Shadowrocket App Store Guide

STOREFRONT / AVAILABILITY

App Store availability and app visibility

The App Store does not show the same catalog in every region. The store region associated with your current purchase account can affect search results, product-page availability, currency, and payment methods. To check whether Shadowrocket is available, first identify your account's store, then review the listing currently shown there. Your physical location, device language, and browser language do not, by themselves, identify your account's store.

Check both search results and the product page

No search results only means that the current search did not find the listing; it does not prove the app has been removed from every store. Search terms, store region, access restrictions, and how results are displayed can all affect what you see. Try searching for the full name, Shadowrocket, then use the Download Guide to check the specific product page. Don't mistake a similarly named result for the app, or choose what to buy based only on search ranking.

The product page specified in this guide has app ID 932747118. The storefront segment in the URL points to a regional page, but it does not change the store region associated with your purchase account. When you open the App Store from a browser, the system may show a prompt or switch storefronts based on the account in use. Check the page that ultimately opens and any system prompts, rather than relying on the region in the browser URL.

Handle regional availability and device compatibility separately

If the page explicitly says the app is unavailable in your country or region, check which storefront your account uses before changing device or app settings. If the app is listed but a compatibility notice appears near the download button, check your device model and system requirements. These are different issues: one concerns availability in your current store; the other concerns whether your device can run the app. Repeating searches will not resolve a compatibility restriction.

Shadowrocket is available only on Apple platforms, primarily iPhone and iPad. Check the compatibility section on the same product page for Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision support. System requirements are always as listed on the App Store page. A device category being mentioned here does not mean every device in that category qualifies, and purchase eligibility across devices should not be inferred without checking the store information.

Understand account requirements before changing regions

Changing the country or region for your Apple ID is an account-level action, not a temporary option for a single search. Your account balance, active subscriptions, pending transactions, Family Sharing membership, and payment details may need attention first. The requirements shown by the system apply to your account. Don't switch regions repeatedly just to make a search result appear, or confirm a change without understanding how it may affect your existing purchases.

If you need to change your store region, first check the renewal and availability of existing services, keep any transaction records you need, and make sure your new billing details and payment method meet the system's requirements. After a region change, the visibility and redownload availability of some purchases may differ. A successful region change does not guarantee that every item will be available to buy; always check the product page for the specific app.

If you can't find the app in the mainland China storefront, follow the same checks in order. Don't use your device language or current network location to determine your store region. For more on how account region affects search visibility, see App Store availability and app visibility. This explains what you may be seeing; it does not provide accounts or advise you to change your existing account arrangements.

As you check, note three facts: the account currently used for purchases, its country or region, and the full message shown on the product page. The exact wording is more useful than “it won't download.” If the product page opens normally but search returns nothing, verify the app first. If the page itself is unavailable, check your account in the next section before deciding what to do.

ACCOUNT / MEDIA & PURCHASES

Check your App Store and purchase account

Purchases and restores depend on using the right account. The Apple ID shown at the top of your device, the account used for iCloud, and the account under Media & Purchases should not be assumed to be the same based on a profile picture or device name. Check which account the App Store is actually using, and confirm whether it is the one that originally purchased Shadowrocket. Don't sign out of every account service on your device just to restore one app.

Check your storefront under Media & Purchases

On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Media & Purchases and open the account details. The system may ask you to authenticate. Find the Country/Region setting and check the current value. If you're only checking your information, stop here; you don't need to start a change. Menu labels may vary slightly between system versions, so follow what your device displays.

Next, open the App Store and check the account details on your profile page. You can obscure part of the account address in personal records, leaving only enough to identify it. If other people have used the device, confirm which purchase account is currently signed in rather than assuming it is still the one used during initial setup. The app icon remaining on the Home Screen does not prove that the current store account owns the purchase.

Distinguish checking details from changing them

Checking your country or region does not make a purchase, and you do not need to add a payment method just to view the information. If you reach a region-change flow, go back and finish checking your current details first. A country shown as an option in that flow is not necessarily your active storefront. Only after the system completes a change and the new value appears in your account details should you check availability under the new storefront.

If you can't open the account page, note whether authentication failed, the page could not load, or the system asked you to update account details. Authentication failures require identity verification; loading failures call for a basic network check; account-detail prompts should be handled on the system's account page. Changing server details in Shadowrocket will not fix these issues, and making another purchase is not a useful way to test the account.

If you already bought the app, also check the app name in your receipt or purchase history. When looking for the transaction, check the date range, transaction status, and purchase account; not finding it in a recent list does not mean the purchase has disappeared. An email receipt can help you locate it, but confirm ownership in the purchase history for the associated account. Don't confuse another purchase with the app charge.

Keep only the records you need

For your own records, keep only enough information to identify the purchase account, store region, and transaction status. Don't save passwords, verification codes, or full payment details in ordinary notes. When contacting support, you can say “the product page is visible but asks me to buy” or “the app appears in my purchase history but won't download” without sharing sensitive credentials. A clear description is more useful than a full, unredacted account screenshot.

If you use more than one purchase account, find out which one owns the app instead of repeatedly signing in and out to guess. Check receipts and purchase history first, then decide whether to switch the account under Media & Purchases. Read the system prompt before switching so you understand any effect on current media services or device associations. Signing out of iCloud is not a required step for changing your App Store purchase account.

After this check, you should be able to answer two questions: which account the App Store is using now, and which storefront that account belongs to. To restore the app, answer a third: which account owns the original transaction. Keeping these details separate avoids repeating checks during app verification, price confirmation, and device migration, and helps prevent purchase-access issues from being mistaken for connection problems.

DEVICE / FIRST OPEN

Install and open Shadowrocket on iPhone or iPad

A completed transaction does not mean installation is complete, and an installed app does not mean a connection has been established. Check each stage separately: the App Store shows download progress, Shadowrocket opens on your device, and your existing configuration connects successfully. Stage-by-stage checks help distinguish low storage from an expired subscription, and prevent you from looking for Global Routing or VPN authorization before the app is installed.

Check compatibility and device download requirements first

Check your device in the compatibility section of the product page. System requirements are always as listed on the App Store page. If the page says your system does not meet the requirements, review available system update information before deciding whether to update. A completed payment does not guarantee installation on every older device. See the iPhone download guide and iPad download guide for device-specific information.

Before downloading, check available storage, the device's network connection, and any system restrictions on downloads. If progress stalls, check whether the App Store is still waiting for verification or confirmation, and whether other apps are also unable to download. If downloads are affected across the store, troubleshoot the device and account first. If only this listing is affected, check compatibility and the product-page status. Don't attribute every download issue to Shadowrocket.

First launch and VPN configuration permission

Once the app opens, check that pages such as Home appear normally, then prepare to import your own subscription or server details. The system may ask to add a VPN configuration when you first initiate a connection; it does not necessarily appear as soon as you open the app. When a system prompt appears, make sure it corresponds to the action you just initiated, then authenticate as required. Authorizing a system configuration and approving an App Store payment are separate processes.

VPN configuration permission lets the system establish a connection using the client settings. It does not create a server or verify whether a service account is valid. If you previously denied permission, try connecting again and see whether the prompt reappears, then check the VPN configuration status in system settings. Managed devices may also be subject to organizational policies. Ask the device administrator about those restrictions rather than repeatedly deleting unfamiliar management items.

On iPad, the layout and available screen space may differ from iPhone, but purchase ownership and configuration validity still need separate checks. A wider interface does not mean the app automatically reads the server list from another device. On a new device, confirm that your configuration has been migrated, especially the subscription URL, selected server, and active Config.

Move on to configuration after purchasing

The Getting Started Guide covers importing, choosing Global Routing, enabling the connection, and checking the result. This page draws the boundaries: the App Store provides the app, the system handles required permissions, and your existing server or subscription provides connection details. For the first troubleshooting pass, keep the configuration simple and confirm that a manual connection works before setting up triggers such as On Demand. Changing several conditions at once makes the cause harder to find.

The following rules snippet illustrates file structure; it is not a subscription URL and does not create a server. example.com is an example domain, and PROXY requires an existing usable proxy configuration. Don't overwrite a complete file in use with a teaching snippet. Back up your original file before editing Config, and choose a policy that fits your needs.

[General]
bypass-system = true
dns-server = system

[Rule]
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,PROXY
IP-CIDR,192.168.0.0/16,DIRECT
FINAL,DIRECT

In Global Routing, Config, Proxy, and Direct select different routing behaviors. With Config selected, traffic follows the configuration rules; Proxy and Direct require different checks from rule-by-rule routing. If the download issue is resolved but connections still fail, check your service details and routing settings in the guide. Buying the app again will not fix a connection.

After opening the app for the first time, you can note where your configuration came from and where its backup is stored, but don't put the subscription URL in a public record. Purchase credentials and connection credentials have different sensitivities and should be stored separately. Start testing the connection only after the app opens, system authorization is complete, and your existing configuration is imported. If any step fails, stop and check that step before continuing.

RESTORE / PURCHASE HISTORY

New device, reinstalling, and restoring purchases

Restoring an app is about recovering the purchase entitlement, not finding its old icon on a previous device. After changing devices or deleting the app, make sure the App Store is signed in with the original purchase account. Then look for Shadowrocket in the apps or Purchased section of your account. Names and layouts may vary by system version; use the view of your purchases shown on the current device rather than searching only from the App Store home page.

Check the account, transaction, then device

First, check the account under Media & Purchases. Next, search for the full app name in your purchased list, and note whether the list is filtered to show only apps not installed on this device. Then open the listing, verify the developer and app ID, and check the redownload button or system message. Filters may hide installed apps from a particular view, so check them before concluding that the purchase record is missing.

If the app appears in the list but the download button is unavailable, check device compatibility, storefront availability, and account restrictions. A purchase record proves that a purchase took place; it does not mean the app can be redownloaded on every device at any time. Don't treat a visible record and permission to download as the same thing. If the system gives a specific reason, follow it rather than repeatedly refreshing search results and the purchased list.

If the app is missing from the list, first check the account, then check whether the transaction completed in purchase history. Expand the date range if needed, and check whether the item is hidden. Hiding a purchase is not the same as deleting its record; use the management options actually available on your account page. If the original purchase belongs to another account you use, confirm the record before carefully switching purchase accounts.

Restore the app and its configuration separately

After installing on a new device, check whether Home shows the expected servers and whether Config is the file you used before. Even if device migration restored some data, check each item rather than assuming everything is ready as soon as the app opens. Subscription validity, service expiry, and whether the original server is still available are connection-detail issues, not matters determined by the purchase record.

If you're planning to change devices, save the configuration you need while the old device is still accessible. Note the subscription source and store your server details securely. A screenshot of a server name alone is usually not enough to recreate a connection. Keep sensitive information somewhere you control, and don't expose a full subscription URL, password, or private key in a support request or public image.

If your old device is no longer available, recover connection details from your own configuration backup and service account. Redownloading the app will not recreate missing settings or prove that the original service is still active. Start with a configuration from a source you recognize, test a manual connection, then restore rules and On Demand step by step. This helps separate missing data from incorrect automatic connection settings.

Pause if you see a charge prompt again

If the product page shows a price, don't immediately confirm another payment. First rule out a different account, an incomplete original transaction, or a refunded purchase, then check that you are viewing the correct product. Access previously shared through Family Sharing is not the same as a purchase owned by your account. If family membership or sharing settings have changed, check your eligibility in the next section rather than assuming your personal purchase was removed.

If the purchase record exists, the account is correct, and your device meets the requirements but the app still cannot be restored, use the account support or purchase issue options provided by the App Store. Have the app ID, transaction status, current message, and steps already tried ready. You do not need to provide authentication details. This guide cannot guarantee that every purchase can be restored, and a past purchase record does not bypass current storefront requirements.

After restoring the app, check separately that it opens and that your configuration connects. For connection issues after the app opens, continue with the Getting Started Guide. To review purchase restoration, see the restore section of the Download Guide. Don't delete and reinstall the app just because a server connection fails. Before deleting it, make sure your configuration is backed up so a connection issue doesn't become a data recovery issue.

DIAGNOSIS / NEXT ACTION

Troubleshoot search, download, and status issues

Don't start by reinstalling. First identify where the problem occurs. Not finding the app is a discovery issue; a declined payment is a transaction issue; stalled progress is a download issue; an app that opens but cannot connect points to configuration or connection details. Write down the exact message on your device, then follow the relevant path. Change one thing at a time and check the same screen again so you don't lose track by changing accounts, networks, and settings all at once.

Can't find the app: check region, then verify the listing

If a search for Shadowrocket returns nothing, check the country or region for Media & Purchases, then use the Download Guide to check the specific product page. If the page says the app is unavailable in your storefront, focus on region and product availability. If it opens, verify the developer, icon, and app ID. Don't keep searching with vague nicknames and mistake a similarly named listing for the app you want.

If you bought the app but can't find it in the list, first check the purchase account, list filters, and transaction history. If you got access through Family Sharing, check the family purchase list rather than only your personal transactions. A missing record and current product unavailability can occur together or independently. Check each separately; one issue alone does not prove that the original purchase is invalid or that you need to pay again.

Can't pay or download: follow the system prompt

If payment fails, check for a billing or verification prompt on your account, and confirm that your payment details meet the current storefront's requirements. Don't submit the same transaction repeatedly to see whether payment went through. First check purchase history for a pending or completed transaction. If a payment provider declined it or your account is restricted, use the relevant system support option. Changing Proxy or Config in the app will not affect billing review.

If the download stays in a waiting state, check available storage, basic network access, and whether other App Store downloads are working. If all downloads are affected, troubleshoot the store and device first. If only this app is affected, check compatibility, account status, and product-page messages. You can pause and resume the download if the system allows, and restart the device if needed. Don't delete an existing app to test downloads unless your configuration is backed up.

If the product page says your system does not meet the requirements, follow the compatibility section. Before updating the system, check device requirements and make sure your data is backed up. A paid app does not override device restrictions. If the device is managed by an organization, check whether App Store access, app installation, or VPN configuration is restricted. An authorized administrator must handle those restrictions; a server setting in the app cannot remove them.

Once installed, return to the connection workflow for connection issues

If the app opens normally but cannot connect, first check system VPN authorization, then confirm that your subscription is valid, server details are complete, and Global Routing is set to Config, Proxy, or Direct as intended. The App Store purchase is usually already complete at this point. Changing the store region or paying for the app again won't test server availability. Continue with the Getting Started and connection checks.

For rule issues, confirm which Config is active, then check rule matches from top to bottom, paying particular attention to the position of FINAL and the final policy. For more, see Rule order and FINAL. This troubleshooting assumes you already have a working server. Rules cannot replace connection details, and a teaching example is not a complete, ready-to-use service.

After each action, return to the screen where the problem first occurred and check the result: after checking the region, revisit the product page; after updating payment details, check the transaction status; after fixing download conditions, check progress; after granting authorization, test a manual connection. Replace “it seems fixed” with a clear result for that stage. If the message changes, note the new wording and follow the corresponding path instead of continuing steps for the old issue.

The goal of this page is to identify the system layer where the next step belongs, not to promise one fix for every situation. Purchase and restore issues belong in the App Store account and product page; device issues belong in system settings; connection issues belong with your existing service and app configuration. Keeping these boundaries clear helps avoid duplicate purchases, unnecessary reinstalls, and lost configuration, and makes support requests more precise.