diff --git a/src/__tests__/cli-help.test.ts b/src/__tests__/cli-help.test.ts
index a49723fe64..d3ca82e153 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/cli-help.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/cli-help.test.ts
@@ -150,18 +150,38 @@ 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 dispatches as press with positionals and flags preserved', async () => {
+  const result = await runCliCapture(['tap', '@e3', '--json']);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(result.stderr, /Unknown command/);
+  // Canonicalization: the daemon call must record press, never tap.
+  assert.equal(result.calls.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(result.calls[0]?.command, 'press');
+  assert.deepEqual(result.calls[0]?.positionals, ['@e3']);
+});
+
+// From #1052 (credit: @vku2018): the alias must compose with the bare-ref
+// hint — `tap e3` normalizes to press, then gets the @e3 suggestion.
+test('tap with a bare ref gets the @ref hint, not an unknown-command error', 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/);
+  assert.match(result.stderr, /Did you mean "@e3"\?/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(result.stderr, /Unknown command: tap/);
+});
+
+// Regression coverage for #1036 (moved off `tap` when it became an alias):
+// unknown commands must be reported before per-command flag validation.
+test('unknown command with flags reports unknown command before flag validation', async () => {
+  const result = await runCliCapture(['bogus-cmd', 'e3', '--session', 'foo']);
+  assert.equal(result.code, 1);
+  assert.equal(result.calls.length, 0);
+  assert.match(result.stderr, /Error \(INVALID_ARGS\): Unknown command: bogus-cmd/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(result.stderr, /not supported for command/);
 });
 
-test('unknown command without flags reports unknown command with alias suggestion', async () => {
-  const result = await runCliCapture(['tap', 'e3']);
+test('unknown command without flags reports unknown command', async () => {
+  const result = await runCliCapture(['bogus-cmd', '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, /Error \(INVALID_ARGS\): Unknown command: bogus-cmd/);
 });
diff --git a/src/cli/parser/args.ts b/src/cli/parser/args.ts
index 161677e3c9..023091beb3 100644
--- a/src/cli/parser/args.ts
+++ b/src/cli/parser/args.ts
@@ -357,9 +357,7 @@ function isCommandKnown(command: string): boolean {
   return (listCliCommandNames() as readonly string[]).includes(command);
 }
 
-const COMMAND_ALIAS_SUGGESTIONS: Record<string, string> = {
-  tap: 'press or click',
-};
+const COMMAND_ALIAS_SUGGESTIONS: Record<string, string> = {};
 
 function getCommandAliasSuggestion(command: string): string | undefined {
   return COMMAND_ALIAS_SUGGESTIONS[command];
@@ -387,5 +385,6 @@ 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..74d7e6521e 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. Use press/click for taps.',
   '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 an alias for press. 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/utils/__tests__/args.test.ts b/src/utils/__tests__/args.test.ts
index 11ac47fe20..c87de985cf 100644
--- a/src/utils/__tests__/args.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/__tests__/args.test.ts
@@ -1167,6 +1167,19 @@ test('parseArgs supports metrics alias for perf', () => {
   assert.deepEqual(parsed.positionals, []);
 });
 
+test('parseArgs supports tap alias for press', () => {
+  const parsed = parseArgs(['tap', '@e3'], { strictFlags: true });
+  assert.equal(parsed.command, 'press');
+  assert.deepEqual(parsed.positionals, ['@e3']);
+});
+
+test('parseArgs preserves flags when tap is aliased to 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 trigger-app-event payload argument', () => {
   const parsed = parseArgs(['trigger-app-event', 'screenshot_taken', '{"source":"qa"}'], {
     strictFlags: true,
@@ -1194,6 +1207,13 @@ test('usageForCommand supports legacy long-press alias', () => {
   assert.doesNotMatch(help ?? '', /agent-device long-press/);
 });
 
+test('usageForCommand supports tap alias for press', () => {
+  const help = usageForCommand('tap');
+  assert.equal(help === null, false);
+  assert.match(help ?? '', /agent-device press/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(help ?? '', /agent-device tap/);
+});
+
 test('usageForCommand documents keyboard dismissal flow', () => {
   const help = usageForCommand('keyboard');
   assert.equal(help === null, false);