
+        } catch (e: Throwable) {
+          logError("parse distinctId", e)
+          ""
+        }
+        val anonymousId = try {
+          sdkOptions.getString("anonymousId") ?: ""
+        } catch (e: Throwable) {
+          logError("parse anonymousId", e)
+          ""
         }
+        val theSdkVersion = sdkOptions.getString("sdkVersion")
 
-        if (!theSdkVersion.isNullOrEmpty()) {
-          sdkName = "posthog-react-native"
-          sdkVersion = theSdkVersion
+        var theFlushAt = 20
+        if (sdkOptions.hasKey("flushAt")) {
+          theFlushAt = sdkOptions.getInt("flushAt")
         }
-      }
-      PostHogAndroid.setup(context, config)
 
-      setIdentify(config.cachePreferences, distinctId, anonymousId)
+        val config = PostHogAndroidConfig(apiKey, host).apply {
+          debug = debugValue
+          captureDeepLinks = false
+          captureApplicationLifecycleEvents = false
+          captureScreenViews = false
+          flushAt = theFlushAt
+          sessionReplay = true
+          sessionReplayConfig.screenshot = true
+          sessionReplayConfig.captureLogcat = captureLog
+          sessionReplayConfig.debouncerDelayMs = debouncerDelayMs.toLong()
+          sessionReplayConfig.maskAllImages = maskAllImages
+          sessionReplayConfig.maskAllTextInputs = maskAllTextInputs
+
+          if (!endpoint.isNullOrEmpty()) {
+            snapshotEndpoint = endpoint
+          }
+
+          if (!theSdkVersion.isNullOrEmpty()) {
+            sdkName = "posthog-react-native"
+            sdkVersion = theSdkVersion
+          }
+        }
+        PostHogAndroid.setup(context, config)
 
-      promise.resolve(null)
+        setIdentify(config.cachePreferences, distinctId, anonymousId)
+      } catch (e: Throwable) {
+        logError("start", e)
+      } finally {
+        promise.resolve(null)
+      }
     }
 
     // forces the SDK to be initialized on the main thread
@@ -90,31 +111,54 @@ class PosthogReactNativeSessionReplayModule(reactContext: ReactApplicationContex
 
   @ReactMethod
   fun startSession(sessionId: String, promise: Promise) {
-    val uuid = UUID.fromString(sessionId)
-    PostHogSessionManager.setSessionId(uuid)
-    PostHog.startSession()
-    promise.resolve(null)
+    try {
+      val uuid = UUID.fromString(sessionId)
+      PostHogSessionManager.setSessionId(uuid)
+      PostHog.startSession()
+    } catch (e: Throwable) {
+      logError("startSession", e)
+    } finally {
+      promise.resolve(null)
+    }
   }
 
   @ReactMethod
   fun isEnabled(promise: Promise) {
-    promise.resolve(PostHog.isSessionReplayActive())
+    try {
+      promise.resolve(PostHog.isSessionReplayActive())
+    } catch (e: Throwable) {
+      logError("isEnabled", e)
+      promise.resolve(false)
+    }
   }
 
   @ReactMethod
   fun endSession(promise: Promise) {
-    PostHog.endSession()
-    promise.resolve(null)
+    try {
+      PostHog.endSession()
+    } catch (e: Throwable) {
+      logError("endSession", e)
+    } finally {
+      promise.resolve(null)
+    }
   }
 
   @ReactMethod
   fun identify(distinctId: String, anonymousId: String, promise: Promise) {
-    setIdentify(PostHog.getConfig<PostHogConfig>()?.cachePreferences, distinctId, anonymousId)
-
-    promise.resolve(null)
+    try {
+      setIdentify(PostHog.getConfig<PostHogConfig>()?.cachePreferences, distinctId, anonymousId)
+    } catch (e: Throwable) {
+      logError("identify", e)
+    } finally {
+      promise.resolve(null)
+    }
   }
 
-  private fun setIdentify(cachePreferences: PostHogPreferences?, distinctId: String, anonymousId: String) {
+  private fun setIdentify(
+    cachePreferences: PostHogPreferences?,
+    distinctId: String,
+    anonymousId: String
+  ) {
     cachePreferences?.let { preferences ->
       if (anonymousId.isNotEmpty()) {
         preferences.setValue(ANONYMOUS_ID, anonymousId)
@@ -125,7 +169,12 @@ class PosthogReactNativeSessionReplayModule(reactContext: ReactApplicationContex
     }
   }
 
+  private fun logError(method: String, error: Throwable) {
+    Log.println(Log.ERROR, POSTHOG_TAG, "Method $method, error: $error")
+  }
+
   companion object {
     const val NAME = "PosthogReactNativeSessionReplay"
+    const val POSTHOG_TAG = "PostHog"
   }
 }