PowerSyncDatabase fails on tvOS — "Could not open database ... with 6" (SQLITE_CANTOPEN)

[lnguyen]

Environment

• PowerSync Swift SDK: v1.13.0
• tvOS: 18.x (Apple TV 4K)
• Xcode: 16.x
• Device: Apple TV 4K (physical device, not simulator)

Description

PowerSyncDatabase(schema:dbFilename:) throws PowerSyncException: Could not open database ... with 6 on tvOS. The same code works fine on iOS and iPadOS.

Error 6 is SQLITE_CANTOPEN.

Full error

🔴 PowerSyncException: Could not open database
/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application//Library/Application
Support/databases/tv.db with 6

Reproduction

let db = PowerSyncDatabase(schema: mySchema, dbFilename: "tv.db")

What I've tried

1. Manually creating the Application Support/databases/ directory before calling
   PowerSyncDatabase() — same error
2. Setting FileProtectionType.none on the directory — same error
3. Using a custom filename instead of the default powersync.db — same error

The directory exists and is writable (verified with FileManager.createDirectory), but the
Kotlin native SQLite layer still fails to open the file.

Suspected cause

openKotlinDBDefault() in KotlinPowerSyncDatabaseImpl.swift calls into the Kotlin/Native
PowerSyncDatabase factory. The Kotlin native SQLite binary may have a tvOS-specific issue
with file path handling or the powersync-sqlite-core.xcframework tvOS slice.

The powersync-sqlite-core.xcframework does include tvos-arm64, so the binary is present.
The issue is likely in how the Kotlin layer resolves or opens the database path on tvOS.

[simolus3]

I believe we've only tested the Kotlin and Swift SDKs on tvOS simulators so far. Did you shorten the path in the full error section of the issue? If there really isn't a bundle identifier between Data/Application and Library/Application Support/databases/, I can see how that could go wrong since it's the wrong directory.

[lnguyen]

I tried a bunch of different things on live Apple TV and couldn't get it to work. I was able to test it fine on simulators

[simolus3]

Understood, but could you confirm that the Full error contains the full error and that you didn't shorten that path for this issue? If the path really contains the //, that's likely the root cause and something we could look at.

[lnguyen]

I don't have it setup for my apple tv atm but it didnt contain /