This guide is for anyone installing Shadowrocket on a computer for the first time. Check your Mac’s chip or your PC’s system architecture, then choose the matching installer on the download page. If you encounter a security block, distinguish a source verification prompt from a malware alert or an organization policy restriction. After installation, import a service you already have and check your routing. Opening the app does not mean a proxy connection is active.
Check platform, price, and download source
Shadowrocket for Mac is available in Apple Silicon and Intel versions. The Mac, Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free. The iPhone and iPad version is available on the App Store for a one-time purchase of $2.99. The developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited; check the App Store listing for system requirements. You do not need to buy the iPhone or iPad version to install Shadowrocket on a computer.
Choose your platform on the download page. Desktop installers are served from the site's /dl/shadowrocket/ path; use the download page for the current file link. Don't guess filenames based on this article or mistake an old browser-cached file for a fresh download.
- Wait for the browser to finish downloading the file before opening it. A temporary file that is still downloading cannot be installed.
- Note where the file was saved. In most browsers, you can select “Show in folder” from the downloads list.
- Launch the app once before importing a configuration. Troubleshoot installation and connection problems separately.
- Getting the app does not include a service plan. The steps below assume you already have your own service provider and subscription. This site does not provide, sell, or recommend proxy services or subscriptions.
Mac installers: Choose by Chip or Processor
Open the Apple menu → About This Mac. If you see Chip with an Apple M-series chip listed, choose the Apple Silicon version. If you see Processor with Intel listed, choose the Intel version. Don't infer the architecture from the purchase year, screen size, or computer name. Macs with the same exterior can have different chips.
Apple Silicon version
- Where to check
- Apple menu → About This Mac
- What to look for
- Chip shows an Apple M-series chip
- Architecture
- arm64 / Apple Silicon
- Which download to choose
- Mac Apple Silicon
Use the installer built for your Mac's architecture. Don't choose based on whether translation software might let an app run.
Intel version
- Where to check
- Apple menu → About This Mac
- What to look for
- Processor shows Intel
- Architecture
- x86_64 / x64
- Which download to choose
- Mac Intel
Choose the Intel version for an Intel Mac. It cannot run an app built only for Apple Silicon.
Once the download is complete, follow the steps for the actual file type. If opening a disk image shows the app and an Applications folder, drag the app into that folder. If you have an installer, follow its prompts. Don't assume the format based on how other apps install. Launch the app from Applications afterward instead of running it from a temporarily mounted disk image.
First launch on Mac: Fix the “Cannot verify developer” warning
macOS Gatekeeper checks apps downloaded from the internet. If you see “Cannot verify developer” or “Apple cannot check it for malicious software,” first confirm where the file came from and that the download is complete. Then decide whether to use the system's one-time open option. Button locations and wording vary slightly across macOS versions; the steps below use System Settings.
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Check the source
Make sure the file came from this site's download page and matches your Mac's architecture. If it came from a chat attachment, forwarded link, or unfamiliar website, don't open it. Return to this site's download page and download it again.
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Trigger the warning
In Finder, open Shadowrocket from Applications. Read and dismiss the warning, noting the app name it refers to. Don't delete the file immediately.
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Open security settings
Go to Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security, then scroll down to the Security section.
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Allow one-time launch
If Open Anyway appears for the app you just tried to open, check the name, click it, authenticate if prompted, then select Open in the confirmation dialog.
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Try launching again
Return to Applications and launch the app again. If it still won't open, note the full warning. If Open Anyway isn't available, first check whether an organization policy is in effect; don't keep changing system security settings.
Treat “damaged” or “will damage your computer” warnings differently from routine source verification prompts. If macOS reports malware, stop and don't run the app. If it reports a damaged file, delete that download and get a fresh copy from this site's download page. If the warning returns, keep its text for troubleshooting. Don't disable Gatekeeper system-wide or bulk-remove quarantine attributes from downloaded files.
Install on Windows and decide when to bypass SmartScreen
First, open Start → Settings → System → About and check System type. Processor architecture and operating system bitness are not the same thing. For example, an ARM64 device may not run every x64 app just because it has a 64-bit operating system. Check the Windows download and compatibility notes currently listed on the download page.
Open the completed installer from your downloads list and follow its setup wizard. If User Account Control appears, check the file requesting elevated access and its publisher information. Approve only if the installation genuinely needs to make system changes and you've confirmed the source. Once the app launches normally, don't use “Run as administrator” indefinitely as a substitute for troubleshooting.
Windows security blocks: Follow the warning type
SmartScreen reputation warning
- If you see “Windows protected your PC,” read the full warning first.
- Select More info and check the filename and listed publisher.
- Consider Run anyway only if you've confirmed the source and there's no malware detection warning.
- “Unknown publisher” doesn't mean the file is confirmed safe. Check the source as well.
Malware detection or policy block
- If security software identifies a threat, stop. Don't add an exclusion.
- If a message says an administrator has blocked the app, ask your device administrator about the policy.
- If the device is in S mode, check its software installation restrictions first.
- If Run anyway isn't available, don't disable protection to force the app to run.
A SmartScreen reputation warning, a malware detection, and an organization-managed policy are different issues. They can't all be handled by turning off protection.
To check whether security software blocked the file, open Settings → Privacy & security → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Protection history. Use this page to identify the reason for the block; don't restore a file that's been identified as a threat.
First launch: Import an existing service, then check routing
Installation only confirms that the app can run. In Shadowrocket, Home is where you select a service and connect, Config is for managing configuration files, and Settings contains app options. Desktop layouts may differ; look for these interface labels. Don't confuse your operating system's network settings with Config in the app.
- Use the add option in Home to import a share link or subscription URL you already have. A subscription URL keeps service entries updated in bulk; it isn't a configuration file. Don't paste it into a rules editor.
- After importing, check the server address, port, and protocol. Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Hysteria2, and WireGuard use different fields; changing the protocol name alone won't convert a configuration.
- Select an available service. First make sure the authentication details from your provider are complete, then connect. Troubleshoot installation permissions separately from service authentication failures.
- Check Global Routing. Proxy is useful for testing proxy routing; Direct doesn't test the proxy exit; Config routes traffic according to the current rules; Scene requires a matching scene configuration to be set up.
- After connecting, open a known-reachable HTTPS page, then check the app's connection log for the corresponding request. Seeing the connection toggle on doesn't prove that every app is using the proxy.
If a webpage works but another app doesn't, check whether that app uses the system proxy, has its own proxy settings, and can be handled by the current connection mode. A system proxy and VPN or tunnel-based traffic capture work differently. A successful browser test doesn't mean all traffic is being routed.
Common problems: Troubleshoot installation, launch, and connectivity separately
My Apple Silicon Mac has the Intel version. Should I switch?
Use the Apple Silicon version from the download page. Quit the app first, back up or export any existing configuration, then replace it as instructed on the download page. Don't keep multiple copies with the same name and open them at random; it can be hard to tell which one is running.
What if my Mac doesn't show “Open Anyway”?
First try opening the app from Applications, then check its entry in System Settings → Privacy & Security. If an administrator has restricted it or macOS explicitly reports malware, don't use the standard source-approval steps. Save the warning text and contact your device administrator or a support channel.
I click the Windows app, but no window appears. Did installation fail?
Check the taskbar notification area for an app icon. Then press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and look for the process. If it starts and immediately exits, note the error and check Windows Security's protection history. Don't keep double-clicking or repeatedly installing over the same copy.
My browser works, but the internet stops when I turn on the connection. Why?
Turn off the connection first and confirm your regular internet access returns. Then check the selected service, authentication details, and Global Routing. If needed, use Proxy for a comparison test. If the service itself can't connect, check the address, port, and authentication before changing all your DNS settings or rules.
Do I have to pay again for Mac or Windows?
The Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free. The iPhone and iPad version is a one-time $2.99 purchase on the App Store. Choose your platform on this site's download page for the desktop version. Check service charges separately from the cost of getting the app.
After installation: checklist
Work through these checks in order to narrow down the issue. If you report a problem, include your operating system, chip type, platform selected on the download page, and the full error message. Don't send subscription URLs, passwords, private keys, or screenshots containing authentication details.
- Correct file: The Mac version matches the chip shown in About This Mac; Windows compatibility has been checked against the download page.
- App launches: The app opens from its installed location, without relying on a temporary disk image or an unextracted folder.
- Security warning understood: System protection hasn't been disabled to hide a malware warning or organization policy.
- Configuration saved: Imported services and the current configuration are still there after quitting and relaunching the app.
- Connection verified: Check basic internet access, the service connection, Global Routing, and actual app requests separately.