diff --git a/aiui/packages/app/src/composables/useArchy.ts b/aiui/packages/app/src/composables/useArchy.ts
index 22da47dd..647976b7 100644
--- a/aiui/packages/app/src/composables/useArchy.ts
+++ b/aiui/packages/app/src/composables/useArchy.ts
@@ -276,7 +276,19 @@ export function useArchy() {
       scopes.map((s) =>
         archyBridge
           .requestArchyContent('all', s)
-          .then((res) => (res.permitted ? res : null))
+          .then((res) => {
+            // Log the denial per scope. A silent null here is indistinguishable
+            // from "the node genuinely has no content", which is exactly the
+            // ambiguity that made an ungranted Media/File permission look like
+            // a broken films search on-device.
+            if (!res.permitted) {
+              console.warn(
+                `[AIUI Archy] content(${s}): not permitted — enable Media/File access in Archy Settings`,
+              )
+              return null
+            }
+            return res
+          })
           .catch((err) => {
             console.warn(`[AIUI Archy] content(${s}) failed:`, (err as Error)?.message ?? err)
             return null