Shadowrocket download guide: verify the app and purchase first

The app isn’t available in the mainland China storefront. If you can’t find Shadowrocket, first check the country or region of the Apple ID you use for the App Store. Don’t rely only on your device’s location, system language, or the region in a product link. Your account’s country or region determines which storefront you see and can affect whether you can buy the app, which payment methods are accepted, and which currency is displayed.

The App Store button on this page links to Shadowrocket’s US storefront listing. When you open it, your device may switch to the App Store, which can show region-specific messages based on your current account. The /us/ in the link identifies the product page’s storefront; opening it does not change your account’s region. Seeing the product page in a browser also doesn’t mean your account is eligible to buy it.

Check the account used for Media & Purchases

1. Open Settings on your device, tap your Apple ID at the top, then find Media & Purchases.
2. Tap View Account, authenticate if prompted, then check Country/Region. The full path is Settings → Apple ID → Media & Purchases → View Account → Country/Region.
3. To look for region-change options, follow the choices shown under Country/Region. Check the on-screen instructions for whether you can change regions and what requirements apply.

Be sure to distinguish the account used for iCloud from the account signed in to Media & Purchases for App Store purchases. They may be different. If you’ve bought the app before, find the original purchase record before changing account regions. This helps avoid mistaking a different account for a requirement to buy the app again.

Once the storefront displays the product, continue to the next section to verify the official app. The correct region and the correct app are separate checks: your region affects purchase availability, while the app details confirm the product’s identity. Verify both before paying.

After checking the storefront region and verifying the app on your iPhone, open its App Store listing from this page to check the current price and compatibility. Refer to the App Store listing for system requirements. Decide whether to continue based on the compatibility information shown for your device. Don’t treat interface examples in this guide as system requirements.

1. Open the Shadowrocket product page you’ve verified, and confirm the Apple ID you’ll use to buy it.
2. For a first purchase, review the price and authenticate as prompted by the App Store. If you’ve already bought the app, first check whether a redownload option is available.
3. Wait for the App Store download to finish, then tap Open. If the download pauses, check your network and available storage before following any App Store prompts.
4. Once Home opens, get your existing subscription or server details ready, then follow the guide to import them.

Opening the app and connecting for the first time are separate steps. If the app opens, installation is complete. To connect, you’ll also need valid server details, an appropriate Global Routing option, and system permission for the VPN configuration. Before importing your details, don’t use the connection toggle’s status to judge whether the app purchase succeeded.

What to expect when the VPN configuration prompt appears

When you first try to connect, the system may ask to let Shadowrocket add a VPN configuration. This authorizes a network configuration change on your device; it isn’t a request to pay for the app again. First, make sure the prompt appeared after you initiated a connection in Shadowrocket, then follow the system instructions. If you denied permission, return to the app and try connecting again, and check the relevant permissions on your device.

After granting permission, select your own default server and use Connectivity Test to help check the connection. A VPN icon in the status bar indicates the system’s connection status; by itself, it doesn’t confirm that a particular server, rule, or every request is working. See the getting started guide for the full import and connection steps, and the server management guide for organizing and updating existing details.

If you’ve bought the app but can’t connect yet, first distinguish an App Store installation issue from a server connection issue. For the former, check your purchase history, compatibility, and download status. For the latter, check your own server details, network, and test results. Keeping these checks separate helps avoid mistaking a connection problem for a need to buy the app again.

After buying Shadowrocket once with an Apple ID, you can install it on both iPhone and iPad through the App Store. First check the account under Media & Purchases on your iPad, then look under Purchased or open the product page. Refer to the App Store listing for system requirements and purchase eligibility.

If you’ve already bought Shadowrocket on your iPhone but the iPad product page still shows a price, don’t assume you have to buy it again. First check that both devices use the same account for App Store purchases, then look for the app in your purchase history. Being signed in to the same iCloud account on both devices doesn’t necessarily mean they use the same purchase account.

Consider screen layout and configuration transfer separately

An iPad can show more content, but the layout depends on screen orientation and how the app is displayed. When following a guide, look for interface labels such as Home, Config, Settings, and Global Routing rather than relying only on screenshot coordinates. Check the details you already have in Add Server; a larger screen doesn’t remove the need to verify them.

Your app purchase can be used to redownload the client, but it doesn’t restore your server list, subscriptions, or configuration files. After installing Shadowrocket on your iPad, check whether your existing items are available. If you need to transfer them, reimport details you’ve saved or a backup you’ve verified. A successful purchase doesn’t mean configurations are automatically the same across devices.

If you plan to use Shadowrocket on multiple personal devices, first complete the import and test on one device. Once you’ve confirmed the details work, check each additional device separately. Connection permissions, network conditions, and current configuration must be verified on each device; sharing a purchase record doesn’t mean they’ll have the same connection status.

Sign in with the Apple ID used for the original purchase to redownload Shadowrocket from Purchased in the App Store—there’s no need to buy it again. Confirm which account owns the purchase first. Deleting the app or changing devices doesn’t delete the purchase record, but you’ll need to check separately whether the configuration saved on the device is still available.

1. Open the App Store, go to your account page, and find Purchased. The name or location of this option may vary by system version; look for the app in your account’s purchase history.
2. Confirm you’re signed in with the Apple ID used for the original purchase, then search for Shadowrocket and verify the app details.
3. Use the redownload option in your purchase history to restore the app, then open it once the download is complete.
4. Check whether your existing configuration is available. If needed, import your own subscription or server details, then select a server and test the connection.

If you can’t find the app in your purchase history, first check your purchase history, the account used for the original purchase, whether the order was completed, and the current storefront status. The fact that the app was once installed on an old device doesn’t prove that the account currently signed in owns the purchase. If the product page still shows a price, complete these checks before deciding what to do next.

Restoring the app doesn’t restore all connection details

After reinstalling, check your subscription URL, manually added servers, selected configuration file, and current Global Routing setting. Keep passwords, keys, and subscription URLs in a secure location you control; don’t post screenshots containing full credentials when asking for help. If your details have changed, reimport the information you currently know to be valid.

Before switching devices, make sure you can retrieve your existing details and know how your current configuration is backed up. Don’t treat your App Store purchase history as a backup of server details: the purchase record confirms your right to use the app, while a configuration backup restores your personal settings. Check both to avoid missing anything after reinstalling.

Check the App Store listing and your account settings to see whether Family Sharing applies. Don’t assume you can restore the app just because another family member bought it. First check the sharing records and messages available in the store, then continue.

Shadowrocket is a paid commercial app. The US storefront reference price is $2.99 as a one-time purchase; the app itself isn’t billed monthly. Prices appear in local currencies on other storefronts. Check the App Store product page and payment confirmation for the actual amount, taxes, and final purchase terms. The reference price on this page doesn’t replace the store’s checkout details.

App purchases and the services you already have are handled separately. If the list is empty after purchase, you can import your own details. If items appear but the test fails, check whether your details are valid and complete, and whether your network is working. Rebuying the app won’t fix these issues, and the app price doesn’t represent a connection period or service allowance.

What to check before and after payment

Before paying, check the app’s identity, your account region, and the displayed currency to confirm you’re buying the app you want. After paying, check your App Store purchase history and download status. If payment appears complete but the app hasn’t downloaded, review the order and App Store message before trying to buy again.

App updates are managed through the App Store; check for updates using your device’s store settings. Check the product page and App Store messages on your device for available updates, release details, and current compatibility. Don’t rely on older screenshots from other pages. Before updating, make sure you know how to back up and restore any important personal configuration.

After verifying your purchase, continue to the getting started guide for import and connection steps if the app is installed. If you only need help identifying English options, see the glossary. First distinguish what buying, installing, importing, and connecting each accomplish, then follow the steps in order instead of changing every setting at once.