diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index ade21f48..8c046cd7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -352,11 +352,13 @@ jobs:
       - name: boot simulator and install app
         run: |
           # Create a fresh iPhone simulator rather than assuming one is
-          # pre-created (runner images vary). Pick the newest available
-          # iPhone device type and iOS runtime.
-          DEVTYPE=$(xcrun simctl list devicetypes | grep -Eo 'com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimDeviceType.iPhone-[0-9A-Za-z-]+' | tail -1)
+          # pre-created (runner images vary). Pick the highest-numbered
+          # iPhone model (e.g. "iPhone 17") so it's compatible with the
+          # newest iOS runtime — an old model like iPhone 6s is rejected as
+          # "Incompatible device".
+          DEVTYPE=$(xcrun simctl list devicetypes | grep -oE 'iPhone [0-9]+' | sort -k2 -n | tail -1)
           RUNTIME=$(xcrun simctl list runtimes | grep -Eo 'com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-[0-9-]+' | tail -1)
-          echo "creating simulator: devtype=$DEVTYPE runtime=$RUNTIME"
+          echo "creating simulator: devtype=\"$DEVTYPE\" runtime=$RUNTIME"
           UDID=$(xcrun simctl create e2e-iphone "$DEVTYPE" "$RUNTIME")
           echo "SIM_UDID=$UDID" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           xcrun simctl boot "$UDID"
@@ -399,7 +401,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: run maestro tests
         run: |
           source /tmp/e2e-env.sh
-          maestro --device "$SIM_UDID" test -e APP_ID=tv.aquareum -e SERVER_URL="$SERVER_URL" -e ACCOUNT_HANDLE="$ACCOUNT_HANDLE" .maestro/
+          # only one simulator is booted, so maestro auto-selects it
+          maestro test -e APP_ID=tv.aquareum -e SERVER_URL="$SERVER_URL" -e ACCOUNT_HANDLE="$ACCOUNT_HANDLE" .maestro/
 
       - name: collect ios diagnostics
         if: always()