diff --git a/Packages/TableProCore/Sources/TableProDatabase/ConnectionError.swift b/Packages/TableProCore/Sources/TableProDatabase/ConnectionError.swift
index da7068865e..c07e9a4fc9 100644
--- a/Packages/TableProCore/Sources/TableProDatabase/ConnectionError.swift
+++ b/Packages/TableProCore/Sources/TableProDatabase/ConnectionError.swift
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ public enum ConnectionError: Error, LocalizedError, Equatable {
     case driverNotFound(String)
     case notConnected
     case sshNotSupported
+    case localSocketNotSupported
     case previousSessionStillClosing
 
     public var errorDescription: String? {
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@ public enum ConnectionError: Error, LocalizedError, Equatable {
             return "Not connected to database"
         case .sshNotSupported:
             return "SSH tunneling is not available on this platform"
+        case .localSocketNotSupported:
+            return String(localized: "This connection uses a socket on a Mac and cannot be opened on iPhone or iPad.")
         case .previousSessionStillClosing:
             return "The previous session is still closing"
         }
diff --git a/TablePro/Resources/Localizable.xcstrings b/TablePro/Resources/Localizable.xcstrings
index 15652cf6bf..1d09e76d98 100644
--- a/TablePro/Resources/Localizable.xcstrings
+++ b/TablePro/Resources/Localizable.xcstrings
@@ -190478,6 +190478,10 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "This connection uses a socket on a Mac and cannot be opened on iPhone or iPad." : {
+      "extractionState" : "manual",
+      "generatesSymbol" : false
+    },
     "This connection was deleted on another device or window. Your changes were not saved." : {
       "localizations" : {
         "fr" : {
diff --git a/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Helpers/AppError.swift b/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Helpers/AppError.swift
index 85b51bcf64..1036e6424e 100644
--- a/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Helpers/AppError.swift
+++ b/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Helpers/AppError.swift
@@ -222,6 +222,14 @@ nonisolated enum ErrorClassifier {
                 recovery: String(localized: "Turn off the SSH tunnel for this connection."),
                 underlying: error
             )
+        case .localSocketNotSupported:
+            return AppError(
+                category: .config,
+                title: String(localized: "Socket Unavailable"),
+                message: error.localizedDescription,
+                recovery: String(localized: "Open it on the Mac, or change it there to connect by host and port."),
+                underlying: error
+            )
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Localizable.xcstrings b/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Localizable.xcstrings
index 3168548037..e3fcc38ce7 100644
--- a/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Localizable.xcstrings
+++ b/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Localizable.xcstrings
@@ -11140,6 +11140,9 @@
           }
         }
       }
+    },
+    "Open it on the Mac, or change it there to connect by host and port." : {
+
     },
     "Open Sample Database" : {
       "localizations" : {
@@ -13914,6 +13917,9 @@
     "Snowflake" : {
       "extractionState" : "manual",
       "generatesSymbol" : false
+    },
+    "Socket Unavailable" : {
+
     },
     "Sparkles" : {
       "extractionState" : "manual",
@@ -17974,6 +17980,19 @@
           }
         }
       }
+    },
+    "The socket path is %d bytes. macOS allows %d at most." : {
+      "localizations" : {
+        "en" : {
+          "stringUnit" : {
+            "state" : "new",
+            "value" : "The socket path is %1$d bytes. macOS allows %2$d at most."
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "The socket path must start with /." : {
+
     },
     "The server's host key has changed." : {
       "localizations" : {
@@ -18425,6 +18444,10 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "This connection uses a socket on a Mac and cannot be opened on iPhone or iPad." : {
+      "extractionState" : "manual",
+      "generatesSymbol" : false
+    },
     "This connection's CA certificate is not readable on this device (%@). Certificate files do not sync between devices, so add the certificate here or lower the SSL mode to Required." : {
       "extractionState" : "stale",
       "localizations" : {
diff --git a/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Platform/IOSDriverFactory.swift b/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Platform/IOSDriverFactory.swift
index 0b3f5a77f6..f79acc84d8 100644
--- a/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Platform/IOSDriverFactory.swift
+++ b/TableProMobile/TableProMobile/Platform/IOSDriverFactory.swift
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ nonisolated final class IOSDriverFactory: DriverFactory {
         return resolved
     }
 
+    /// A tunnel replaces the socket on the Mac too, so only a direct connection would dial it.
+    private static func dialsMacSocket(_ connection: DatabaseConnection) -> Bool {
+        guard MySQLLocalSocket.path(in: connection.additionalFields) != nil else { return false }
+        return !(connection.sshEnabled && connection.sshConfiguration != nil)
+    }
+
     func createDriver(for connection: DatabaseConnection, password: String?) throws -> any DatabaseDriver {
         switch connection.type {
         case .sqlite where connection.isSample:
@@ -86,6 +92,9 @@ nonisolated final class IOSDriverFactory: DriverFactory {
         case .duckdb:
             return DuckDBDriver(source: try duckDBSource(for: connection))
         case .mysql, .mariadb, .tidb, .oceanbase:
+            guard !Self.dialsMacSocket(connection) else {
+                throw ConnectionError.localSocketNotSupported
+            }
             return MySQLDriver(
                 host: connection.host,
                 port: connection.port,
diff --git a/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/ConnectionErrorClassifierTests.swift b/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/ConnectionErrorClassifierTests.swift
index 9e6cc907fa..73a8293aa0 100644
--- a/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/ConnectionErrorClassifierTests.swift
+++ b/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/ConnectionErrorClassifierTests.swift
@@ -30,6 +30,19 @@ struct ConnectionErrorClassifierTests {
         #expect(error.recovery == String(localized: "Turn off the SSH tunnel for this connection."))
     }
 
+    @Test("A Mac socket connection is a configuration problem that points back to the Mac")
+    func localSocketIsConfiguration() {
+        let error = ErrorClassifier.classify(
+            ConnectionError.localSocketNotSupported,
+            context: ErrorContext(operation: "connect", host: "localhost")
+        )
+
+        #expect(error.category == .config)
+        #expect(error.title == String(localized: "Socket Unavailable"))
+        #expect(error.message == ConnectionError.localSocketNotSupported.localizedDescription)
+        #expect(error.recovery == String(localized: "Open it on the Mac, or change it there to connect by host and port."))
+    }
+
     @Test("A missing driver is a configuration problem and names the type")
     func driverNotFoundIsConfiguration() {
         let error = ErrorClassifier.classify(
diff --git a/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/ConnectionLibrary/ConnectionFormEditsTests.swift b/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/ConnectionLibrary/ConnectionFormEditsTests.swift
index e6dca5f154..3d7d31e9b0 100644
--- a/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/ConnectionLibrary/ConnectionFormEditsTests.swift
+++ b/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/ConnectionLibrary/ConnectionFormEditsTests.swift
@@ -89,6 +89,24 @@ struct ConnectionFormEditsTests {
         #expect(saved.tagIds == [picked, macSecond])
     }
 
+    @Test("Editing a connection that uses a Mac socket keeps the socket path")
+    func editKeepsMacSocketPath() {
+        let snapshot = DatabaseConnection(
+            name: "Local",
+            type: .mysql,
+            host: "localhost",
+            additionalFields: [MySQLLocalSocket.fieldKey: "/tmp/mysql.sock"]
+        )
+        let viewModel = ConnectionFormViewModel(editing: snapshot)
+
+        viewModel.name = "Local MySQL"
+        viewModel.host = "127.0.0.1"
+        viewModel.port = "3307"
+
+        #expect(viewModel.applyingEdits(to: snapshot).additionalFields[MySQLLocalSocket.fieldKey] == "/tmp/mysql.sock")
+        #expect(viewModel.buildConnection().additionalFields[MySQLLocalSocket.fieldKey] == "/tmp/mysql.sock")
+    }
+
     @Test("An SSH port edit keeps the jump hosts and the Mac's own tunnel settings")
     func sshEditKeepsMacFields() {
         var ssh = SSHConfiguration(host: "bastion.example.com", port: 22, username: "deploy")
diff --git a/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/MySQLVariantSupportTests.swift b/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/MySQLVariantSupportTests.swift
index 80e6746826..1ab4c08878 100644
--- a/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/MySQLVariantSupportTests.swift
+++ b/TableProMobile/TableProMobileTests/MySQLVariantSupportTests.swift
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Foundation
+import TableProDatabase
 @testable import TableProMobile
 import TableProModels
 import Testing
@@ -50,6 +51,68 @@ struct MySQLVariantSupportTests {
         #expect(mysql.databaseType == .oceanbase)
     }
 
+    @Test(
+        "A connection that dials a socket on the Mac is refused before connecting",
+        arguments: [DatabaseType.mysql, .mariadb, .tidb, .oceanbase]
+    )
+    func macSocketIsRefused(type: DatabaseType) {
+        let connection = DatabaseConnection(
+            name: "Local",
+            type: type,
+            host: "localhost",
+            additionalFields: [MySQLLocalSocket.fieldKey: "/tmp/mysql.sock"]
+        )
+
+        #expect(throws: ConnectionError.localSocketNotSupported) {
+            try IOSDriverFactory().createDriver(for: connection, password: nil)
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test("A blank socket path connects by host and port, as the Mac driver does")
+    func blankSocketPathConnectsByHost() throws {
+        let connection = DatabaseConnection(
+            name: "Local",
+            type: .mysql,
+            host: "db.example.com",
+            additionalFields: [MySQLLocalSocket.fieldKey: "  "]
+        )
+
+        let driver = try IOSDriverFactory().createDriver(for: connection, password: nil)
+
+        #expect(driver is MySQLDriver)
+    }
+
+    @Test("An SSH tunnel takes the place of the socket, as it does on the Mac")
+    func sshTunnelReplacesTheSocket() throws {
+        let connection = DatabaseConnection(
+            name: "Remote",
+            type: .mariadb,
+            host: "127.0.0.1",
+            port: 62_000,
+            additionalFields: [MySQLLocalSocket.fieldKey: "/tmp/mysql.sock"],
+            sshEnabled: true,
+            sshConfiguration: SSHConfiguration(host: "bastion.example.com", username: "deploy")
+        )
+
+        let driver = try IOSDriverFactory().createDriver(for: connection, password: nil)
+
+        #expect(driver is MySQLDriver)
+    }
+
+    @Test("SSH switched on without a tunnel configured leaves the socket to be refused")
+    func sshWithoutTunnelStillRefused() {
+        let connection = DatabaseConnection(
+            name: "Local",
+            type: .mysql,
+            additionalFields: [MySQLLocalSocket.fieldKey: "/tmp/mysql.sock"],
+            sshEnabled: true
+        )
+
+        #expect(throws: ConnectionError.localSocketNotSupported) {
+            try IOSDriverFactory().createDriver(for: connection, password: nil)
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test("An OceanBase session lifts the server's own statement limit; other MySQL engines set nothing")
     func oceanBaseSessionSetup() {
         #expect(MySQLDriver.sessionSetupStatements(for: .oceanbase) == [
diff --git a/TableProMobile/project.yml b/TableProMobile/project.yml
index c19fae6d37..c1d5055bd1 100644
--- a/TableProMobile/project.yml
+++ b/TableProMobile/project.yml
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ targets:
       - ../Plugins/MySQLDriverPlugin/MySQLCreateTableScanner.swift
       - ../Plugins/MySQLDriverPlugin/MySQLForeignKeyClause.swift
       - ../Plugins/MySQLDriverPlugin/MySQLServerFlavor.swift
+      # The socket key a Mac connection stores, so iOS refuses exactly what the Mac driver dials
+      # through a socket.
+      - ../Plugins/MySQLDriverPlugin/MySQLLocalSocket.swift
       - ../Plugins/Shared/PluginQueryTimeout.swift
       # The column default reading both apps show, plus the literal spellings it writes and the
       # version floor that says which catalog quotes its defaults. The DDL writers stay on macOS.
diff --git a/docs/ios/index.mdx b/docs/ios/index.mdx
index cfac4484a0..6a24ee1d83 100644
--- a/docs/ios/index.mdx
+++ b/docs/ios/index.mdx
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ A running query appears in a Live Activity on the lock screen and Dynamic Island
 - **Schema changes.** Truncating and dropping a table is the whole list; creating or altering tables, columns, indexes, triggers, and views is Mac only.
 - **Changing Redis data.** Keys open read only; change them in **Query**.
 - **Jump hosts.** A connection whose SSH tunnel goes through a bastion opens on the Mac only. Its hops sync here and back intact.
+- **Socket connections.** A MySQL or MariaDB connection that uses a socket on the Mac opens there only. Its socket path syncs here and back intact.
 - **AI.** No chat, no inline suggestions, no MCP server.
 
 ## Security