diff --git a/.changes/fix-cli-dev-server-android.md b/.changes/fix-cli-dev-server-android.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f7b17db546b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/fix-cli-dev-server-android.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"tauri-cli": patch:bug
+"@tauri-apps/cli": patch:bug
+---
+
+Fixes `android dev` not working when using the builtin dev server.
diff --git a/tooling/cli/src/helpers/config.rs b/tooling/cli/src/helpers/config.rs
index 414977cb4995..52a4585b5031 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/src/helpers/config.rs
+++ b/tooling/cli/src/helpers/config.rs
@@ -215,3 +215,20 @@ pub fn reload(merge_config: Option<&serde_json::Value>) -> crate::Result<ConfigH
     Err(anyhow::anyhow!("config not loaded"))
   }
 }
+
+/// merges the loaded config with the given value
+pub fn merge_with(merge_config: &serde_json::Value) -> crate::Result<ConfigHandle> {
+  let handle = config_handle();
+  if let Some(config_metadata) = &mut *handle.lock().unwrap() {
+    let merge_config_str = serde_json::to_string(merge_config).unwrap();
+    set_var("TAURI_CONFIG", merge_config_str);
+
+    let mut value = serde_json::to_value(config_metadata.inner.clone())?;
+    merge(&mut value, merge_config);
+    config_metadata.inner = serde_json::from_value(value)?;
+
+    Ok(handle.clone())
+  } else {
+    Err(anyhow::anyhow!("config not loaded"))
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tooling/cli/src/lib.rs b/tooling/cli/src/lib.rs
index 88ff4a05a4c0..7fcf9cce3ace 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tooling/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ use clap::{ArgAction, CommandFactory, FromArgMatches, Parser, Subcommand, ValueE
 use env_logger::fmt::style::{AnsiColor, Style};
 use env_logger::Builder;
 use log::Level;
-use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::io::{BufReader, Write};
 use std::process::{exit, Command, ExitStatus, Output, Stdio};
 use std::{
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 /// Tauri configuration argument option.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct ConfigValue(pub(crate) serde_json::Value);
 
 impl FromStr for ConfigValue {
diff --git a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/android_studio_script.rs b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/android_studio_script.rs
index 76df42fca375..bd6e02797836 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/android_studio_script.rs
+++ b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/android_studio_script.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ pub fn command(options: Options) -> Result<()> {
     );
     (config, metadata, cli_options)
   };
+
   ensure_init(
     &tauri_config,
     config.app(),
@@ -66,6 +67,10 @@ pub fn command(options: Options) -> Result<()> {
     MobileTarget::Android,
   )?;
 
+  if let Some(config) = &cli_options.config {
+    crate::helpers::config::merge_with(&config.0)?;
+  }
+
   let env = env()?;
 
   if cli_options.dev {
@@ -77,6 +82,7 @@ pub fn command(options: Options) -> Result<()> {
       .build
       .dev_url
       .clone();
+
     if let Some(port) = dev_url.and_then(|url| url.port_or_known_default()) {
       let forward = format!("tcp:{port}");
       // ignore errors in case we do not have a device available
diff --git a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/build.rs b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/build.rs
index 590ef6536ec6..8962a51dd2c3 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/build.rs
+++ b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/build.rs
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ fn run_build(
     args: build_options.args.clone(),
     noise_level,
     vars: Default::default(),
+    config: build_options.config.clone(),
   };
   let handle = write_options(
     &tauri_config.lock().unwrap().as_ref().unwrap().identifier,
diff --git a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/dev.rs b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/dev.rs
index 28eb7f19ce68..6400314ec83a 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/dev.rs
+++ b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/android/dev.rs
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ fn run_dev(
       debug: !options.release_mode,
       features: options.features,
       args: Vec::new(),
-      config: options.config,
+      config: dev_options.config.clone(),
       no_watch: options.no_watch,
     },
     |options| {
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ fn run_dev(
         args: options.args.clone(),
         noise_level,
         vars: Default::default(),
+        config: dev_options.config.clone(),
       };
 
       let _handle = write_options(
diff --git a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/ios/build.rs b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/ios/build.rs
index 175fa5919fec..f53cb9205313 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/ios/build.rs
+++ b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/ios/build.rs
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ fn run_build(
     args: build_options.args.clone(),
     noise_level,
     vars: Default::default(),
+    config: build_options.config.clone(),
   };
   let handle = write_options(
     &tauri_config.lock().unwrap().as_ref().unwrap().identifier,
diff --git a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/ios/dev.rs b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/ios/dev.rs
index cde4b8a7d804..b11637c80e5a 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/ios/dev.rs
+++ b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/ios/dev.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ use std::{
   sync::OnceLock,
 };
 
+const PHYSICAL_IPHONE_DEV_WARNING: &str = "To develop on physical phones you need the `--host` option (not required for Simulators). See the documentation for more information: https://v2.tauri.app/develop/#development-server";
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Parser)]
 #[clap(
   about = "Run your app in development mode on iOS",
@@ -367,6 +369,8 @@ fn run_dev(
   let out_dir = bin_path.parent().unwrap();
   let _lock = flock::open_rw(out_dir.join("lock").with_extension("ios"), "iOS")?;
 
+  let set_host = options.host.is_some();
+
   configure_cargo(app, None)?;
 
   let open = options.open;
@@ -377,7 +381,7 @@ fn run_dev(
       debug: true,
       features: options.features,
       args: Vec::new(),
-      config: options.config,
+      config: dev_options.config.clone(),
       no_watch: options.no_watch,
     },
     |options| {
@@ -387,6 +391,7 @@ fn run_dev(
         args: options.args.clone(),
         noise_level,
         vars: Default::default(),
+        config: dev_options.config.clone(),
       };
       let _handle = write_options(
         &tauri_config.lock().unwrap().as_ref().unwrap().identifier,
@@ -394,6 +399,9 @@ fn run_dev(
       )?;
 
       if open {
+        if !set_host {
+          log::warn!("{PHYSICAL_IPHONE_DEV_WARNING}");
+        }
         open_and_wait(config, &env)
       } else if let Some(device) = &device {
         match run(device, options, config, &env) {
@@ -409,6 +417,9 @@ fn run_dev(
           }
         }
       } else {
+        if !set_host {
+          log::warn!("{PHYSICAL_IPHONE_DEV_WARNING}");
+        }
         open_and_wait(config, &env)
       }
     },
diff --git a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/mod.rs b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/mod.rs
index bf4788498e26..b1c746e51cd1 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/src/mobile/mod.rs
+++ b/tooling/cli/src/mobile/mod.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use crate::{
     config::{Config as TauriConfig, ConfigHandle},
   },
   interface::{AppInterface, AppSettings, DevProcess, Interface, Options as InterfaceOptions},
+  ConfigValue,
 };
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 use anyhow::Context;
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ pub struct CliOptions {
   pub args: Vec<String>,
   pub noise_level: NoiseLevel,
   pub vars: HashMap<String, OsString>,
+  pub config: Option<ConfigValue>,
 }
 
 impl Default for CliOptions {
@@ -151,6 +153,7 @@ impl Default for CliOptions {
       args: vec!["--lib".into()],
       noise_level: Default::default(),
       vars: Default::default(),
+      config: None,
     }
   }
 }