Meshtastic-Android/docs/en/developer/persistence.md

title, parent, nav_order, last_updated, description, aliases

title	parent	nav_order	last_updated	description	aliases
Persistence	Developer Guide	6	2026-08-29	The app's three persistence layers — Room, DataStore, and core:prefs — and when a contributor should use each.	room database datastore prefs

Persistence

The app's three persistence layers — Room, DataStore, and core:prefs — and when a contributor should use each.

Room KMP Database

Module: core:database

The primary structured data store:

• Node information and history
• Message history
• Waypoints
• Telemetry data
• Channel set configuration (channel names and LoRa config)

Key Points

• Uses Room KMP for cross-platform compatibility
• Migrations managed through Room's built-in migration system
• DAO interfaces live in core:database
• Repository layer in core:repository provides the public API
• Full-text message search is backed by an FTS5 content table (PacketFts) over Packet, kept in sync by Room-managed triggers

What's Stored in Room

Entity	Description
NodeEntity	All known mesh nodes and their metadata
MyNodeEntity	The local node's own info
Packet	Message history (channel and direct), waypoints, and telemetry data
PacketFts	FTS5 virtual table mirroring Packet.messageText for full-text message search (Room-managed INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE triggers keep it in sync)
ContactSettings	Per-contact mute and read-state
ReactionEntity	Emoji reactions on messages
MeshLog	Raw mesh protocol logs
MetadataEntity	Device metadata (firmware version, hardware model)
ChannelSetEntity	The connected radio's channel set — channel names and LoRa config — one row per device
QuickChatAction	User-configured quick-chat messages
DeviceHardwareEntity	Cached device hardware catalog
FirmwareReleaseEntity	Cached firmware release info
TracerouteNodePositionEntity	Traceroute hop position data
DiscoverySessionEntity	A Local Mesh Discovery scan session (timestamp, presets scanned, home preset)
DiscoveryPresetResultEntity	Per-preset result within a discovery session
DiscoveredNodeEntity	Nodes found during a discovery preset scan
DeviceLinkEntity	Cached msh.to device links from the Meshtastic API

ℹ️ Note: Waypoints and telemetry are stored within the Packet entity (the port_num field distinguishes packet types), alongside a channel index recording which channel each packet used. Channel configuration — names and LoRa settings — lives separately, in ChannelSetEntity.

DataStore Preferences

Module: core:datastore

For lightweight key-value preferences:

• Local radio configuration (LocalConfig)
• Module configuration (ModuleConfig)
• Local statistics
• Recently connected radio addresses

Core Prefs

Module: core:prefs

Higher-level preferences abstraction:

• User-facing settings
• App behavior configuration
• Feature toggles

What Docs Intentionally Skip

The feature:docs module uses no Room or persistent database. Documentation ships as build-time assets versioned with the app binary, so it stays fully offline, is replaced on each update, and needs no migration story. Optional UX state (e.g. last viewed page) could live in core:prefs but isn't part of the docs data model.

Best Practices

• Use Room for structured, queryable data that changes at runtime
• Use DataStore for simple preferences and state
• Use bundled resources/assets for static content
• Never store sensitive data (keys, passwords) in plain Room tables
• Always provide migrations for schema changes