This guide is for people who have already purchased Shadowrocket and need to install it on a new iPhone or reinstall it on their current device. First, make sure the App Store is signed in with the original purchasing account, then find Shadowrocket in that account’s app list. If a price still appears, check your purchase history, hidden purchases, and account region. Redownloading the app and restoring its configuration are separate tasks; after installation, check your subscriptions and local rules separately.
1. Before restoring a purchase: distinguish purchase eligibility from app data
Shadowrocket is a closed-source commercial app distributed through the App Store and sold as a one-time purchase. If the original purchasing account is eligible to redownload the app under the store’s current terms, no second payment is needed. Here, “restore a purchase” means recovering App Store purchase eligibility and redownloading the app—not buying the client again inside Shadowrocket.
Purchase eligibility is tied to the Apple Account used to buy the app, not the name of your old iPhone, its SIM card, or a subscription URL in Shadowrocket. Signing in to your everyday iCloud account on a new device does not necessarily mean the App Store is using the same account that made the purchase. Check both accounts separately.
The official product page should show the app name Shadowrocket, the developer Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and the app ID above. The app is primarily for iPhone and iPad. Compatibility with other Apple devices, system requirements, and universal purchase eligibility are as listed on the App Store page.
2. Redownload from your App Store purchase list
The steps below use English interface labels. Depending on your system version, the account page may say Apps or Purchased; in other languages, these usually correspond to the app list or purchase history. Open the account’s list of previously acquired apps rather than relying only on whether the app appears in search results.
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Check the account
Open Settings → Apple Account at the top → Media & Purchases, and confirm that this is the account used to buy Shadowrocket. Checking only the iCloud account shown at the top is not enough.
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Open the app list
Open App Store → your account picture in the upper-right corner → Apps → My Apps. If the account page shows Purchased, open Purchased instead. If you see a list of family members, select your own purchase list.
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Find the app
Search for Shadowrocket in the list. If needed, switch to Not on this iPhone to find apps that aren’t installed on the current device. Verify the name, official icon, and developer on the product page.
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Redownload
Tap the cloud download button next to the app and follow any prompts to verify your account. If the button says Open, the app is already installed. If a price still appears, pause and check which account made the purchase as described in the next section.
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Open it for the first time
Once installation is complete, open Shadowrocket and check whether your configuration is listed in Home. If you need to connect, follow the system prompt to allow a VPN configuration. This authorization does not confirm that a purchase was successful.
To redownload the app, the store must still offer it and your device must meet its current compatibility requirements. A cloud button means the store recognizes your eligibility to download; it does not mean all local data from your old device has synced to the new one. After installation, check Home and Config rather than assuming the migration is complete.
3. If a price still appears: check the account, purchase history, and region
A price in search results alone does not prove that your purchase history is missing. Common causes include using a different account for Media & Purchases, hiding the app, or using a different App Store region from the one used for the original purchase. Note the message on the page, then check your account records before confirming another payment.
| What you see | Where to check | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| App not found in the list | Settings → Apple Account → Media & Purchases | Check the original purchasing account; being signed in to iCloud does not confirm it’s the right one. |
| You remember buying it, but there’s no record | Media & Purchases → View Account → Purchase History | Expand the date range and look for the Shadowrocket order. |
| Purchase history shows the order, but the app isn’t listed | App Store → account picture → account name → Hidden Purchases | Verify your identity and check Hidden Purchases. If Shadowrocket is there, unhide it using the on-screen option. |
| Message says the app isn’t available in your region | Media & Purchases → View Account → Country/Region | Note your current region and the message, then check the original purchase details and the app’s current availability in the store. |
Purchase History may show only recent orders by default, so expand the date range. You can also check older orders against the Apple receipt from the time of purchase. The account information, app name, and order details on the receipt help confirm who made the purchase more reliably than remembering that the app was once installed on an old phone. If the order was refunded or its status changed, rely on the store’s current records.
If your account region differs from the original purchase region, changing the system language or Settings → General → Language & Region won’t resolve the issue. The device’s region and the App Store account’s Country/Region are separate settings. Don’t switch store regions just to test a download: account balance, subscriptions, family settings, and other factors may affect a region change.
Bottom line: find the order first, then check store eligibility
If you find Shadowrocket in Purchase History for the original purchasing account but still can’t redownload it, keep the order details and error message, then use the Apple Support option provided by the system to check your store eligibility. Don’t pay again instead of troubleshooting.
4. After reinstalling, restore subscriptions and configuration separately
The App Store handles access to the app and purchase eligibility; it does not recreate all your connection details. Deleting the app may also remove local data. If you restore a new iPhone from a system backup, check what was actually restored. If your old device is still available, check and back up your configuration before deleting anything from it.
- Home: Check that your existing entries, groups, and subscriptions are present. If the list is empty, restore from your own backup or reimport a subscription you already have. Don’t use connection details from an unknown source.
- Config: Check which configuration file is selected and whether your custom rules are all present. Updating a subscription does not necessarily restore local rule files.
- Settings: Review any settings you previously changed, especially Settings → On Demand. First verify a manual connection, then configure automatic triggers to match your needs.
- System authorization: The first time you connect, follow the system prompt to allow a VPN configuration. System authorization and App Store payment verification are separate processes.
To reimport a subscription you already have, tap “+” in the upper-right corner of Home, set Type to Subscribe, enter your subscription URL in URL, save, and then update it. The address https://example.com/sub?token=xxxx is a fictitious example of the format and cannot be used to connect. A token in a subscription URL may be tied to your account; don’t share it publicly, including in screenshots.
If entries appear after an update but won’t connect, check the subscription’s validity, the selected configuration, and any errors in the connection log separately. Buying the client again won’t fix an expired subscription, incorrect authentication details, or missing local rules. Change one thing at a time and note what happens before and after each change.
5. Check Global Routing after migrating
After reinstalling the app, first check the current Global Routing selection in Home. Config, Proxy, Direct, and Scene are different routing modes, not purchase statuses. The first three options are compared below for migration checks. Scene switches between configured scenarios; don’t use it to judge whether your old configuration is complete until you’ve checked its conditions.
Config
RecommendedRoutes requests according to the rules in the active configuration. Use this to check your previous routing behavior only after the configuration file, policy references, and required entries have been restored.
Best for: Verifying everyday behavior after migration when you have a complete configuration.
Proxy
Routes app-managed connections through a proxy. This can help distinguish a connection issue from a rule-selection issue. It doesn’t guarantee that the selected entry works, and it isn’t a test of purchase eligibility.
Best for: Briefly troubleshooting an existing connection entry, then restoring your original routing mode.
Direct
Routes app-managed connections directly. If a webpage opens in this mode, that does not confirm that your proxy connection or subscription has been restored.
Best for: Checking basic direct connectivity on your current network.
If you previously used Config, check which file is active after restoring it. Rules are matched in order; rules such as DOMAIN-SUFFIX and IP-CIDR, along with the final FINAL policy, affect where requests go. A successful purchase restore only means the app is available to redownload; it doesn’t mean your configuration is unchanged.
6. Common questions about reinstalling on a new device
Why does the new phone show a price when the old one still has the app?
Check Settings → Apple Account → Media & Purchases on both devices. The account used when installing on the old device may differ from the one currently used on the new device. Then look for the order in Purchase History. Once you’ve confirmed which account made the purchase, open your app list under Apps or Purchased.
Why is Home empty after redownloading?
Installing the app and restoring its data are separate processes. First check whether the configuration is still on your old device or in your own backup, then restore the configuration file or import a subscription you already have. Don’t repeatedly delete and reinstall the app, as this could erase local data that hasn’t been backed up.
I forgot the password for the original purchasing account. Can I recover it in the app?
You can’t recover Apple Account purchase eligibility through a configuration in Shadowrocket. Use the account recovery process on the system sign-in page. Once you regain access to the original account, check your purchase history in the App Store.
The redownload spinner never stops. Do I need to pay again?
First check for a specific account verification, storage, or network error. Check the available space on your device and your current network, then try again as directed by the App Store. A stalled download and purchase eligibility are separate issues; paying again won’t fix a download problem.
If it installs on my new iPhone, will it work on my iPad too?
First check that the App Store on your iPad is signed in to the original purchasing account, then review Shadowrocket’s compatibility and universal purchase details on its product page. System requirements and availability are as listed on the App Store page; don’t assume compatibility just because it installed on another device.