diff --git a/packages/platform-apple/src/core/__tests__/physical-device-coredevice.test.ts b/packages/platform-apple/src/core/__tests__/physical-device-coredevice.test.ts
index bd99a2309e..7cf98c4203 100644
--- a/packages/platform-apple/src/core/__tests__/physical-device-coredevice.test.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-apple/src/core/__tests__/physical-device-coredevice.test.ts
@@ -589,6 +589,22 @@ test('ensureCoreDeviceReady names the connecting tunnel state as the reason it r
   assert.match(error.message, /not ready for automation/i);
 });
 
+test('ensureCoreDeviceReady refuses a device CoreDevice cannot reach', async () => {
+  const error = await expectReadyFailure(() => readyPayload('unavailable'));
+  assert.equal(error.details?.kind, 'not_ready');
+  assert.equal(error.details?.tunnelState, 'unavailable');
+  assert.match(error.message, /not ready for automation/i);
+});
+
+test('ensureCoreDeviceReady passes a device whose tunnel opens on demand', async () => {
+  await withCoreDeviceProbe(
+    () => readyPayload('disconnected'),
+    async () => {
+      await ensureCoreDeviceReady(IOS_DEVICE);
+    },
+  );
+});
+
 test('ensureCoreDeviceReady reports a failed details command with the device hint', async () => {
   const error = await expectReadyFailure(() => ({
     exitCode: 1,
diff --git a/packages/platform-apple/src/core/physical-device-constants.ts b/packages/platform-apple/src/core/physical-device-constants.ts
index 3a61cce420..f981f0c511 100644
--- a/packages/platform-apple/src/core/physical-device-constants.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-apple/src/core/physical-device-constants.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
 export const IOS_DEVICE_READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 15_000;
 export const IOS_DEVICE_READY_COMMAND_TIMEOUT_BUFFER_MS = 3_000;
+
+export function isCoreDeviceReachable(tunnelState: unknown): boolean {
+  return typeof tunnelState !== 'string' || tunnelState.toLowerCase() !== 'unavailable';
+}
diff --git a/packages/platform-apple/src/core/physical-device-coredevice.ts b/packages/platform-apple/src/core/physical-device-coredevice.ts
index 7600e7eea1..f7e7551b39 100644
--- a/packages/platform-apple/src/core/physical-device-coredevice.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-apple/src/core/physical-device-coredevice.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
 import {
   IOS_DEVICE_READY_COMMAND_TIMEOUT_BUFFER_MS,
   IOS_DEVICE_READY_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  isCoreDeviceReachable,
 } from './physical-device-constants.ts';
 
 const IOS_RUNNER_DEVICE_INFO_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000;
@@ -72,6 +73,14 @@ export async function ensureCoreDeviceReady(
           hint: 'Device tunnel is still connecting. Keep the device unlocked and connected by cable until it is fully available in Xcode Devices, then retry.',
         });
       }
+      if (!isCoreDeviceReachable(tunnelState)) {
+        throw new AppError('COMMAND_FAILED', 'iOS device is not ready for automation', {
+          kind: 'not_ready',
+          deviceId: device.id,
+          tunnelState,
+          hint: 'CoreDevice cannot reach the device. Connect it by cable or to the same network as this Mac, unlock it, and wait until Xcode Devices lists it as available, then retry.',
+        });
+      }
       return;
     }
     throw new AppError(
diff --git a/packages/platform-apple/src/inventory-classification.test.ts b/packages/platform-apple/src/inventory-classification.test.ts
index bc72daa436..6c643a6fee 100644
--- a/packages/platform-apple/src/inventory-classification.test.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-apple/src/inventory-classification.test.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,27 @@ test('devicectl records map to normalized physical Apple devices', () => {
   );
 });
 
+test('devicectl records report a paired device CoreDevice cannot reach as not booted', () => {
+  const record = (tunnelState?: string) => ({
+    hardwareProperties: { platform: 'iOS', productType: 'iPhone18,1', udid: 'phone-1' },
+    ...(tunnelState === undefined ? {} : { connectionProperties: { tunnelState } }),
+  });
+  assert.equal(mapDevicectlAppleDevice(record('unavailable'))?.booted, false);
+  assert.equal(mapDevicectlAppleDevice(record('Unavailable'))?.booted, false);
+  // CoreDevice opens a tunnel on demand, so an idle device it can reach is still usable.
+  assert.equal(mapDevicectlAppleDevice(record('disconnected'))?.booted, true);
+  assert.equal(mapDevicectlAppleDevice(record('connected'))?.booted, true);
+  assert.equal(mapDevicectlAppleDevice(record())?.booted, true);
+  // devicectl JSON is not validated at runtime, so a malformed state must not break the listing.
+  assert.equal(
+    mapDevicectlAppleDevice({
+      hardwareProperties: { platform: 'iOS', productType: 'iPhone18,1', udid: 'phone-1' },
+      connectionProperties: { tunnelState: 3 as unknown as string },
+    })?.booted,
+    true,
+  );
+});
+
 test('devicectl records report the marketing model and OS version', () => {
   const devicectlRecord = {
     identifier: '3F1DAD0D-212F-44F2-B41E-C390F96140BE',
diff --git a/packages/platform-apple/src/inventory-classification.ts b/packages/platform-apple/src/inventory-classification.ts
index 77de4771c9..2d1ba61018 100644
--- a/packages/platform-apple/src/inventory-classification.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-apple/src/inventory-classification.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { AppleOS, DeviceInfo, DeviceTarget } from '@agent-device/kernel/device';
+import { isCoreDeviceReachable } from './core/physical-device-constants.ts';
 
 const APPLE_PRODUCT_TYPE_PATTERN = /^(iphone|ipad|ipod|appletv|realitydevice)/i;
 const APPLE_IPAD_PATTERN = /ipad/i;
@@ -128,6 +129,6 @@ export function mapDevicectlAppleDevice(device: DevicectlAppleDevice): DeviceInf
     ...(model ? { model } : {}),
     ...(osVersion ? { osVersion } : {}),
     iosPhysicalDeviceBackend: 'coredevice',
-    booted: true,
+    booted: isCoreDeviceReachable(device.connectionProperties?.tunnelState),
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/commands/schema/cli-help.ts b/src/commands/schema/cli-help.ts
index 47b34af2b6..961523746b 100644
--- a/src/commands/schema/cli-help.ts
+++ b/src/commands/schema/cli-help.ts
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ Discovery:
 
 iOS physical-device prerequisites:
   Xcode, xcrun xcdevice, and xcrun xctrace must be available from the selected Xcode.
-  The device must be paired/trusted, connected, unlocked when needed, and have Developer Mode enabled.
+  The device must be paired/trusted, connected, unlocked when needed, and have Developer Mode enabled. A paired device that CoreDevice cannot reach (devicectl tunnelState unavailable: unplugged or off the network) is listed with booted: false, and commands refuse it with details.kind not_ready and details.tunnelState unavailable.
   Modern devices visible to devicectl use CoreDevice. Older devices visible only to xctrace use the XCTest backend automatically.
   XCTest-backed devices must already have the target app installed and should be opened by bundle ID; app inventory, install/reinstall, logs, performance sampling, recording, deep links, and launch arguments require CoreDevice.
   XCTest-backed runner commands travel through macOS usbmuxd; keep the trusted device connected by cable.
diff --git a/website/docs/docs/installation.md b/website/docs/docs/installation.md
index ae7cc70a55..bd9afb69dc 100644
--- a/website/docs/docs/installation.md
+++ b/website/docs/docs/installation.md
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ Run `agent-device help physical-device` for the same setup guidance from the CLI
 
 - Xcode is installed with `xcrun devicectl` and `xcrun xctrace` available.
 - The device is paired, trusted, connected, unlocked when needed, and listed by `xcrun devicectl list devices`.
+  A paired device that CoreDevice cannot reach (`tunnelState: unavailable`, for example unplugged and off the network) is listed by `devices` with `booted: false`. Commands refuse it with `details.kind: not_ready` and `details.tunnelState: unavailable`.
 - Developer Mode is on in the device's Settings.
 - The Apple runner must be signed before commands can run on the device. Start with Automatic Signing in Xcode and these environment variables; add the others below only when needed:
   - `AGENT_DEVICE_IOS_TEAM_ID`