diff --git a/.github/actions/appleapp-road-test/action.yml b/.github/actions/appleapp-road-test/action.yml
index b9e579835..323cf785c 100644
--- a/.github/actions/appleapp-road-test/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/appleapp-road-test/action.yml
@@ -259,6 +259,9 @@ runs:
         echo "::endgroup::"
       working-directory: apps/AppleApp
       shell: bash
+      env:
+        # EXPERIMENT ONLY (never merge)
+        E2E_SIMULATE_LOST_TAP: ${{ inputs.variant == 'expo57' && 'all' || 'first' }}
 
     - name: Upload Detox recordings on failure
       if: failure() && inputs.run-e2e == 'true'
diff --git a/apps/brownfield-example-shared-tests/e2e/appleAppDetoxUtils.cjs b/apps/brownfield-example-shared-tests/e2e/appleAppDetoxUtils.cjs
index 4761a997e..95708a84c 100644
--- a/apps/brownfield-example-shared-tests/e2e/appleAppDetoxUtils.cjs
+++ b/apps/brownfield-example-shared-tests/e2e/appleAppDetoxUtils.cjs
@@ -115,30 +115,71 @@ async function tapSwiftUIControl(matcher) {
   });
 }
 
-/** Push RNAppScreen from the native shell and wait until `isReady` resolves. */
-async function openReactNative(isReady) {
+const OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_ATTEMPTS = 3;
+
+/**
+ * Push RNAppScreen from the native shell and wait until `isReady(timeoutMs)` resolves.
+ *
+ * The tap sometimes doesn't push on CI (#498): retry it up to 3 times, then fail fast.
+ */
+async function openReactNative(isReady, totalTimeoutMs) {
+  const attemptTimeoutMs = Math.round(
+    totalTimeoutMs / OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_ATTEMPTS
+  );
   await device.disableSynchronization();
-  try {
-    await waitForVisible(OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_BUTTON, DETOX_TIMING.VISIBILITY_TIMEOUT_MS);
-    await tapSwiftUIControl(OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_BUTTON);
-    await isReady();
-  } finally {
-    await device.enableSynchronization();
+  await waitForVisible(
+    OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_BUTTON,
+    DETOX_TIMING.VISIBILITY_TIMEOUT_MS
+  );
+
+  for (let attempt = 1; ; attempt++) {
+    // Only re-tap while the shell is still showing.
+    const shouldTap =
+      attempt === 1 || (await isVisible(OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_BUTTON));
+    if (attempt > 1) {
+      console.warn(
+        `[AppleApp] React Native screen not visible after attempt ${attempt - 1}/${OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_ATTEMPTS}, ${shouldTap ? 're-tapping' : 'button gone, still waiting'}`
+      );
+    }
+    // EXPERIMENT ONLY (never merge): simulate lost taps.
+    const simulate = process.env.E2E_SIMULATE_LOST_TAP;
+    const skipTap = simulate === 'all' || (simulate === 'first' && attempt === 1);
+    if (shouldTap && skipTap) {
+      console.warn(`[AppleApp] EXPERIMENT: skipping tap on attempt ${attempt}`);
+    } else if (shouldTap) {
+      await tapSwiftUIControl(OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_BUTTON);
+    }
+    try {
+      await isReady(attemptTimeoutMs);
+      break;
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (attempt === OPEN_REACT_NATIVE_ATTEMPTS) {
+        throw error;
+      }
+    }
   }
+  await device.enableSynchronization();
 }
 
 async function openReactNativeVanilla() {
-  await openReactNative(() =>
-    waitForVisible(by.id(ids.rnAppHome), DETOX_TIMING.VISIBILITY_TIMEOUT_MS)
+  await openReactNative(
+    (timeoutMs) => waitForVisible(by.id(ids.rnAppHome), timeoutMs),
+    DETOX_TIMING.VISIBILITY_TIMEOUT_MS
   );
 }
 
 async function openReactNativeExpo() {
-  await openReactNative(() =>
-    waitForAnyVisible(
-      [EXPO_HOME_TAB_MATCHERS[0], EXPO_HOME_TAB_MATCHERS[1], EXPO_WELCOME_TITLE],
-      60_000
-    )
+  await openReactNative(
+    (timeoutMs) =>
+      waitForAnyVisible(
+        [
+          EXPO_HOME_TAB_MATCHERS[0],
+          EXPO_HOME_TAB_MATCHERS[1],
+          EXPO_WELCOME_TITLE,
+        ],
+        timeoutMs
+      ),
+    60_000
   );
 }