I would add to what @gabriel.duro.s says that checking out a commit without a branch will allow you to see that commit in read only mode.
If you want to change something you can create a new branch on that commit, then check it out, and you will be able to make changes.
When an app has two branches and both the branches use the same database and the database schema has changed at some point between the two branches, checking out one of the two branches will trigger the complaint that the database schema doesn’t match the app settings.
Now it’s up to you NOT to change the database.
I agree that the UI should make it more difficult to change the database.