diff --git a/.github/workflows/ios-sim.yml b/.github/workflows/ios-sim.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7db793a452
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ios-sim.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+name: ios-sim
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - f/ci-ios-sim
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ios-sim-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+env:
+  GHC_VER: 9.6.3
+  CABAL_VER: 3.10.2.0
+  CORE_PKG: pkg-ios-aarch64-swift-json.zip
+  HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE: 1
+  HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALL_CLEANUP: 1
+
+jobs:
+  core:
+    name: core library for the iOS simulator
+    runs-on: macos-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 240
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Show runner
+        run: |
+          sw_vers
+          sysctl -n hw.ncpu hw.memsize
+          df -h /
+          xcodebuild -version
+
+      - name: Restore core library
+        id: core-cache
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/Downloads/${{ env.CORE_PKG }}
+          key: ios-sim-core-${{ hashFiles('src/**', 'cabal.project', 'simplex-chat.cabal', 'scripts/ci/ios-sim/build-core.sh') }}
+
+      - name: Setup Haskell
+        if: steps.core-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        uses: simplex-chat/setup-haskell-action@v2
+        with:
+          ghc-version: ${{ env.GHC_VER }}
+          cabal-version: ${{ env.CABAL_VER }}
+
+      - name: Restore cabal store
+        id: cabal-cache
+        if: steps.core-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.cabal/store
+            dist-newstyle
+          key: ios-sim-ghc${{ env.GHC_VER }}-${{ hashFiles('cabal.project', 'simplex-chat.cabal') }}-${{ github.run_id }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ios-sim-ghc${{ env.GHC_VER }}-${{ hashFiles('cabal.project', 'simplex-chat.cabal') }}-
+            ios-sim-ghc${{ env.GHC_VER }}-
+            macos-latest-ghc${{ env.GHC_VER }}-
+
+      - name: Install libraries
+        if: steps.core-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: brew install openssl@3 libffi gmp
+
+      - name: Build core library
+        id: build
+        if: steps.core-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: scripts/ci/ios-sim/build-core.sh ~/Downloads/${{ env.CORE_PKG }}
+
+      - name: Save cabal store
+        if: ${{ !cancelled() && steps.core-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' }}
+        uses: actions/cache/save@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.cabal/store
+            dist-newstyle
+          key: ${{ steps.cabal-cache.outputs.cache-primary-key }}
+
+      - name: Save core library
+        if: steps.core-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        uses: actions/cache/save@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/Downloads/${{ env.CORE_PKG }}
+          key: ${{ steps.core-cache.outputs.cache-primary-key }}
+
+      - name: Patch core library for the simulator
+        run: scripts/ci/ios-sim/prepare-libs.sh
+
+      - name: Upload core library
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ios-core-aarch64
+          path: ~/Downloads/${{ env.CORE_PKG }}
+          compression-level: 0
+          retention-days: 3
+          if-no-files-found: error
+
+  app:
+    name: app in the iOS simulator
+    needs: core
+    runs-on: macos-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 90
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Show runner
+        run: |
+          sw_vers
+          df -h /
+          xcodebuild -version
+          xcrun simctl list runtimes
+
+      - name: Download core library
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ios-core-aarch64
+          path: ~/Downloads
+
+      - name: Prepare libraries
+        run: |
+          scripts/ci/ios-sim/prepare-libs.sh
+          scripts/ios/update-pbxproj.sh
+
+      - name: Build app
+        run: |
+          xcodebuild build -quiet \
+            -project apps/ios/SimpleX.xcodeproj \
+            -scheme "SimpleX (iOS)" \
+            -configuration Debug \
+            -destination 'generic/platform=iOS Simulator' \
+            -derivedDataPath "$RUNNER_TEMP/DerivedData" \
+            -onlyUsePackageVersionsFromResolvedFile \
+            -skipPackagePluginValidation \
+            -skipMacroValidation \
+            ARCHS=arm64 \
+            CODE_SIGN_STYLE=Manual \
+            CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY=- \
+            DEVELOPMENT_TEAM= \
+            PROVISIONING_PROFILE_SPECIFIER=
+
+      - name: Install AXe
+        run: brew install cameroncooke/axe/axe
+
+      - name: Run smoke test
+        run: scripts/ci/ios-sim/smoke-test.sh "$RUNNER_TEMP/DerivedData/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/SimpleX.app" "$RUNNER_TEMP/smoke-test"
+
+      - name: Upload smoke test results
+        if: ${{ !cancelled() }}
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: ios-sim-smoke-test
+          path: ${{ runner.temp }}/smoke-test
+          retention-days: 3
+          if-no-files-found: warn
diff --git a/scripts/ci/ios-sim/build-core.sh b/scripts/ci/ios-sim/build-core.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..c34a9306f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ci/ios-sim/build-core.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Builds the iOS core library package with cabal, as flake.nix builds aarch64-darwin-ios:lib:simplex-chat.
+# Usage: scripts/ci/ios-sim/build-core.sh <output zip>
+# The zip has the same files as the Hydra package that scripts/ios/prepare.sh expects.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+mkdir -p "$(dirname "$1")"
+out="$(cd "$(dirname "$1")" && pwd)/$(basename "$1")"
+ghc_ver=$(ghc --numeric-version)
+version=$(sed -n 's/^version: *//p' simplex-chat.cabal)
+openssl_dir=$(brew --prefix openssl@3)
+ffi_dir=$(brew --prefix libffi)
+gmp_dir=$(brew --prefix gmp)
+
+ghc --version
+cabal --version
+echo "rts extra-libraries: $(ghc-pkg field rts extra-libraries --simple-output)"
+echo "ghc-bignum extra-libraries: $(ghc-pkg field ghc-bignum extra-libraries --simple-output)"
+find "$(ghc --print-libdir)" -name 'lib*ffi*.a' -o -name 'libgmp*.a' -o -name 'libHSrts*_thr.a'
+du -sh ~/.cabal/store dist-newstyle || true
+
+cat > cabal.project.local <<EOF
+ignore-project: False
+
+package simplex-chat
+    flags: +swift +client_library
+    static: True
+    shared: False
+    ghc-options: -threaded -DIOS
+
+package simplexmq
+    flags: +swift +client_library +commoncrypto
+    extra-include-dirs: $openssl_dir/include
+    extra-lib-dirs: $openssl_dir/lib
+
+package direct-sqlcipher
+    flags: +commoncrypto
+
+package entropy
+    flags: +DoNotGetEntropy
+EOF
+
+cabal build -j lib:simplex-chat
+
+build_dir=dist-newstyle/build/aarch64-osx/ghc-$ghc_ver/simplex-chat-$version/build
+ls -la "$build_dir"/libHSsimplex-chat-*
+
+ghc_lib=$(ls "$build_dir"/libHSsimplex-chat-*-ghc"$ghc_ver".a)
+echo "Selected symbols defined in $ghc_lib:"
+{ nm -gU "$ghc_lib" 2>/dev/null || true; } \
+  | awk '$NF ~ /^_(ffi_call|__gmpz_init|hs_init_with_rtsopts|chat_migrate_init_key|EVP_CIPHER_CTX_new|sqlite3_key)$/ {print "  " $NF}' \
+  | sort -u
+
+pkg=$(mktemp -d)
+cp "$build_dir"/libHSsimplex-chat-*.a "$ffi_dir"/lib/libffi.a "$gmp_dir"/lib/libgmp.a "$gmp_dir"/lib/libgmpxx.a "$pkg"
+chmod u+w "$pkg"/*.a
+for f in "$pkg"/libHSsimplex-chat-*.a; do
+  strip -x "$f"
+done
+ls -la "$pkg"
+
+rm -f "$out"
+(cd "$pkg" && zip -9 "$out" *.a)
+ls -la "$out"
diff --git a/scripts/ci/ios-sim/prepare-libs.sh b/scripts/ci/ios-sim/prepare-libs.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..78287b5ccf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ci/ios-sim/prepare-libs.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Builds mac2ios, runs scripts/ios/prepare.sh on ~/Downloads/pkg-ios-aarch64-swift-json.zip,
+# and fails unless every object in apps/ios/Libraries/sim is marked for the iOS simulator.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+mac2ios_rev=4dcb77d5ea896d749381806dfab5358851b08951
+tools=$(mktemp -d)
+for f in mac2ios.c ar.h macho.h; do
+  curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSfL -o "$tools/$f" "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zw3rk/mobile-core-tools/$mac2ios_rev/$f"
+done
+cc -O2 -o "$tools/mac2ios" "$tools/mac2ios.c"
+
+PATH="$tools:$PATH" scripts/ios/prepare.sh
+
+for f in apps/ios/Libraries/sim/*.a; do
+  echo "$f: $(du -h "$f" | cut -f1), $(lipo -info "$f")"
+  platforms=$({ otool -l "$f" || true; } | awk '$1 == "platform" {print $2}' | sort | uniq -c)
+  echo "${platforms:-  no LC_BUILD_VERSION found}"
+  if echo "$platforms" | awk 'NF {print $2}' | grep -vE '^(7|IOSSIMULATOR)$' > /dev/null; then
+    echo "error: $f has objects for a platform other than the iOS simulator"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+done
diff --git a/scripts/ci/ios-sim/smoke-test.sh b/scripts/ci/ios-sim/smoke-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..2ab51756d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ci/ios-sim/smoke-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Installs the app in a new iPhone simulator and drives it with AXe: onboarding, chat list, typing in the search field.
+# Usage: scripts/ci/ios-sim/smoke-test.sh <path to SimpleX.app> <output dir>
+# Each step saves a screenshot and an accessibility tree to the output dir and prints the tree to the log.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+app=$1
+out=$2
+bundle_id=chat.simplex.app
+search_text="ci smoke"
+mkdir -p "$out"
+
+axe --version
+runtime=com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-$(xcrun --sdk iphonesimulator --show-sdk-version | tr . -)
+udid=$(xcrun simctl create ci-iphone com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimDeviceType.iPhone-17 "$runtime")
+echo "simulator $udid, runtime $runtime"
+xcrun simctl boot "$udid"
+xcrun simctl bootstatus "$udid" -b
+open -a Simulator --args -CurrentDeviceUDID "$udid"
+
+xcrun simctl spawn "$udid" log stream --level debug --style compact --predicate 'process == "SimpleX"' > "$out/app.log" 2>&1 &
+log_pid=$!
+
+step=0
+snap() {
+  step=$((step + 1))
+  local f
+  f=$(printf '%s/%02d-%s' "$out" "$step" "$1")
+  xcrun simctl io "$udid" screenshot "$f.png" > /dev/null
+  axe describe-ui --udid "$udid" > "$f.json"
+  echo "::group::accessibility tree: $1"
+  cat "$f.json"
+  echo "::endgroup::"
+}
+
+wait_for() {
+  local deadline=$((SECONDS + $2))
+  local tree="$out/wait.json"
+  until axe describe-ui --udid "$udid" > "$tree" && grep -qF "$1" "$tree"; do
+    if [ "$SECONDS" -ge "$deadline" ]; then
+      echo "error: \"$1\" not shown after $2 s"
+      return 1
+    fi
+    sleep 2
+  done
+}
+
+tap_label() {
+  axe tap --label "$1" --wait-timeout "$2" --post-delay 2 --udid "$udid"
+}
+
+finish() {
+  local status=$?
+  snap final || true
+  kill "$log_pid" || true
+  echo "::group::core start in the app log"
+  grep -E 'chatMigrateInit|startChat' "$out/app.log" || true
+  echo "::endgroup::"
+  echo "::group::app log, last 300 lines"
+  tail -n 300 "$out/app.log"
+  echo "::endgroup::"
+  find ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports -name 'SimpleX*' -newer "$app" 2>/dev/null | while read -r report; do
+    echo "::group::crash report $report"
+    head -n 200 "$report"
+    echo "::endgroup::"
+  done || true
+  exit "$status"
+}
+trap finish EXIT
+
+xcrun simctl install "$udid" "$app"
+xcrun simctl launch "$udid" "$bundle_id"
+
+wait_for "Get started" 180
+snap first-screen
+tap_label "Get started" 10
+
+wait_for "Create profile" 30
+tap_label "Enter profile name..." 10 || echo "warning: name field not found by label, typing into the focused field"
+axe type 'citester' --udid "$udid"
+snap profile-name
+tap_label "Create profile" 10
+
+wait_for "Continue" 60
+snap your-network
+tap_label "Continue" 10
+
+wait_for "Accept" 30
+snap network-commitments
+tap_label "Accept" 10
+
+sleep 5
+snap after-onboarding
+tap_label "Allow" 20 || echo "no notifications alert to allow"
+
+wait_for "Search or paste SimpleX link" 60
+snap chat-list
+tap_label "Search or paste SimpleX link" 10 || axe tap --value "Search or paste SimpleX link" --post-delay 2 --udid "$udid"
+axe type "$search_text" --udid "$udid"
+sleep 2
+snap search-typed
+
+tree=$(ls "$out"/*-search-typed.json)
+if ! grep -qF "$search_text" "$tree"; then
+  echo "error: \"$search_text\" is not in the accessibility tree after typing"
+  exit 1
+fi
+if ! grep -qF "Search in Directory" "$tree"; then
+  echo "error: no \"Search in Directory\" row after typing"
+  exit 1
+fi
+echo "smoke test passed: the chat list search field shows \"$search_text\""