Why playlists can disappear after an update — and how KimberPlay tests migrations

Published August 31, 2026 · Updated October 23, 2026 · By the KimberPlay developers

A playlist can disappear after an update because a database migration failed, app data was cleared, or the app opened a different profile. KimberPlay uses Android database migrations and migration tests to reduce update risks. Here is what those safeguards cover and what they cannot replace.

What actually happens during an update

An IPTV player keeps your library in a local database, and that database has a schema — the shape of its tables. Features change the shape, so every app version carries a schema version. When an update opens a database written by an older version, it has two options: migrate the old data into the new shape, or destroy and recreate — which presents to you as a factory-fresh app. A destructive fallback can erase the library if an application enables it. KimberPlay does not enable that fallback for its Android library database.

A migration has to handle the stored data of an existing installation. A fresh install does not exercise that path. Upgrading across multiple database versions requires a complete migration chain, so both individual changes and the chain need testing.

The contract KimberPlay enforces

Every schema change ships with its migration. The Android library database registers explicit migrations instead of a destructive fallback.
Migration tests exercise the chain and selected data cases. The Android instrumentation suite validates migrated schemas and checks representative saved records. These tests must be run on an emulator or device; compiling alone does not run them.
A drift guard ties it together: if a developer bumps the schema version and forgets the migration, a dedicated test fails with that exact accusation.

These checks reduce risk; they are not a guarantee against every device, storage or data failure. The release notes describe shipped changes. Keep a backup before changing devices or clearing app data, and retain your original source details somewhere private. Clearing browser site data removes the web player’s local library.

Questions to ask any player you’re considering

Does the changelog ever say “you may need to re-add your playlist after this update”? Do the reviews mention lost libraries? Neither proves the next update is safe — but a developer who publishes the promise and explains the machinery behind it is betting their reputation on it. We do, and this post is the machinery.

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