Shadowrocket FAQ

First, make sure you searched for the full name, Shadowrocket. Then open the app’s product page from the App Store link on the download page. If the page says the app isn’t available in your region, check the country or region of the Apple Account used for App Store purchases; your device’s language does not determine the store region. To change it, go to Settings > Apple Account > Media & Purchases > View Account > Country/Region and follow Apple’s instructions about your balance, subscriptions, and payment requirements. Availability is determined by the current App Store listing.

Check that the developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited, the app icon matches the official icon shown on this site, and the product link contains app ID 932747118. The app name is only a starting point; it does not replace these three checks. Open the product page to review the price, compatibility, and purchase button. Don’t pay based only on a small icon in search results. Shadowrocket is available only through the App Store. Check the App Store listing for system requirements and whether the purchase is universal.

Sign in to the App Store with the Apple Account originally used to buy Shadowrocket, then find the app in your purchase history and download it again. Purchases are linked to the store account, not the name of the new device. If you still see a price, check your purchase history, account, and store region before proceeding; don’t pay again without checking. Restoring the app and restoring its configuration are separate. After reinstalling, check whether your existing subscriptions, server settings, and rule files have also been restored.

Shadowrocket is primarily used on iPhone and iPad. Open the same product page in the iPad App Store and check device compatibility and your purchase status. The App Store listing specifies whether you can download it with the same purchasing account and whether the purchase is universal. Check its compatibility section for Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision as well. The interface and controls may differ across devices. Recovering a purchase does not mean your servers, subscriptions, and configuration will automatically sync.

Shadowrocket is a paid client. The US App Store price is around $2.99 as a one-time purchase; prices and the amount charged vary by storefront and are shown on the App Store listing. A one-time client purchase is not a service plan. Buying the app provides a license to use the client; you must obtain any subscription or server details needed to connect separately from your service provider. This site is the official website and manual. It does not provide, sell, or recommend connection services, or manage service provider accounts or subscription periods.

Installing the app makes the client available, but does not provide a server to connect to. First, prepare your existing subscription or server details and import them using the appropriate option. Then, in Home, make sure at least one valid server is listed and selected. Check Global Routing, then turn on the connection switch; for the first test, you can keep a configuration you know works. If iOS prompts you to add a VPN configuration, review the prompt and authorize it. If the imported list is empty, resolve the import issue first instead of repeatedly toggling the connection switch.

Make sure a server is selected in Home and that you completed the system authorization prompt when first adding the VPN configuration. If you canceled it earlier, try connecting again and follow the system prompts. Then check whether device management restricts VPN configurations in Settings and whether another VPN connection is already active. If the switch still turns off immediately, check the client’s diagnostic information and note when it happens and any error message. Don’t start by deleting all configurations. Save the information you’ll need to restore your setup before making changes, so an authorization issue doesn’t become a configuration loss.

In Home, check that the intended server is selected and review the connection switch. Then run Connectivity Test and note whether it completes and any specific error message. Next, use a browser to open a site you can normally access. This helps distinguish server reachability from access to the service you’re trying to use. A VPN status indicator confirms only the system connection state; it doesn’t guarantee that every rule or domain will work. If the test succeeds but a particular site doesn’t load, note the domain and check Global Routing, DNS, and which rule matched. You don’t need to reimport every server right away.

This manual uses the labels shown in the app so you can find them directly: Home shows servers and connection status; Add Server is for entering server details; Config manages rule configurations; and Settings is for adjusting settings. Under Global Routing, Config, Proxy, and Direct are different traffic-handling modes, not three setup steps. Check which page you’re on, then look for the matching English label. If the layout has changed, follow the current app rather than relying on a button’s location in an older tutorial.

Usually, no. Switching networks changes the current connection conditions but does not invalidate saved server settings. Wait for the network switch to finish, check the connection status, and run Connectivity Test; reconnect if needed. If the connection fails on only one network, record the test results for each and check server reachability and DNS on the affected network. If On Demand is enabled, review its trigger conditions. A matching condition may reconnect after you turn the connection off manually, making it seem as though the switch setting wasn’t saved.

Get subscriptions from your service provider. First, make sure you copied the complete subscription URL, not the account page address, and check for extra spaces, line breaks, or missing parameters. Then confirm the service is still active and the URL hasn’t been reset. If the request succeeds but the import is empty, check whether the response contains data the client supports rather than a login or error page. Don’t post a complete URL containing personal credentials in a public discussion. If the import still fails, send your service provider the error message and time of the attempt so they can check the URL and data format.

First, set Type to match the protocol used by the existing server, then check the address, port, and authentication details one by one. Required fields vary by protocol. Enter details such as the password, UUID, encryption method, TLS, Server Name, and transport settings as provided by your service provider. Don’t choose a different Type just because its name sounds similar, or enable every option based on guesswork. After saving, return to Home, select the server, and test it. If the connection fails, compare the original settings instead of changing multiple fields at once.

First, make sure you updated the intended subscription group and that the update completed. If the subscription content hasn’t changed, it’s normal for the list to stay the same. If the request failed, check that your current network can reach the subscription URL and that the link is still valid. After updating, check which server is selected in Home; updating the list does not automatically select a new server. Manually added servers are generally outside the scope of subscription updates. Subscription updates and Config rule file updates are separate; check each independently.

Scan QR Code reads the content encoded in the QR code. It may contain details for a single server or just a web address, rather than a subscription. First, make sure camera access is allowed and the QR code is fully visible and in focus. Then check the source description against the import result. If the scan adds only one server, that doesn’t mean the entire subscription was imported. You can verify by using the original subscription URL from your service provider. QR codes may contain personal credentials, so treat screenshots and forwarded images as sensitive configuration data.

First, check where subscriptions, manually added servers, and Config rule files are stored. Then use the export or backup option in the current app. When it’s done, make sure the backup contains what you’ll need to restore your setup and store it securely. Before sharing troubleshooting materials, remove credentials from subscription URLs, server authentication details, and private keys. Check QR codes, screenshots, and logs too. Keeping the protocol type, error message, Global Routing status, and relevant rule snippets usually helps narrow down the issue. You don’t need to share your entire private configuration when asking for help publicly.

Config routes traffic according to the currently enabled rule file. Proxy handles traffic through the proxy route, while Direct handles it through the direct route. For everyday rule-based routing, make sure a valid rule file is enabled and select Config. Proxy and Direct can help you compare results while troubleshooting, but they won’t fix incorrect server settings or replace rule maintenance. After switching modes, test the same destination and record the result. When you’re done, restore your intended mode so a test setting doesn’t continue to affect your traffic.

First, test your basic network connection with the client disconnected. Then confirm that the expected server is selected in Home and run Connectivity Test. If the server test fails, check the service status, address, port, and authentication details first. If it passes, check whether Global Routing is set as expected, whether DNS is working, and which rule matched the destination domain. Change one thing at a time and retest the same destination, recording the results before and after each change. A connection indicator doesn’t prove that the server can forward traffic to your destination or that every request follows the same route.

Record the failing domain, the network you’re using, and the current Global Routing mode. Then use the client’s diagnostic information to distinguish a DNS resolution failure from a connection failure. If the domain doesn’t resolve to a valid address, check DNS settings first. If it resolves but still can’t be reached, check which rule matched and whether the selected policy is reachable. Config generally evaluates rules in order, so an earlier rule may take effect before the one you expected. FINAL is the fallback at the end. Don’t assume changing DNS will resolve every issue, and don’t delete the entire rule set to fix one website.

First, check the actual usage period in your system’s battery settings, then consider data transfer, signal strength, and repeated reconnections. Battery use depends on more than the protocol: sustained downloads, a weak signal, frequent network changes, and frequent diagnostic logging can all add load. For a useful comparison, keep the network and activity similar; don’t compare percentages from two different days alone. You can stop sustained tests, reduce unnecessary diagnostic logging, and check whether On Demand conditions are causing repeated connections. A protocol name alone can’t guarantee a particular battery life.

If it reconnects after you turn it off, check whether On Demand is still enabled and whether the current network meets its conditions. Also check the system VPN settings instead of repeatedly toggling the Home switch. App updates are managed through the App Store. Updating the client is separate from updating subscriptions or Config files. If behavior changes after an update, record your current settings and any error messages, then test the same server and destination again. Save your configuration before making changes, and check permissions, rules, and On Demand conditions one at a time. An app update does not mean your service provider’s settings have changed.