diff --git a/src/daemon/__tests__/request-lock-policy.test.ts b/src/daemon/__tests__/request-lock-policy.test.ts
index 8b7717aff..9bcbb1f64 100644
--- a/src/daemon/__tests__/request-lock-policy.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/__tests__/request-lock-policy.test.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,103 @@ test('rejects existing-session selector conflicts under request lock policy', ()
   );
 });
 
+test.each([
+  {
+    command: 'apps',
+    flags: { platform: 'ios', device: 'iPhone 17' },
+    expected: { platform: 'ios', device: 'iPhone 17', serial: undefined },
+  },
+  {
+    command: 'devices',
+    flags: { platform: 'android', serial: 'emulator-5554' },
+    expected: { platform: 'android', device: undefined, serial: 'emulator-5554' },
+  },
+] as const)(
+  'allows $command to inspect a different selector under existing-session lock policy',
+  ({ command, flags, expected }) => {
+    const req = applyRequestLockPolicy(
+      {
+        token: 'token',
+        session: 'qa-ios',
+        command,
+        positionals: [],
+        flags,
+        meta: {
+          lockPolicy: 'reject',
+        },
+      },
+      IOS_SESSION,
+    );
+
+    assert.deepEqual(selectedFlags(req), expected);
+  },
+);
+
+test.each([
+  {
+    command: 'apps',
+    flags: { device: 'iPhone 17' },
+    expected: { platform: undefined, device: 'iPhone 17', serial: undefined },
+  },
+  {
+    command: 'devices',
+    flags: { serial: 'emulator-5554' },
+    expected: { platform: undefined, device: undefined, serial: 'emulator-5554' },
+  },
+] as const)(
+  'allows $command to inspect a fresh selector under session lock policy',
+  ({ command, flags, expected }) => {
+    const req = applyRequestLockPolicy({
+      token: 'token',
+      session: 'qa-ios',
+      command,
+      positionals: [],
+      flags,
+      meta: {
+        lockPolicy: 'reject',
+        lockPlatform: 'ios',
+      },
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(selectedFlags(req), expected);
+  },
+);
+
+test('allows inventory commands to use explicit Apple selectors under another lock platform', () => {
+  const req = applyRequestLockPolicy({
+    token: 'token',
+    session: 'qa-android',
+    command: 'apps',
+    positionals: [],
+    flags: {
+      udid: 'SIM-001',
+    },
+    meta: {
+      lockPolicy: 'reject',
+      lockPlatform: 'android',
+    },
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(req.flags?.platform, undefined);
+  assert.equal(req.flags?.udid, 'SIM-001');
+});
+
+test('defaults inventory commands without explicit selectors to the lock platform', () => {
+  const req = applyRequestLockPolicy({
+    token: 'token',
+    session: 'qa-ios',
+    command: 'apps',
+    positionals: [],
+    flags: {},
+    meta: {
+      lockPolicy: 'reject',
+      lockPlatform: 'ios',
+    },
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(req.flags?.platform, 'ios');
+});
+
 test('allows matching redundant selectors for existing sessions', () => {
   const req = applyRequestLockPolicy(
     {
@@ -256,3 +353,15 @@ test('strips only conflicting selectors for existing sessions', () => {
   assert.equal(req.flags?.device, 'iPhone 16');
   assert.equal(req.flags?.serial, undefined);
 });
+
+function selectedFlags(req: ReturnType<typeof applyRequestLockPolicy>): {
+  platform: string | undefined;
+  device: string | undefined;
+  serial: string | undefined;
+} {
+  return {
+    platform: req.flags?.platform,
+    device: req.flags?.device,
+    serial: req.flags?.serial,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/daemon/__tests__/request-platform-providers.test.ts b/src/daemon/__tests__/request-platform-providers.test.ts
index f872e0eea..3be760e5c 100644
--- a/src/daemon/__tests__/request-platform-providers.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/__tests__/request-platform-providers.test.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,22 @@ import {
   makeAndroidSession,
   makeIosSession,
 } from '../../__tests__/test-utils/index.ts';
+import { withTargetDeviceResolutionScope } from '../../core/dispatch-resolve.ts';
 import { createLocalAppleToolProvider, runXcrun } from '../../platforms/ios/tool-provider.ts';
+import type { DeviceInfo } from '../../utils/device.ts';
 import { startAppLog } from '../app-log.ts';
 import { resolveRecordingProvider } from '../recording-provider.ts';
 import { withRequestPlatformProviderScope } from '../request-platform-providers.ts';
 import type { DaemonRequest } from '../types.ts';
 
+const OTHER_IOS_SIMULATOR: DeviceInfo = {
+  platform: 'ios',
+  id: 'sim-2',
+  name: 'iPhone 17',
+  kind: 'simulator',
+  booted: true,
+};
+
 test('request platform provider scope exposes Android executor for Android sessions', async () => {
   const calls: string[][] = [];
   const response = await withRequestPlatformProviderScope(
@@ -179,6 +189,44 @@ test('request platform provider scope applies Apple tool provider only for Apple
   assert.deepEqual(calls, [['list', 'devices', '-j']]);
 });
 
+test('request platform provider scope follows explicit apps selector for existing sessions', async () => {
+  const seenDevices: string[] = [];
+
+  const result = await withTargetDeviceResolutionScope(
+    async () => [OTHER_IOS_SIMULATOR],
+    async () =>
+      await withRequestPlatformProviderScope(
+        {
+          req: {
+            ...request('apps'),
+            flags: {
+              platform: 'ios',
+              device: 'iPhone 17',
+            },
+          },
+          existingSession: makeIosSession('default'),
+          providers: {
+            appleToolProvider: ({ device, session }) => {
+              seenDevices.push(`${session?.name}:${device.id}`);
+              return createLocalAppleToolProvider({
+                runCommand: async (cmd, args) => {
+                  throw new Error(`unexpected generic command: ${cmd} ${args.join(' ')}`);
+                },
+                simctl: {
+                  run: async () => ({ exitCode: 0, stdout: 'apps-ok', stderr: '' }),
+                },
+              });
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        async () => await runXcrun(['simctl', 'listapps', OTHER_IOS_SIMULATOR.id]),
+      ),
+  );
+
+  assert.equal(result.stdout, 'apps-ok');
+  assert.deepEqual(seenDevices, [`default:${OTHER_IOS_SIMULATOR.id}`]);
+});
+
 test('request platform provider scopes stay isolated across concurrent requests', async () => {
   const androidCalls: string[] = [];
   const appleCalls: string[] = [];
diff --git a/src/daemon/request-lock-policy.ts b/src/daemon/request-lock-policy.ts
index 772c68957..85bdc6e23 100644
--- a/src/daemon/request-lock-policy.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/request-lock-policy.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { AppError } from '../utils/errors.ts';
 import type { CommandFlags } from '../core/dispatch.ts';
 import type { SessionState, DaemonRequest } from './types.ts';
+import { PUBLIC_COMMANDS } from '../command-catalog.ts';
 import {
   formatSessionSelectorConflict,
   listSessionSelectorConflicts,
@@ -20,6 +21,11 @@ const LOCKABLE_SELECTOR_KEYS: Array<keyof CommandFlags> = [
   'androidDeviceAllowlist',
 ];
 
+const SELECTOR_OVERRIDE_LOCK_POLICY_COMMANDS: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set([
+  PUBLIC_COMMANDS.apps,
+  PUBLIC_COMMANDS.devices,
+]);
+
 export function applyRequestLockPolicy(
   req: DaemonRequest,
   existingSession?: SessionState,
@@ -30,13 +36,19 @@ export function applyRequestLockPolicy(
   }
 
   const nextFlags: CommandFlags = { ...(req.flags ?? {}) };
-  const conflicts = existingSession
-    ? listSessionSelectorConflicts(existingSession, nextFlags)
-    : listFreshSessionConflicts(nextFlags, req.meta?.lockPlatform, req.command);
+  const canOverrideSelector = SELECTOR_OVERRIDE_LOCK_POLICY_COMMANDS.has(req.command);
+  const conflicts = canOverrideSelector
+    ? []
+    : existingSession
+      ? listSessionSelectorConflicts(existingSession, nextFlags)
+      : listFreshSessionConflicts(nextFlags, req.meta?.lockPlatform, req.command);
+  const lockPlatform = req.meta?.lockPlatform;
 
   if (conflicts.length === 0) {
-    if (!existingSession && req.meta?.lockPlatform && nextFlags.platform === undefined) {
-      nextFlags.platform = req.meta.lockPlatform;
+    if (
+      shouldApplyLockPlatformDefault(canOverrideSelector, existingSession, nextFlags, lockPlatform)
+    ) {
+      nextFlags.platform = lockPlatform;
     }
     return {
       ...req,
@@ -45,12 +57,7 @@ export function applyRequestLockPolicy(
   }
 
   if (lockPolicy === 'strip') {
-    if (existingSession) {
-      stripSessionConflicts(nextFlags, conflicts);
-      nextFlags.platform = existingSession.device.platform;
-    } else {
-      stripFreshSessionConflicts(nextFlags, req.meta?.lockPlatform);
-    }
+    applyStripLockPolicy(nextFlags, conflicts, lockPlatform, existingSession);
     return {
       ...req,
       flags: nextFlags,
@@ -64,6 +71,35 @@ export function applyRequestLockPolicy(
   );
 }
 
+function shouldApplyLockPlatformDefault(
+  canOverrideSelector: boolean,
+  existingSession: SessionState | undefined,
+  flags: CommandFlags,
+  lockPlatform: LockPlatform,
+): boolean {
+  if (!lockPlatform || existingSession || flags.platform !== undefined) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (!canOverrideSelector) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  return !LOCKABLE_SELECTOR_KEYS.some((key) => hasSelectorValue(flags[key]));
+}
+
+function applyStripLockPolicy(
+  flags: CommandFlags,
+  conflicts: SessionSelectorConflict[],
+  lockPlatform: LockPlatform,
+  existingSession: SessionState | undefined,
+): void {
+  if (existingSession) {
+    stripSessionConflicts(flags, conflicts);
+    flags.platform = existingSession.device.platform;
+    return;
+  }
+  stripFreshSessionConflicts(flags, lockPlatform);
+}
+
 function listFreshSessionConflicts(
   flags: CommandFlags,
   lockPlatform: LockPlatform,
@@ -83,13 +119,17 @@ function listFreshSessionConflicts(
   }
   for (const key of LOCKABLE_SELECTOR_KEYS) {
     const value = flags[key];
-    if (typeof value === 'string' && value.trim().length > 0) {
+    if (hasSelectorValue(value)) {
       conflicts.push({ key: key as SessionSelectorConflictKey, value });
     }
   }
   return conflicts;
 }
 
+function hasSelectorValue(value: unknown): value is string {
+  return typeof value === 'string' && value.trim().length > 0;
+}
+
 function platformSelectorsConflict(
   requested: ReturnType<typeof normalizePlatformSelector>,
   locked: ReturnType<typeof normalizePlatformSelector>,
diff --git a/src/daemon/request-platform-providers.ts b/src/daemon/request-platform-providers.ts
index 97b0998ed..72737ec93 100644
--- a/src/daemon/request-platform-providers.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/request-platform-providers.ts
@@ -270,7 +270,11 @@ async function resolveScopedProviderDevice(
   req: DaemonRequest,
   existingSession: SessionState | undefined,
 ): Promise<DeviceInfo | undefined> {
-  if (existingSession) return existingSession.device;
+  if (existingSession) {
+    return req.command === PUBLIC_COMMANDS.apps && hasExplicitDeviceSelector(req.flags)
+      ? await resolveTargetDevice(req.flags ?? {})
+      : existingSession.device;
+  }
   if (
     req.command !== PUBLIC_COMMANDS.open &&
     !hasExplicitDeviceSelector(req.flags) &&