diff --git a/packages/cap-vite/README.md b/packages/cap-vite/README.md
index 3c6ea01ba..dd46a5d2d 100644
--- a/packages/cap-vite/README.md
+++ b/packages/cap-vite/README.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ pnpm -F @proj-airi/stage-pocket run dev:ios -- --target <DEVICE_ID_OR_SIMULATOR_
 - Arguments before `--` are forwarded to `vite`.
 - Arguments after `--` are forwarded to `cap run`.
 - If the platform-specific env is set (`CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_IOS` or `CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_ANDROID`) and `cap run` args do not contain `--target`, `cap-vite` injects `--target` with that value automatically.
+- If no `--target` argument or platform-specific env is set, `cap-vite` uses the first target from `cap run <platform> --list --json`.
 - `cap-vite` always launches the Vite dev server. Do not pass `vite dev` or `vite serve` as extra args.
 - After the dev server starts, press `R` in the terminal to re-run `cap run` without restarting Vite.
 
diff --git a/packages/cap-vite/src/native.test.ts b/packages/cap-vite/src/native.test.ts
index 934ff0211..f25a8d520 100644
--- a/packages/cap-vite/src/native.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cap-vite/src/native.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import { hasCapacitorTargetArg, parseCapacitorPlatform, pickServerUrl, resolveCapRunArgs, shouldRestartForNativeChange } from './native'
 
@@ -43,40 +43,82 @@ describe('pickServerUrl', () => {
 })
 
 describe('resolveCapRunArgs', () => {
-  it('keeps an explicit --target argument untouched', () => {
-    expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
+  it('keeps an explicit --target argument untouched', async () => {
+    await expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
       ['ios', '--target', 'iPhone 16 Pro', '--scheme', 'AIRI'],
       { CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_IOS: 'ignored-device' },
-    )).toEqual(['ios', '--target', 'iPhone 16 Pro', '--scheme', 'AIRI'])
+    )).resolves.toEqual(['ios', '--target', 'iPhone 16 Pro', '--scheme', 'AIRI'])
   })
 
-  it('injects --target from CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_ANDROID when it is missing', () => {
-    expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
+  it('injects --target from CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_ANDROID when it is missing', async () => {
+    await expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
       ['android', '--flavor', 'release'],
       { CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_ANDROID: 'emulator-5554' },
-    )).toEqual(['android', '--target', 'emulator-5554', '--flavor', 'release'])
+    )).resolves.toEqual(['android', '--target', 'emulator-5554', '--flavor', 'release'])
   })
 
-  it('injects --target from CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_IOS when it is missing', () => {
-    expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
+  it('injects --target from CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_IOS when it is missing', async () => {
+    await expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
       ['ios', '--scheme', 'AIRI'],
       { CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_IOS: 'iPhone 16 Pro' },
-    )).toEqual(['ios', '--target', 'iPhone 16 Pro', '--scheme', 'AIRI'])
+    )).resolves.toEqual(['ios', '--target', 'iPhone 16 Pro', '--scheme', 'AIRI'])
   })
 
-  it('does not use the other platform device id', () => {
-    expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
+  it('does not use the other platform device id', async () => {
+    const listTargets = vi.fn(async () => [
+      { id: 'ios-device' },
+    ])
+
+    await expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
       ['ios'],
       { CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_ANDROID: 'emulator-5554' },
-    )).toEqual(['ios'])
+      listTargets,
+    )).resolves.toEqual(['ios', '--target', 'ios-device'])
   })
 
-  it('supports the --target=value form when checking existing args', () => {
+  it('supports the --target=value form when checking existing args', async () => {
     expect(hasCapacitorTargetArg(['android', '--target=emulator-5554'])).toBe(true)
-    expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
+    await expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
       ['android', '--target=emulator-5554', '--flavor', 'release'],
       { CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_ANDROID: 'ignored-device' },
-    )).toEqual(['android', '--target=emulator-5554', '--flavor', 'release'])
+    )).resolves.toEqual(['android', '--target=emulator-5554', '--flavor', 'release'])
+  })
+
+  it('injects the first listed device when --target and platform device env are missing', async () => {
+    const listTargets = vi.fn(async () => [
+      { id: 'first-device' },
+      { id: 'second-device' },
+    ])
+
+    await expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
+      ['android', '--flavor', 'release'],
+      {},
+      listTargets,
+    )).resolves.toEqual(['android', '--target', 'first-device', '--flavor', 'release'])
+    expect(listTargets).toHaveBeenCalledWith('android')
+  })
+
+  it('prefers platform device env over the first listed device', async () => {
+    const listTargets = vi.fn(async () => [
+      { id: 'first-device' },
+    ])
+
+    await expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
+      ['ios'],
+      { CAPACITOR_DEVICE_ID_IOS: 'configured-device' },
+      listTargets,
+    )).resolves.toEqual(['ios', '--target', 'configured-device'])
+    expect(listTargets).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('throws when no default device target is available', async () => {
+    const listTargets = vi.fn(async () => [])
+
+    await expect(resolveCapRunArgs(
+      ['ios'],
+      {},
+      listTargets,
+    )).rejects.toThrow('No ios devices or simulators found.')
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/packages/cap-vite/src/native.ts b/packages/cap-vite/src/native.ts
index 559ffe2ee..851dbc497 100644
--- a/packages/cap-vite/src/native.ts
+++ b/packages/cap-vite/src/native.ts
@@ -4,8 +4,16 @@ import process from 'node:process'
 
 import { basename, extname, relative, resolve, sep } from 'node:path'
 
+import { x } from 'tinyexec'
+
 export type CapacitorPlatform = 'android' | 'ios'
 
+interface CapacitorTarget {
+  id?: string
+}
+
+type ListCapacitorTargets = (platform: CapacitorPlatform) => Promise<readonly CapacitorTarget[]>
+
 const nativeExtensionsByPlatform: Record<CapacitorPlatform, Set<string>> = {
   ios: new Set([
     '.entitlements',
@@ -84,7 +92,42 @@ export function hasCapacitorTargetArg(capArgs: string[]): boolean {
   return capArgs.some((arg, index) => arg === '--target' || (index > 0 && arg.startsWith('--target=')))
 }
 
-export function resolveCapRunArgs(capArgs: string[], env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): string[] {
+function parseCapacitorTargetList(value: string): CapacitorTarget[] {
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(value)
+  if (!Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+    throw new TypeError('Expected `cap run --list --json` to return a JSON array.')
+  }
+
+  return parsed
+    .filter((target): target is CapacitorTarget => typeof target === 'object' && target !== null && typeof (target as CapacitorTarget).id === 'string')
+}
+
+async function listCapacitorTargets(platform: CapacitorPlatform): Promise<CapacitorTarget[]> {
+  const output = await x('cap', ['run', platform, '--list', '--json'])
+
+  return parseCapacitorTargetList(output.stdout)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolves Capacitor run arguments by applying target defaults.
+ *
+ * Use when:
+ * - `cap-vite` is about to run `cap run`
+ * - Callers want env-based device IDs before falling back to the first available target
+ *
+ * Expects:
+ * - `capArgs[0]` is already validated as `ios` or `android` by the CLI boundary
+ * - Explicit `--target` arguments must stay untouched so Capacitor can validate them
+ *
+ * Returns:
+ * - The original args when a target is explicit
+ * - Args with `--target` injected from env or the first listed Capacitor target
+ */
+export async function resolveCapRunArgs(
+  capArgs: string[],
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
+  listTargets: ListCapacitorTargets = listCapacitorTargets,
+): Promise<string[]> {
   if (capArgs.length === 0 || hasCapacitorTargetArg(capArgs)) {
     return capArgs
   }
@@ -100,7 +143,16 @@ export function resolveCapRunArgs(capArgs: string[], env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = pr
   }
 
   if (!target) {
-    return capArgs
+    if (!platform) {
+      return capArgs
+    }
+
+    const targets = await listTargets(platform)
+    target = targets.find(device => device.id)?.id
+  }
+
+  if (!target) {
+    throw new Error(`No ${platform} devices or simulators found. Connect a device, start a simulator or emulator, or pass --target explicitly.`)
   }
 
   return [platformArg, '--target', target, ...rest]
diff --git a/packages/cap-vite/src/vite-plugin.test.ts b/packages/cap-vite/src/vite-plugin.test.ts
index ac63a876e..6f3d470d6 100644
--- a/packages/cap-vite/src/vite-plugin.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cap-vite/src/vite-plugin.test.ts
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ function createMockStdin() {
   return stdin
 }
 
-function configurePluginServer(plugin: Plugin, server: ReturnType<typeof createMockServer>) {
+async function configurePluginServer(plugin: Plugin, server: ReturnType<typeof createMockServer>) {
   const configureServer = plugin.configureServer
   if (!configureServer) {
     throw new Error('cap-vite plugin is missing configureServer().')
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ function configurePluginServer(plugin: Plugin, server: ReturnType<typeof createM
     ? configureServer
     : configureServer.handler
 
-  handler.call({} as any, server as any)
+  await handler.call({} as any, server as any)
 }
 
 const originalStdin = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, 'stdin')
@@ -123,15 +123,15 @@ describe('capVitePlugin', () => {
     const { capVitePlugin } = await import('./vite-plugin')
     const server = createMockServer()
 
-    configurePluginServer(capVitePlugin({
-      capArgs: ['ios', '--scheme', 'AIRI'],
+    await configurePluginServer(capVitePlugin({
+      capArgs: ['ios', '--target', 'iPhone 16 Pro', '--scheme', 'AIRI'],
     }), server)
 
     server.httpServer.emit('listening')
 
     expect(emitKeypressEvents).toHaveBeenCalledWith(stdin)
     expect(stdin.setRawMode).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true)
-    expect(x).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, 'cap', ['run', 'ios', '--scheme', 'AIRI'], {
+    expect(x).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, 'cap', ['run', 'ios', '--target', 'iPhone 16 Pro', '--scheme', 'AIRI'], {
       nodeOptions: {
         cwd: '/repo/app',
         env: {
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ describe('capVitePlugin', () => {
 
     await vi.waitFor(() => {
       expect(firstRun.kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith('SIGINT')
-      expect(server.config.logger.info).toHaveBeenCalledWith('[cap-vite] manual restart requested. Re-running "cap run ios --scheme AIRI".')
-      expect(x).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, 'cap', ['run', 'ios', '--scheme', 'AIRI'], {
+      expect(server.config.logger.info).toHaveBeenCalledWith('[cap-vite] manual restart requested. Re-running "cap run ios --target iPhone 16 Pro --scheme AIRI".')
+      expect(x).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, 'cap', ['run', 'ios', '--target', 'iPhone 16 Pro', '--scheme', 'AIRI'], {
         nodeOptions: {
           cwd: '/repo/app',
           env: {
@@ -180,8 +180,8 @@ describe('capVitePlugin', () => {
     const { capVitePlugin } = await import('./vite-plugin')
     const server = createMockServer()
 
-    configurePluginServer(capVitePlugin({
-      capArgs: ['android'],
+    await configurePluginServer(capVitePlugin({
+      capArgs: ['android', '--target', 'emulator-5554'],
     }), server)
 
     server.httpServer.emit('listening')
diff --git a/packages/cap-vite/src/vite-plugin.ts b/packages/cap-vite/src/vite-plugin.ts
index 53329afeb..5549d2678 100644
--- a/packages/cap-vite/src/vite-plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/cap-vite/src/vite-plugin.ts
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ function bindCapViteShortcuts(
 }
 
 export function capVitePlugin(options: CapVitePluginOptions): Plugin {
-  const resolvedCapArgs = resolveCapRunArgs(options.capArgs)
-  const platform = parseCapacitorPlatform(resolvedCapArgs[0])
+  const platform = parseCapacitorPlatform(options.capArgs[0])
   if (!platform) {
     throw new Error('The first `cap run` argument must be `ios` or `android`.')
   }
@@ -112,7 +111,8 @@ export function capVitePlugin(options: CapVitePluginOptions): Plugin {
   return {
     apply: 'serve',
     name: 'cap-vite:run-capacitor',
-    configureServer(server) {
+    async configureServer(server) {
+      const resolvedCapArgs = await resolveCapRunArgs(options.capArgs)
       const cwd = resolve(server.config.root)
       const platformRoot = resolve(cwd, resolvedPlatform)
       const debounceMs = 300