On-device stores
Each record is written to the phone before anything else happens.
Database
SQLite development for apps that must work with no signal
Our driver app writes every record to SQLite on the phone first, then sends it from a queue the driver can see. After a 2.5-hour outage, all 71 queued records arrived.
1Published build on SQLite
71Queued records delivered after the outage
0Records lost
38Drivers using the app by week three
What we build
What we build with SQLite
A visible sync queue
The driver sees what is waiting and the queue drains by itself.
Proof records
Receiver name, PO number, photo and signature saved on the device.
Limited location data
GPS stored only between 06:00 and 18:00, once a trip is underway.
Architecture
Where SQLite sits in a build
SQLite on the phone, PostgreSQL on the server
Phone
Native iOS appDriver screens
SQLiteEvery record, written first
Queue
Visible queueWaiting records
Server
FastAPIPython 3.13
PostgreSQLThe shared record
From TruckFleet Labs, a dispatch console and driver app for a 42-truck operator.
Trade-offs
WAL mode gives something and costs something
Write-ahead logging in SQLite
WAL gives
More concurrency
- Readers do not block writers, and a writer does not block readers
- Disk I/O tends to be more sequential
- Far fewer fsync operations
WAL costs
Some freedoms
- All processes must be on the same host, no network filesystem
- Extra -wal and -shm files beside the database
- Checkpointing is an extra operation to manage
Source: SQLite documentation, Write-Ahead Logging, sqlite.org/wal.html, checked 30 October 2026.
Builds
The SQLite build we can show you
Logistics, fleet operations
TruckFleet Labs
A native iOS driver app with SQLite on the device, a visible sync queue and proof of delivery. A 2.5-hour sync outage lost no data.
71Queued records delivered automatically
Fit check
When SQLite is the right call
Pick SQLite when
- Users work where the signal drops
- Each device owns its own local records
- The app must never lose a record before it syncs
Look elsewhere when
- Many users write the same file over a network filesystem
- The data is shared state that must live on a server
- You need a published SQLite build beyond one to inspect
Explore
Same job, other tools
Where we used it
See also: for the mobile platform where we use SQLite most, read the iOS page.
Stack
What SQLite usually ships with
iOSPython
React
Docker
React Native
XamarinFAQs
What buyers ask first
Is SQLite right for an offline mobile app?
Our published driver app stores every record in SQLite on the device first and sends it from a queue. A 2.5-hour outage lost no data.
Should we turn on WAL mode?
WAL gives more concurrency but needs every process on one host and adds -wal and -shm files, according to the SQLite documentation. We decide per app.
How does the data reach the server?
A queue the driver can see drains by itself when the signal returns. On the server, FastAPI writes to PostgreSQL.
Who owns the code and the cloud accounts?
You do, from the first commit. Repositories and cloud accounts stay in your name.
Tell us where your users lose signal
Thirty minutes on your devices, your records and your sync needs. No sales pitch.