Shadowrocket FAQ

Check the spelling and the country or region of the Apple Account currently used for the App Store, then open the product page linked from our download page. Search results also depend on storefront availability, so the name alone does not confirm the product. If the page says it is unavailable in your region, go to Settings and check Media & Purchases, View Account, and Country/Region under your Apple Account. The menu names may vary by system language. If you need to make changes, follow Apple’s instructions for your balance, subscriptions, and payment details. Don’t repeatedly switch regions to try to make a purchase.

Check three details: the app name is Shadowrocket, the developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and the product page URL includes id932747118. Compare the icon with the official icon shown on this site. Don’t rely on search ranking, a similar name, or icon colors alone. Before purchasing, check the price and compatibility details on the App Store page. System requirements and universal purchase availability are as listed there. Our download page brings these verification details together for easy reference.

You’ll need your own existing subscription or server details. A one-time app purchase is not a service plan: the fee covers use of the client and does not provide a server to connect to. The US storefront price is about $2.99; the actual price and currency are shown on the App Store page at the time of purchase. Before importing, check that your existing details are valid and complete, and that the protocol matches. This site provides the official client guide; it does not provide, sell, or recommend servers or subscription services.

Sign in to the App Store with the Apple Account used for the original purchase, then find Shadowrocket in the account’s purchased apps. If your purchase is eligible for restoration, use the redownload option instead of buying it again. Availability is determined by the store. If a price still appears, check that Media & Purchases is using the original account and that Shadowrocket appears in its purchase history. Redownloading restores your entitlement to the app; check your backups and sync settings separately to see whether subscriptions, server details, and Config files are restored.

First, confirm that both devices use the same account for the App Store. Checking only the iCloud account at the top of Settings isn’t enough; Media & Purchases may use a different account. Then check the original account’s purchase history and open the app from the purchased apps list. Device compatibility, storefront availability, and universal purchase eligibility are determined by the App Store listing. Check the store information and Family Sharing settings to see whether sharing applies; being in the same family group does not guarantee that a purchase can be restored. Don’t pay again until you know why the price is displayed.

After installing, open Home. Import your existing subscription, or enter your server details in Add Server, then select a server. Check Global Routing next. To route traffic according to a Config file, select Config and make sure the Config you need is already available. Finally, turn on the connection and approve the system’s VPN configuration prompt. Once authorized, test the connection and routing with a specific website. For the first setup, keep the default settings and avoid changing DNS, rules, and multiple Settings options at the same time.

This is the system’s authorization flow for creating a VPN configuration. Make sure the prompt appears after you opened Shadowrocket yourself, then follow the system instructions to allow it and verify your device. Don’t enter information in prompts from unknown sources. If you canceled earlier, return to the app and try turning on the connection again. If the device is managed, has restrictions, or is already using another VPN, check the system settings and management requirements first. Authorization only permits the configuration to be created; it doesn’t guarantee that a server will work. Continue by checking the server and testing access.

Shadowrocket is available for iPad through the App Store. First, check the purchased apps list using the account that made the original purchase. Universal purchase eligibility and system requirements are as listed on the App Store page. Navigation and layout may differ on iPad, so look for interface labels such as Home, Config, and Settings. Even if the app has been redownloaded successfully, check the server, current Config, and VPN authorization on this device. A connection on another device doesn’t mean this iPad has completed its first-time setup.

Use the English interface labels to find each option: Home shows servers and connection controls, Add Server is for entering server details, Config manages Config files, and Settings contains app settings. In Global Routing, Config, Proxy, and Direct are the three routing modes. PROXY and DIRECT in rules are policy keywords; distinguish them by capitalization and where they appear. If the system offers a separate app language setting, check it in Settings. If no such option appears, you don’t need to keep reinstalling the app to continue setup.

First, make sure you’ve selected a working server, then check that the initial VPN authorization is complete. In the system’s VPN settings, look for connection conflicts or device management restrictions. Stop any other VPN connection attempts before trying again. If the app displays an error, note the exact text and what you were doing, then check the server details, current Config, and system network separately. You can stop the connection and reopen the app; don’t start by deleting every Config. A switch that turns off immediately is a different issue from one that stays on while websites fail to load, so troubleshoot them separately.

Make sure you copied the complete subscription URL, with no spaces, line breaks, or chat text at either end. Check that the link hasn’t expired, the service is still valid, and your current network can reach the URL. Import it through the Subscribe option; don’t enter a subscription URL as the address for a single server. If the error mentions the content format, ask the original provider whether the returned content is compatible with Shadowrocket. When reporting an issue, share only the error type and a redacted outline of the URL. Never disclose a complete subscription link containing access credentials or submit it repeatedly to unknown pages.

Set Type to match the protocol in your existing details, then check the server address, port, and authentication fields one by one. Different protocols require different fields; don’t put a password for one protocol into another protocol’s authentication field. If your details include TLS, a server name, or transport parameters, enter them as provided instead of guessing from the address. After saving, reopen the entry to verify it, then run Connectivity Test. Treat the result as a troubleshooting clue only: verify authentication, access to the target website, and whether the correct rule matched separately.

In Home, find the existing subscription group and use its update option. Wait for the update to finish, check the server list, then confirm which server is selected. The exact controls depend on what the app displays. An update reloads the server list from the service. If an entry was removed, renamed, or replaced, you may need to select a server again. A successful update doesn’t guarantee that the selected server is still valid. If the update fails, check the network and subscription validity first. Keep the existing details for comparison instead of repeatedly deleting and importing duplicate groups.

A QR code’s appearance doesn’t tell you what it contains. After using Scan QR Code, check whether the recognized content is server sharing information, a subscription URL, or a regular webpage, and confirm it comes from your own existing service details. If it can’t be recognized, check that the image is complete and clear, and see whether the original details provide another import method. After scanning successfully, verify the protocol and key fields; a successful scan doesn’t confirm connectivity. QR codes may contain authentication details, so don’t share the original image or unredacted scan results when reporting an issue.

A subscription is mainly used to retrieve and update a server list. A Config file organizes rules and related settings. Importing a server subscription doesn’t mean you now have rules suited to your needs. If you want rule-based routing, check the active Config in Config and set Global Routing to Config. Save a copy of your current Config before making changes, and check the rule order and the policy for FINAL. Server availability, Config syntax, and whether the current mode uses the Config are three separate checks; verify them in order.

Config applies traffic policies based on the rules in the active Config. Proxy routes traffic in Proxy mode, while Direct routes traffic directly. For everyday rule-based routing, select Config and check the Config you’re using. For troubleshooting, you can temporarily switch to Proxy or Direct and compare access to the same destination, but this won’t fix the rules themselves. System traffic and exceptions in the Config still depend on the actual settings; don’t treat mode names as absolute guarantees. Restore your intended mode after testing.

Stop the connection and make sure the device itself can access the internet. Reconnect, check the selected server, and run Connectivity Test for clues. Then check that Global Routing matches the active Config, and review the relevant logs for the destination domain, matched rule, and policy. If the issue looks like a DNS resolution failure, check DNS settings. If a REJECT or incorrect policy matched, fix the rule. Change one thing at a time and retest the same destination. The switch being on only means the connection process is running; it doesn’t prove that the server, DNS, or destination service is working.

Set Global Routing to Config, confirm the active Config contains a rule for the target domain, and set FINAL,DIRECT at the end. For example, DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,PROXY matches the example domain and its subdomains. Rules are evaluated from top to bottom, so a broader rule above yours may match first. Check for conflicting rules before the target rule. A webpage may also request other domains, so use the logs to confirm where requests go rather than relying on the browser’s address bar. example.com is a syntax example only, not a recommendation for a real service.

First confirm that the issue is actually with domain name resolution, then change DNS if needed. Note your current Config and the symptoms. Check for incorrect Host mappings, typos, or unsuitable DNS parameters, and make sure the device’s basic network connection works. If you need to change dns-server, save a copy of the Config, change only that setting, and retest the same destination. Access to one IP address doesn’t prove that all name resolution paths are working. Don’t keep adding settings from unknown sources. If you’re unsure what a parameter does, read the DNS section of the Settings guide first.

Compare battery use over similar periods on the system’s Battery screen, taking screen time, network changes, and actual traffic into account. Don’t attribute a drop in battery to one cause based on a single instance. Check whether Connectivity Test is running frequently, diagnostics are logging continuously, or failed connections are triggering repeated retries. On Demand starts connections under specified conditions; check whether those conditions fit your usage instead of treating it as a general battery-saving switch. After troubleshooting, restore any diagnostic settings you no longer need and retest on the same network for the same length of time. Battery use varies by device and network conditions.