This guide is for anyone installing Shadowrocket on a Mac or Windows PC. Check your system information to choose the right installer, then follow the installation steps. If you see “cannot verify developer” or a SmartScreen warning, confirm the download source and identify the type of warning before deciding whether to allow the app. Finish with a repeatable connection test to distinguish installation, permission, and configuration issues.
Before you install: check how to get the app and your system architecture
Shadowrocket is available for multiple platforms. There are two ways to get it: iPhone and iPad users can buy it on the App Store for a one-time payment of $2.99; the developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and system requirements are as listed on the App Store page. The Mac versions (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free. For desktop installation, visit the all-platform downloads page on this site and choose the version for your device.
Installing the app and setting up a connection are separate tasks. Shadowrocket is a closed-source commercial app and does not include a connection service. The connection steps below assume you already have your own service provider and subscription. Get the app running first, then import your configuration to avoid mistaking a connection timeout for an installation failure.
Don't guess the architecture based on your computer's appearance, purchase date, or file icon. Mac installers for Apple silicon and Intel are not interchangeable. On Windows, “64-bit” does not necessarily mean every CPU architecture is supported. If you're using Windows on Arm, check the download page for compatibility details instead of relying on “64-bit” alone.
Mac: choose the installer in About This Mac
Open the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select About This Mac. If you see Chip followed by an Apple chip name, choose the Apple silicon version. If you see Processor and Intel, choose the Intel version. The system language may differ, but always use the chip or processor information—not the model name—to decide.
Mac installers: choose by chip
Apple silicon
- Check Chip in About This Mac.
- Choose the Mac Apple silicon version on the downloads page.
- If a native installer is available, use it instead of relying on compatibility mode.
Intel
- Check Processor in About This Mac.
- Choose the Mac Intel version on the downloads page.
- The Apple silicon version cannot replace the Intel installer.
In short: check your system information, then choose the matching DMG. Don't try different files to figure out your architecture.
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Check your chip
Open Apple menu → About This Mac and note the type shown under Chip or Processor.
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Download the installer
Open this site's downloads page and choose the matching DMG in the Mac section. Wait for the browser to finish downloading it before opening the file.
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Copy the app
Double-click the DMG to mount the disk image, then drag Shadowrocket to Applications in Finder. If you're told that an app with the same name is already in use, quit the running instance first.
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Launch from your Mac
After copying the app, eject the disk image. Open Shadowrocket from Finder → Applications; don't keep running it from the mounted image.
A DMG is a disk image used to distribute apps. Opening the image does not copy the app to your Mac. If you can't find the app after ejecting the image, check Applications to make sure copying is complete. If the system says “This app is not supported on this Mac,” first check the architecture and system requirements on the downloads page. This is a compatibility warning, not a developer verification prompt, so changing security settings won't fix it.
Mac: resolve the “cannot verify developer” warning
Read macOS security alerts carefully. “Cannot verify developer” means the system can't verify the developer under its current security policy; it doesn't confirm that the file is safe to run. Before proceeding, make sure you downloaded the file from this site's downloads page, the download completed, and it hasn't been repackaged by a third party. If you can't confirm where it came from, stop rather than allowing it to run.
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Note the warning
Try opening the app once from Applications. Note the full warning, then close the dialog. Don't assume you know the cause just because the app won't open.
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Open the security settings
Open Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security, then scroll down to the Security section and find the record for the app that was just blocked.
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Allow this app only
After confirming the record refers to Shadowrocket, click Open Anyway if the option is available, then authenticate as prompted. In the next confirmation dialog, check the app name again and select Open.
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Launch again
Open the app from Applications. If it's still blocked, note the new warning and check whether it's now a compatibility, organization policy, or file corruption issue.
Open Anyway usually appears only after the app has recently been blocked, and the settings page may change between macOS versions. If you can't find the button, first make sure you tried launching the app from Applications, then check the block record. Don't lower system-wide security settings just to make the button appear. If the app is reported as “damaged,” delete that download and get a fresh copy from this site's downloads page. If the issue persists, keep the warning and don't run repair commands from unknown sources.
Windows: install the 64-bit version and handle SmartScreen
On Windows, open Start → Settings → System → About and check System type under Device specifications. Confirm the system and processor architecture, then read the compatibility notes on the downloads page. An incomplete download, an architecture mismatch, and a security policy block have different causes; don't assume every issue is a SmartScreen warning.
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Check your system
Go to Settings → System → About and note the System type. If it says 32-bit operating system, don't run the 64-bit installer.
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Download the file
Choose the Windows version on this site's downloads page and wait for the browser to finish downloading. In File Explorer, make sure the file is no longer marked as a temporary download.
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Read the warning
Run the installer. If you see “Windows protected your PC,” click More info to view the app and publisher details, and confirm that the file is the installer you just downloaded from this site.
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Confirm you want to run it
Choose Run anyway only if you trust the source and the warning is a SmartScreen reputation alert. An unknown publisher does not, by itself, prove that a file is safe. If you're unsure about the source, cancel.
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Finish installing
Follow the installation wizard. If User Account Control appears, check the program and the requested action before deciding whether to allow it. When installation is complete, launch the app from Start.
A SmartScreen reputation warning is different from security software identifying a specific threat. The former may offer More info → Run anyway; the latter needs to be investigated first and shouldn't be bypassed by adding an exclusion. On managed computers, Run anyway may not be available. Ask your administrator to check the policy instead of disabling Microsoft Defender or browser protection.
- “This app can’t run on your PC” appears: Check System type, installer architecture, and file integrity first. Don't keep looking for a button in SmartScreen.
- The download is blocked: Determine whether the browser blocked the download or the installer was blocked when run. Recheck the source on this site's downloads page; don't continue with an alternative mirror.
- You can't find the window after installation: Check the taskbar notification area and Task Manager for an existing instance. Avoid repeatedly running the installer.
First launch: separate installation from connection testing
An open main window confirms that the app launched; it doesn't mean you have a working connection. Use Home to check connection entries and status, Config for configuration files, and Settings for app preferences. Run a basic test with your existing connection details before adding complex rules to narrow down the cause of any issue.
To import an existing subscription, use the full URL provided to you by your service provider, then check that an entry appears on Home after saving. Subscription URLs often contain credentials, so don't share the full link in public screenshots, feedback, or chat logs. A successful import means the client read the configuration; it doesn't guarantee that the server is currently reachable.
- Check the protocol: Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Hysteria2, and WireGuard use different fields. The protocol must match your existing server; don't switch protocols just to pass validation.
- Check the port: Enter the port specified by the server. For example, if the server specifies TCP 443, don't change it to 80. Port 443 alone doesn't confirm the protocol or guarantee that the connection will work.
- Check the routing mode: Proxy, Direct, Config, and Scene under Global Routing handle traffic differently. Use Config to test rules and make sure the expected configuration is loaded. Direct isn't suitable for testing a proxy route.
- Check system permissions: If a VPN or network permission prompt appears during the first connection, read it and confirm that you initiated the action. If permission hasn't been granted, resolve that first instead of reinstalling the app.
- Keep test conditions consistent: Use the same existing connection entry and target webpage. Change one variable at a time, and record the connection toggle state, exact error text, and time of the issue.
Installation FAQ: wrong architecture, missing buttons, and reinstalling
Installed the wrong Mac version. Do I need to delete my configuration too?
You don't need to delete your configuration first. Quit Shadowrocket and back up your existing configuration, then download the installer for your chip from the downloads page and replace the app in Applications. Don't manually clear folders in Library to “fix” the architecture. After replacing the app, confirm it launches, then check that your configuration is still there.
What if Open Anyway isn't available in Privacy & Security?
Try opening the app again from Applications, then check whether a matching record appears in the Security section. Open Anyway may not apply if the warning concerns an organization restriction, malware, or system incompatibility. Note the full warning and check whether the computer is managed by your organization. Don't change system-wide security policies.
SmartScreen doesn't show Run anyway. Can I bypass it?
First check whether an organization policy or another security feature is blocking the app. On a personal device, verify the file and its download source. If the device is managed, ask your administrator to handle it. Don't force the app to run by disabling system protection, excluding an entire drive, or changing the file extension.
Why do I have to reinstall the app every time I open it?
On Mac, check whether you're launching the app from the mounted DMG and make sure it's been copied to Applications. On Windows, check whether you're clicking the installer in Downloads each time. Launch the installed app from Applications or Start instead of running the distribution file again.
The app still won't connect after reinstalling. Should I reinstall again?
If the main window opens, preserve the details first: note the protocol, exact error, Global Routing mode, and network environment. Hide subscription credentials before troubleshooting. Reinstalling won't automatically fix a server port, certificate settings, or an invalid connection configuration. Follow the quick-start guide to check each item.