diff --git a/src/__tests__/cli-help.test.ts b/src/__tests__/cli-help.test.ts
index a49723fe64..3d47049630 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/cli-help.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/cli-help.test.ts
@@ -150,18 +150,25 @@ test('help rejects multiple positional commands and skips daemon dispatch', asyn
   assert.match(result.stderr, /Error \(INVALID_ARGS\): help accepts at most one command/);
 });
 
-test('unknown command with flags reports unknown command before flag validation', async () => {
+test('tap aliases to press before daemon dispatch and JSON output', async () => {
+  const result = await runCliCapture(['tap', '@e3', '--json'], async (request) => ({
+    ok: true,
+    data: { command: request.command },
+  }));
+
+  assert.equal(result.code, null);
+  assert.equal(result.calls.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(result.calls[0]?.command, 'press');
+  assert.deepEqual(result.calls[0]?.positionals, ['@e3']);
+  const payload = JSON.parse(result.stdout);
+  assert.equal(payload.success, true);
+  assert.equal(payload.data.command, 'press');
+});
+
+test('tap alias keeps press target validation', async () => {
   const result = await runCliCapture(['tap', 'e3', '--session', 'foo']);
   assert.equal(result.code, 1);
   assert.equal(result.calls.length, 0);
-  assert.match(result.stderr, /Error \(INVALID_ARGS\): Unknown command: tap/);
-  assert.match(result.stderr, /Did you mean press or click/);
-});
-
-test('unknown command without flags reports unknown command with alias suggestion', async () => {
-  const result = await runCliCapture(['tap', 'e3']);
-  assert.equal(result.code, 1);
-  assert.equal(result.calls.length, 0);
-  assert.match(result.stderr, /Error \(INVALID_ARGS\): Unknown command: tap/);
-  assert.match(result.stderr, /Did you mean press or click/);
+  assert.match(result.stderr, /Did you mean "@e3"\?/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(result.stderr, /Unknown command: tap/);
 });
diff --git a/src/cli/parser/args.ts b/src/cli/parser/args.ts
index 161677e3c9..5989fc8dea 100644
--- a/src/cli/parser/args.ts
+++ b/src/cli/parser/args.ts
@@ -154,11 +154,7 @@ export function finalizeParsedArgs(
   // This ensures "Unknown command" errors take precedence over flag validation errors
   // However, skip this check if --help is provided, since cli.ts will handle it gracefully
   if (parsed.command && !isCommandKnown(parsed.command) && !flags.help) {
-    const hint = getCommandAliasSuggestion(parsed.command);
-    const message = hint
-      ? `Unknown command: ${parsed.command}. Did you mean ${hint}?`
-      : `Unknown command: ${parsed.command}`;
-    throw new AppError('INVALID_ARGS', message);
+    throw new AppError('INVALID_ARGS', `Unknown command: ${parsed.command}`);
   }
 
   const disallowed = parsed.providedFlags.filter(
@@ -357,14 +353,6 @@ function isCommandKnown(command: string): boolean {
   return (listCliCommandNames() as readonly string[]).includes(command);
 }
 
-const COMMAND_ALIAS_SUGGESTIONS: Record<string, string> = {
-  tap: 'press or click',
-};
-
-function getCommandAliasSuggestion(command: string): string | undefined {
-  return COMMAND_ALIAS_SUGGESTIONS[command];
-}
-
 function formatUnsupportedFlagMessage(command: string | null, unsupported: string[]): string {
   if (!command) {
     return unsupported.length === 1
@@ -387,5 +375,6 @@ export function usageForCommand(command: string): string | null {
 function normalizeCommandAlias(command: string): string {
   if (command === 'long-press') return 'longpress';
   if (command === 'metrics') return 'perf';
+  if (command === 'tap') return 'press';
   return command;
 }
diff --git a/src/cli/parser/cli-help.ts b/src/cli/parser/cli-help.ts
index aa2ee64abd..2ac77b01df 100644
--- a/src/cli/parser/cli-help.ts
+++ b/src/cli/parser/cli-help.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ const AGENT_QUICKSTART_LINES = [
   'Implicit default sessions are scoped to the current worktree; if a prompt names a Session, include --session <name> on every command in that flow.',
   'Run mutating commands serially within one session; parallelize only read-only commands or separate sessions/devices.',
   'Clipboard limits: iOS Allow Paste cannot be automated through XCUITest; prefill with clipboard write. Android non-ASCII should use fill/type, not raw adb input.',
-  'After mutation: refs are stale. If the next target is known, use its selector directly; otherwise refresh with snapshot -i, scoped with -s when a stable container is known. Do not use tap; use press or click.',
+  'After mutation: refs are stale. If the next target is known, use its selector directly; otherwise refresh with snapshot -i, scoped with -s when a stable container is known. Prefer press or click for touch interactions.',
   'Raw coordinates are fallback-only: use snapshot -i --json rects when iOS refs no-op or child refs are missing, then verify the action with diff snapshot -i or snapshot --diff.',
   'Sparse or AX-unavailable snapshot: use screenshot for visual truth, press the visible coordinate to leave the bad screen, then retry AX with snapshot -i.',
   'macOS context menus use click <ref> --button secondary, then snapshot -i. Longpress is for mobile hold gestures, not macOS secondary-click menus.',
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ Command shape:
   Snapshot refs look like @e12. After snapshot -i, use the exact @eN ref from that output.
   If the exact ref is not known yet, first output snapshot -i, then use a concrete example shape like press @e12 in the next command; do not write @<ref>, @ref, @Label_Name, or @eN placeholders.
   Close means agent-device close. App-owned back means back; system back means back --system.
-  Taps are press or click; tap is not a command. Gestures use swipe, longpress, or gesture <pan|fling|swipe|pinch|rotate|transform>. Use gesture swipe left|right for reliable in-page horizontal swipes, and gesture swipe right-edge for left-edge navigation/back gestures. Android swipe, pinch, rotate, and transform use provider-native touch injection when available, then the bundled touch helper. iOS simulator transform uses private XCTest synthesis for a continuous two-finger pan/scale/rotation path; otherwise it reports UNSUPPORTED_OPERATION.
+  Taps are press or click; tap is accepted as a CLI alias for press and normalizes back to press in output. Gestures use swipe, longpress, or gesture <pan|fling|swipe|pinch|rotate|transform>. Use gesture swipe left|right for reliable in-page horizontal swipes, and gesture swipe right-edge for left-edge navigation/back gestures. Android swipe, pinch, rotate, and transform use provider-native touch injection when available, then the bundled touch helper. iOS simulator transform uses private XCTest synthesis for a continuous two-finger pan/scale/rotation path; otherwise it reports UNSUPPORTED_OPERATION.
 
 Bootstrap:
   agent-device devices --platform ios
diff --git a/src/daemon/__tests__/session-store.test.ts b/src/daemon/__tests__/session-store.test.ts
index 17ece0a893..6228bcb12e 100644
--- a/src/daemon/__tests__/session-store.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/__tests__/session-store.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { SessionStore } from '../session-store.ts';
 import type { SessionState } from '../types.ts';
+import { parseArgs } from '../../cli/parser/args.ts';
 
 type RecordActionEntry = Parameters<SessionStore['recordAction']>[1];
 
@@ -154,6 +155,23 @@ test('saveScript path writes session log to custom location', () => {
   assert.equal(fs.existsSync(path.join(root, 'sessions')), false);
 });
 
+test('writeSessionLog records tap alias as canonical press', () => {
+  const fixture = makeFixture('agent-device-session-log-tap-alias-');
+  const parsed = parseArgs(['tap', '@e3', '--json'], { strictFlags: true });
+  assert.equal(parsed.command, 'press');
+
+  fixture.store.recordAction(fixture.session, {
+    command: parsed.command ?? '',
+    positionals: parsed.positionals,
+    flags: { ...parsed.flags, platform: 'ios', saveScript: true },
+    result: {},
+  });
+
+  const script = writeScript(fixture);
+  assert.match(script, /\npress @e3\n/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(script, /\ntap @e3\n/);
+});
+
 test('writeSessionLog persists open --relaunch in script output', () => {
   const fixture = makeFixture('agent-device-session-log-relaunch-');
   recordOpen(fixture.store, fixture.session, { platform: 'ios', saveScript: true, relaunch: true });
diff --git a/src/utils/__tests__/args.test.ts b/src/utils/__tests__/args.test.ts
index 11ac47fe20..ea2d080c17 100644
--- a/src/utils/__tests__/args.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/__tests__/args.test.ts
@@ -1161,6 +1161,13 @@ test('parseArgs supports legacy long-press alias', () => {
   assert.deepEqual(parsed.positionals, ['300', '500', '800']);
 });
 
+test('parseArgs supports tap alias for press', () => {
+  const parsed = parseArgs(['tap', '@e3', '--json'], { strictFlags: true });
+  assert.equal(parsed.command, 'press');
+  assert.deepEqual(parsed.positionals, ['@e3']);
+  assert.equal(parsed.flags.json, true);
+});
+
 test('parseArgs supports metrics alias for perf', () => {
   const parsed = parseArgs(['metrics'], { strictFlags: true });
   assert.equal(parsed.command, 'perf');
@@ -1492,6 +1499,7 @@ test('usageForCommand resolves workflow help topic', () => {
   const help = usageForCommand('workflow');
   if (help === null) throw new Error('Expected workflow help text');
   assert.match(help, /agent-device help workflow/);
+  assert.match(help, /tap is accepted as a CLI alias for press/);
   assert.match(help, /Use selectors as positional targets/);
   assert.match(help, /Do not use CSS selectors/);
   assert.match(help, /Snapshot legend:/);