diff --git a/internal/testrun/driver.go b/internal/testrun/driver.go
index af4c108..5fa8f46 100644
--- a/internal/testrun/driver.go
+++ b/internal/testrun/driver.go
@@ -14,14 +14,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/android"
 	"github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/driver"
 	"github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/driver/chrome"
+	"github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/driver/ioscompanion"
 	driverSidecar "github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/driver/sidecar"
-	"github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/ios"
 	"github.com/priyanshujain/sanderling/internal/sidecarassets"
 )
 
 // buildDriver creates the appropriate DeviceDriver for the platform and returns
-// a cleanup function. For web, ChromeDriver is used directly; for android/ios
-// the JVM sidecar is extracted, spawned, and dialed.
+// a cleanup function. For web, ChromeDriver is used directly. An iOS simulator
+// is driven by the native simulator companion (no JVM). Android and physical
+// iOS devices use the JVM sidecar, which is extracted, spawned, and dialed.
 func buildDriver(ctx context.Context, options Options, stdout io.Writer) (driver.DeviceDriver, func(), error) {
 	if err := Preflight(ctx, options.Platform); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
@@ -31,6 +32,24 @@ func buildDriver(ctx context.Context, options Options, stdout io.Writer) (driver
 		return d, func() { _ = d.Terminate(context.Background()) }, nil
 	}
 
+	if options.Platform == "ios" && options.iosIsSimulator {
+		d, err := ioscompanion.New(ctx, ioscompanion.Options{
+			UniqueDeviceIdentifier: options.iosUDID,
+			BundleID:               options.BundleID,
+			AppPath:                options.IosAppPath,
+			Output:                 stdout,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("ios simulator driver: %w", err)
+		}
+		return d, d.Close, nil
+	}
+
+	// Physical iOS devices and Android use the JVM sidecar, which requires java.
+	if err := preflightDevice(options.Platform); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+
 	sidecarDirectory := os.TempDir() + "/sanderling-sidecar"
 	jarPath, err := sidecarassets.Extract(sidecarDirectory)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -47,8 +66,8 @@ func buildDriver(ctx context.Context, options Options, stdout io.Writer) (driver
 		"--platform", options.Platform,
 	}
 	if options.Platform == "ios" {
-		if udid := ios.BootedUDID(ctx); udid != "" {
-			sidecarArgs = append(sidecarArgs, "--udid", udid)
+		if options.iosUDID != "" {
+			sidecarArgs = append(sidecarArgs, "--udid", options.iosUDID)
 		}
 	}
 	sidecarCommand := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "java", sidecarArgs...)
diff --git a/internal/testrun/testrun.go b/internal/testrun/testrun.go
index ed22daf..9d48dce 100644
--- a/internal/testrun/testrun.go
+++ b/internal/testrun/testrun.go
@@ -23,15 +23,21 @@ const sidecarStartupTimeout = 30 * time.Second
 
 // Options are the parameters for a single test pipeline run.
 type Options struct {
-	Spec      string
-	BundleID  string
-	Platform  string
-	AVD       string
-	IosDevice string
-	Duration  time.Duration
-	Seed      int64
-	Output    string
-	ClearData bool
+	Spec       string
+	BundleID   string
+	Platform   string
+	AVD        string
+	IosDevice  string
+	IosAppPath string
+	Duration   time.Duration
+	Seed       int64
+	Output     string
+	ClearData  bool
+
+	// iosUDID and iosIsSimulator are filled by Execute after resolving the iOS
+	// target, then read by buildDriver to choose the companion or sidecar path.
+	iosUDID        string
+	iosIsSimulator bool
 }
 
 // Execute runs the full test pipeline: bundle, launch app, verify properties.
@@ -42,9 +48,30 @@ func Execute(ctx context.Context, options Options, stdout io.Writer) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	case "ios":
-		if err := ios.EnsureSimulator(ctx, options.IosDevice, stdout); err != nil {
-			return err
+		udid, isSimulator, err := ios.ResolveTarget(ctx, options.IosDevice)
+		if err != nil {
+			// No query and nothing booted: keep boot-first behavior, then resolve
+			// the simulator that EnsureSimulator just brought up.
+			if options.IosDevice == "" {
+				if bootErr := ios.EnsureSimulator(ctx, "", stdout); bootErr != nil {
+					return bootErr
+				}
+				udid, isSimulator, err = ios.ResolveTarget(ctx, "")
+			}
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		} else if isSimulator {
+			if err := ios.EnsureSimulator(ctx, options.IosDevice, stdout); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			udid, isSimulator, err = ios.ResolveTarget(ctx, options.IosDevice)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
+		options.iosUDID = udid
+		options.iosIsSimulator = isSimulator
 	}
 	prep, err := prepareBundleInputs(options)
 	if err != nil {