How to open .DUCKDB files on iOS
To open .DUCKDB files on iOS, there is no common iOS-native workflow cited in the sources for opening .duckdb files; transfer the file to a desktop system and open it with DuckDB tooling such as DBeaver or QStudio.
Step-by-step instructions
- There is no common iOS-native workflow cited in the sources for opening .duckdb files; transfer the file to a desktop system and open it with DuckDB tooling such as DBeaver or QStudio.
Common issues
Version/format compatibility error when opening the database
DuckDB’s on-disk format uses storage versions, so a .duckdb file created by one DuckDB version may not open cleanly with a different version in some cases.
- Check which DuckDB version your tool is using (for example, the DuckDB JDBC driver version in DBeaver) and try with a DuckDB version that matches the file’s origin.
- If you control the environment that created the file, open it there and follow DuckDB’s storage/compatibility guidance before moving it to another version.
File association problem (double-click doesn’t open in the right app)
Some systems may not have a default app associated with .duckdb, or it may be associated with an unrelated program.
- Open QStudio first and use its open dialog to select the .duckdb file (QStudio also supports opening by double-click when associated).
- Alternatively, open the file from within DBeaver by creating a DuckDB connection and selecting the .duckdb file path.
Expected a .duckdb file but got a different extension
DuckDB commonly uses other extensions such as .db and .ddb for the same concept: the single database file on disk.
- If you received a .db or .ddb file that is a DuckDB database, try opening it the same way (selecting it as the DuckDB database path in your tool).
- If you have a file named .duckdb but tools don’t recognize it as DuckDB, verify the file truly comes from DuckDB and wasn’t renamed from another database type.
Security note
.duckdb files are parsed by DuckDB and related connectors (for example, JDBC drivers in SQL tools). Treat unknown .duckdb files as untrusted input and prefer opening them in a controlled environment, because malformed database files can trigger parser/engine bugs.