diff --git a/.changeset/fix-ios-bootstrap-hang.md b/.changeset/fix-ios-bootstrap-hang.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a0607a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fix-ios-bootstrap-hang.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+"vitest-mobile": patch
+---
+
+### fix(harness): prevent bootstrap hang from npx install prompts
+
+Add `--yes` to every `npx` call in the harness builder so npx
+auto-confirms package downloads instead of prompting. Under the
+spinner, stdin is `'ignore'` — any prompt would hang indefinitely:
+
+- `npx --yes @react-native-community/cli init` (scaffold step, runs
+  before the project's `node_modules` exist, so npx always needs to
+  resolve the package over the network)
+- `npx --yes react-native build-ios` and `npx --yes react-native
+  build-android` (build steps; defensive — these usually resolve
+  locally after `npm install`)
+
+While here, also switch `buildAndroid` from a raw `gradlew
+assembleDebug` to `npx react-native build-android` for symmetry with
+iOS and to let the RN CLI handle codegen + Gradle wrapper setup.
+Pass `--tasks assembleDebug` explicitly: the CLI defaults its task
+prefix to `bundle` (producing an `.aab`), not `assemble` (producing
+the `.apk` we need). The `--help` text is misleading on this point.
diff --git a/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/android.ts b/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/android.ts
index a3c5bf3..f55cbb9 100644
--- a/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/android.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/android.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { cpSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } fr
 import { resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { log } from '../logger';
 import { applyTemplateTree, fillFilePlaceholders } from '../templates';
-import { HARNESS_APP_NAME, HARNESS_BUNDLE_ID, run, runLive } from './_shared';
+import { HARNESS_APP_NAME, HARNESS_BUNDLE_ID, runLive } from './_shared';
 
 export function getAndroidBinaryPath(buildDir: string): string {
   return resolve(buildDir, 'build', `${HARNESS_APP_NAME}.apk`);
@@ -46,12 +46,14 @@ export async function buildAndroid(projectDir: string, buildDir: string): Promis
   log.info('Building Android debug APK (this may take a few minutes)...');
   const gradleStart = Date.now();
 
-  const gradlew = resolve(androidDir, 'gradlew');
-  if (!existsSync(gradlew)) {
-    throw new Error('gradlew not found in Android project');
-  }
-  run(`chmod +x "${gradlew}"`, { cwd: androidDir });
-  await runLive(`"${gradlew}" assembleDebug -x lint --no-daemon`, { cwd: androidDir });
+  // Pass --tasks assembleDebug explicitly: `react-native build-android`
+  // defaults its task prefix to 'bundle' (producing an AAB), not 'assemble'
+  // (producing an APK). The CLI's --help is misleading on this point.
+  // Note: the CLI auto-prepends `app:` to each task name, so we pass the
+  // bare task name (passing `app:assembleDebug` would yield `app:app:...`).
+  await runLive('npx --yes react-native build-android --tasks assembleDebug --extra-params "-x lint --no-daemon"', {
+    cwd: projectDir,
+  });
   log.info(`  Android build complete (${((Date.now() - gradleStart) / 1000).toFixed(1)}s)`);
 
   const apkPath = resolve(androidDir, 'app', 'build', 'outputs', 'apk', 'debug', 'app-debug.apk');
diff --git a/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/index.ts b/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/index.ts
index 74a79c3..33e1398 100644
--- a/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/index.ts
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ async function scaffoldProject(buildDir: string, options: HarnessBuildOptions):
   // runLive (async when a log sink is active) keeps the spinner animating
   // during this ~30s operation; run() would block the event loop sync.
   await runLive(
-    `npx @react-native-community/cli init ${HARNESS_APP_NAME} --version ${options.reactNativeVersion} --skip-install --skip-git-init`,
+    `npx --yes @react-native-community/cli init ${HARNESS_APP_NAME} --version ${options.reactNativeVersion} --skip-install --skip-git-init`,
     { cwd: buildDir },
   );
 
diff --git a/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/ios.ts b/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/ios.ts
index 65f280f..5cb4c4b 100644
--- a/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/ios.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest-mobile/src/node/harness-builder/ios.ts
@@ -72,10 +72,16 @@ export async function buildIOS(projectDir: string): Promise<void> {
   log.info('Building for iOS simulator (this may take a few minutes)...');
   const stepStart = Date.now();
 
+  // --force-pods is required: without it, the CLI only runs `pod install`
+  // when `react-native.config.js` sets `automaticPodsInstallation: true`
+  // (the bare RN init template does not). Skipping pod install causes
+  // xcodebuild to fail with "Unable to load contents of file list" against
+  // the Pods xcfilelists.
   const buildCmd = [
-    'npx react-native build-ios',
+    'npx --yes react-native build-ios',
     `--scheme ${HARNESS_APP_NAME}`,
     '--mode Debug',
+    '--force-pods',
     `--buildFolder "${resolve(iosDir, 'DerivedData')}"`,
   ].join(' ');