diff --git a/.claude/rules/ci.md b/.claude/rules/ci.md
index 7afaaebb5c..b31b145c0f 100644
--- a/.claude/rules/ci.md
+++ b/.claude/rules/ci.md
@@ -55,9 +55,8 @@ The required check names are in `AGENTS.md` (CI). Reading a red check: `.claude/
 ## iOS and Package Tests (`ios-tests.yml`)
 
 - Triggers and concurrency as macOS Tests. `Changes (iOS)` outputs `run` (detector `ios`) and `oracle` (detector `oracle`).
-- 50 minutes on `xcode-27`, simulator `iPhone 18 Pro` on the newest iOS runtime that has it. The iOS platform is downloaded only when that simulator is missing.
-- Right after setup-xcode the job boots that simulator by UDID, so its first boot overlaps the build. `xcodebuild test` names it with `-destination id=`.
-- `TableProMobileTests` runs with `-parallel-testing-enabled NO` on that one simulator: a second booted simulator killed runs with "(ipc/mig) server died" on the 3-core runner. `TableProMobile/project.yml` says `parallelizable: true`, which every run overrides.
+- 50 minutes on `xcode-27`, simulator `iPhone 18 Pro`. The iOS platform is downloaded only when that simulator is missing.
+- `TableProMobileTests` runs with `-parallel-testing-enabled NO`: a second booted simulator killed runs with "(ipc/mig) server died" on the 3-core runner. `TableProMobile/project.yml` says `parallelizable: true`, which every run overrides.
 - `swift test --package-path Packages/TableProCore --parallel`, then TableProOracle with `--force-resolved-versions` when its detector is not false. Each step has `if: !cancelled()`, so one red step never hides the next.
 - The summary step always runs. Evidence uploads only on failure.
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ios-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/ios-tests.yml
index fb57826deb..64b1690e62 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ios-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ios-tests.yml
@@ -46,38 +46,12 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: xcode-27
     timeout-minutes: 50
     env:
-      SIMULATOR: iPhone 18 Pro
+      DESTINATION: platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 18 Pro
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
 
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-xcode
 
-      # Booted ahead of the build so the first boot overlaps the compile instead of following it.
-      # The image ships the iOS 27.0 runtime; downloading the one for Xcode's newer SDK costs minutes.
-      # A destination by name takes the newest runtime, so the lookup does too.
-      - name: Boot the simulator
-        id: simulator
-        run: |
-          set -euo pipefail
-          find_simulator() {
-            xcrun simctl list devices available -j | jq -r --arg name "$SIMULATOR" '
-              [.devices | to_entries[] | select(.key | test("\\.iOS-[0-9-]+$"))
-                | {version: (.key | capture("iOS-(?<v>[0-9-]+)$").v | split("-") | map(tonumber)),
-                   udid: (.value[] | select(.name == $name) | .udid)}]
-              | sort_by(.version) | last | .udid // empty'
-          }
-          udid="$(find_simulator)"
-          if [ -z "$udid" ]; then
-            xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS
-            udid="$(find_simulator)"
-          fi
-          if [ -z "$udid" ]; then
-            echo "No $SIMULATOR simulator, even after downloading the iOS platform." >&2
-            exit 1
-          fi
-          xcrun simctl boot "$udid"
-          echo "udid=$udid" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-xcodegen
 
       - name: Download static libraries
@@ -88,16 +62,21 @@ jobs:
       - name: Generate the Xcode project
         run: scripts/generate-project.sh ios
 
+      # The image ships the iOS 27.0 runtime. Downloading the one for Xcode's newer SDK costs minutes.
+      - name: Make sure the simulator exists
+        run: |
+          if ! xcrun simctl list devices available | grep -F "iPhone 18 Pro (" > /dev/null; then
+            xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS
+          fi
+
       # One simulator, not clones: on a 3-core runner a second booted simulator killed runs with
       # "(ipc/mig) server died", and TableProMobileTests is one bundle that never split anyway.
       - name: Run the iOS tests
-        env:
-          SIMULATOR_UDID: ${{ steps.simulator.outputs.udid }}
         run: |
           set -o pipefail
           xcodebuild test \
             -project TableProMobile/TableProMobile.xcodeproj -scheme TableProMobile \
-            -destination "platform=iOS Simulator,id=$SIMULATOR_UDID" -only-testing:TableProMobileTests \
+            -destination "$DESTINATION" -only-testing:TableProMobileTests \
             -parallel-testing-enabled NO \
             -skipPackagePluginValidation -resultBundlePath iOS.xcresult \
             CODE_SIGNING_ALLOWED=NO COMPILER_INDEX_STORE_ENABLE=NO COMPILATION_CACHE_ENABLE_CACHING=NO \