Shadowrocket
Unofficial usage notes
Shadowrocket
Usage Guide
Usage notes for iPhone and iPad: the client is sold only on the App Store as a one-time purchase; Mac and Apple TV are available from the same store page, and system requirements are as listed on the App Store page. This site does not provide any servers or subscriptions.
- App Store exclusive
- One-time purchase · $2.99 in the US store
- Shadowsocks / VMess / Trojan
- DOMAIN-SUFFIX rule-based routing
- Developer
- Shadow Launch Technology Limited
- App ID
- 932747118
SOLD ONLY ON THE APP STORE
On this page
First confirm the developer name, icon and App ID in the store, then bring your existing subscription into the client, and finally use Global Routing and rules to sort your traffic.
Core features
Six places in the interface, for six everyday tasks
Each row below is an entry name that really exists in the app. Open a row and the right side switches to the matching explanation and a real rule snippet. Interface terms are kept in English so you can match them word for word with what your phone shows.
HOME
Master connection switch
Home is the first screen you see when you open the app: at the top is the master connection switch and current status (Not Connected / Connected), followed by the current Global Routing mode, the Connectivity Test, and the server list under the SERVER group. Next to each server in the list you can see how much traffic this connection has used, which makes it easy to tell which one is consuming data. When you turn the switch on, iOS shows the VPN Configuration permission prompt; once you allow it, a VPN badge appears in the status bar. The last rule in a rule file is usually FINAL, which decides whether requests that match no rule go through the proxy or connect directly.
FINAL,PROXY
CONFIG
Config files and rules
Config is where rules and configuration files live. A configuration file is divided into several sections — General, Rule, Hosts, URL Rewrite and HTTPS Decryption — and the routing rules themselves go in the Rule section, where you can add or remove them one by one or tap Add Rule to append a new one. Rules are matched from top to bottom and the first match wins, so it is safer to put more specific domain rules above broader ones. Besides editing a configuration file directly on the device, you can also import one from iCloud (Import from Cloud JSON), which keeps the same rules consistent across several devices.
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,PROXY
GLOBAL ROUTING
The three Global Routing modes
Global Routing decides how traffic goes by default, and there are three modes. Config judges each request against the rules in your configuration file; Proxy sends all traffic through the proxy; Direct connects everything directly, without the proxy. Keeping Config day to day is the least fuss — addresses that should connect directly stay off the proxy, and only the domains that need it go through, decided by rules rather than manual switching. If a site only works through the proxy, you can switch to Proxy to check once, then switch back to Config, avoiding the extra traffic and slower speeds that come with leaving everything on the proxy.
GEOIP,CN,DIRECT
ON DEMAND
On Demand
On Demand sets up automatic connections: once it is on, the system connects automatically when the conditions are met and disconnects when they no longer apply, so you do not have to flip the switch by hand every time. Triggers can be based on network type (cellular / Wi-Fi) or a list of domains — for example, connect automatically only on cellular and disconnect when you are back on a fixed network. If you often move between mobile and home networks, this saves the repeated manual toggling; leave it off when you do not need it, and manual connections still work.
IP-CIDR,10.0.0.0/8,DIRECT,no-resolve
ADD SERVER
Adding a server manually
Add Server is for entering a server by hand. The fields are Type, Host, Port, Password and Method: Type picks the protocol, Host takes the address, Port takes the port number, and Password and Method come from the details your provider gives you, with capitalization kept exactly as given. Available types include Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Hysteria2, WireGuard, and HTTP / SOCKS5 proxies. At the bottom of the page there are also Scan QR Code and Import from Cloud JSON; the first suits importing from a QR code or screenshot, the second reads a configuration file from iCloud.
Type / Host / Port / Password / Method
SUBSCRIBE
Subscription import and updates
Subscribe is where you import a subscription: paste in the subscription link your provider gave you and the app pulls a configuration containing several servers and rules, with automatic updates available to keep the server list current. Subscription links come from your provider; this site neither provides nor recommends any subscription. One thing to keep in mind: buying the client only means the app itself is usable — servers and traffic are a separate matter. The app is a one-time purchase, while a subscription is billed under your provider's own terms, and neither includes the other.
https://example.com/sub?token=xxxx
Devices and store entry points
iPhone and iPad are the main focus; Mac and Apple TV are available in the same store
The app is sold only on the App Store, with no other way to get it. The two cards below cover getting and first opening it on iPhone and on iPad; both links point to the matching section of the same guide page.
iPhone
Buy once with the same Apple ID and you can download it straight away on your current iPhone. The first time you connect, iOS shows the VPN Configuration permission prompt, and once you allow it a VPN badge appears in the status bar. Where to find your purchased items and how to confirm where the version came from are listed step by step on the guide page.
Read the guideiPad
The same Apple ID does not need to pay again on iPad — you can download it from purchased items in the App Store. Window layout on iPadOS differs slightly from iPhone, but the settings names are the same; the same configuration file can be imported separately on both devices.
Read the guideMac and Apple TV are also available from the same App Store (as listed under compatibility on the store page); system version requirements for every platform are likewise as stated on the App Store page.
Authenticity and facts
Check three things on the store page to confirm you are buying the genuine app
Search results often include more than one app with the same or a similar name. Check the three points below before you pay.
- Developer: Shadow Launch Technology Limited
- App ID: 932747118
- Official icon
- One-time purchase
Developer and App ID
On the store page, the developer field reads Shadow Launch Technology Limited and the App ID is 932747118, which also appears at the end of the product page URL (id932747118). Check these two together with the icon: a rocket with a blue-purple outline on a white background. When all three match, go ahead and confirm the purchase.
What a one-time purchase means
This is a paid app, priced at about US$2.99 in the US store, with each storefront showing its local currency. After paying once, iPhone and iPad devices under the same Apple ID can both download and use it; the app itself has no expiry date and no monthly renewal. Purchase records are kept by the App Store.
Store availability and account region
Whether you can find it in the store depends on the storefront your signed-in Apple ID belongs to and on local availability settings. If a search returns nothing, first confirm your account's store region, then check the age rating and account status, and avoid switching back and forth between accounts; whether the app is offered in your current storefront is whatever the page you see when you open the App Store says.
One-time client purchase ≠ a server plan
What you buy is the app itself. It only organizes server details and routing rules, and decides by those rules which requests go through the proxy and which connect directly; the server address, port, password and subscription link all come from your provider. Servers and traffic are a separate cost, unrelated to the client — this site does not provide, sell or recommend any servers or subscriptions.
Updates and restore
App updates, purchase records and restoring downloads are all handled by the App Store: updates happen on the App Store account page, with no files to download elsewhere; after switching devices or reinstalling, the same Apple ID can download it again from purchased items at no extra cost. Whether Family Sharing applies is likewise as stated on the App Store page.
Selected FAQ
Start with these four — most questions are answered here
Expand any item for a short answer; more detailed step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting order are on the FAQ and quick start pages.
After buying the app, do I need to pay anything else for it?
No. After the one-time purchase, iPhone and iPad devices under the same Apple ID can both download and use it. One thing worth spelling out: the app itself does not include servers or routes — those come from your provider, and their cost is separate from the client. For pricing and how to restore, see the App Store authenticity check page.
Where does the subscription link come from?
It comes from your provider, and you can usually copy it from their user panel. This site neither provides nor recommends any subscription; once you have the link, paste it into Subscribe to import it, and the step-by-step instructions are on the quick start page.
Which Global Routing mode should I use day to day?
Keep Config for everyday use and let the rules decide which requests go through the proxy and which connect directly; switch to Proxy only to check a specific site, then switch back to Config. The matching order for each of the three modes is described on the FAQ page.
What if Shadowrocket does not show up in the store search?
Check the four items — store region, age rating, account status and app availability — one by one before deciding whether to change devices or reinstall. Where to confirm each one in the store is described on the FAQ page.
Articles
Usage notes and troubleshooting records
Write-ups organized by topic: getting the app, store availability, choosing a Global Routing mode, and restoring a purchase.
Getting Shadowrocket from the App Store: search, identify the developer, buy and download
Follow the steps in order: search the App Store and check the developer name Shadow Launch Technology Limited, the official icon and App ID 932747118, then confirm the one-time purchase and finish the download.
Read the full articleShadowrocket missing from the store: checking region, age rating and account status one by one
If you cannot find it, do not rush to change devices: check store region, age rating, account status and app availability one by one, with the exact place to confirm each in the store.
Read the full articleChoosing a Global Routing mode: how Config, Proxy and Direct differ, and how to use them day to day
Explains the matching order and best use for each of the three Global Routing modes — Config, Proxy and Direct — and why keeping Config is usually the least fuss day to day.
Read the full article