How to open .db files in the mac library

Safari History?

That isn’t saved on device, past the configured maximum.

And that data isn’t kept for private browsing.

External network services including web proxy servers and DNS servers can be configured to record browsing activity, though that usually also requires the device to explicitly reference those services.

Last I rummaged macOS forensics here, the history file was History.db. Seems still, too.

On at least Big Sur, the database is not encrypted, and can be directly accessed and viewed using DB Browser for SQLite.app.

If you hit an error while accessing it, use Finder to duplicate the file and copy the duplicate to (for instance) your Desktop, and see if accessing the duplicate copy works better. This duplicate avoids bumping into a file lock, of Safari is open.

”Online” sources can range from valid and correct info to conspiracy theories and utter rubbish, unfortunately.

Note to other readers: the question posted here is a subset of and—in its much simpler form here—has comparatively little relationship to the question and the details posted elsewhere; to the full question that was posted elsewhere.

The question posted elsewhere distills down to “how can I directly access an encrypted Safari bookmark database from SQLite tools (command-line or GUI tools), as the database is encrypted and I don’t know the decryption key?”

Check for the database password in Keychain, as a starting point. Apple tends to store passwords there.

Keychain data protection - Apple Support

The security in this area has reportedly changed recently circa iOS 15.2 and quite possibly also with Monterey based on some web search results, and I don’t have the newest combination handy right now to check.

Safari's History.db is accessible in Monterey 12.1 too. I wrote a short sqlite3 script that performs an inner join on the history_visits and history_items tables to produce a CSV containing the DateTime, Title, and URL entries.

If one is to believe the following Safari information when a private browsing window is opened, then there is no history kept:

Safari will keep your browsing history private for all tabs in this window. After you close this window, Safari won't remember the pages you visited, your search history, or your AutoFill information. - Safari 15.2

There are no tables in the Safari History.db that refer to private content attributes when viewing them with the .schema operator.

I open a private browsing window and visit the National Weather Service site, and then visit the SQLite website. With that private browsing window remaining open, there are zero histories shown for those browsing events in my report writer.

fierce_bones wrote:

I suspect with the security upgrade in Monterey 12.1, it's even more doubtful that the History.db stores private browsing information, correct?

Somebody seemingly has you on a prove-a-negative quest, with all that implies.

Apple states no; that private browsing tabs are not saved.

Can somebody with existing and privileged or pervasive network access or with the ability to access log data or deleted record space in your databases gather some details of your browsing habits? Sure.

This whole discussion is one of digital forensics. But it's your time and focus and budget to expend here, of course.

What particular Safari data are you after here? Bookmarks?