Buying Shadowrocket (the app) gives you the right to use the client; it does not include external service access. This guide is for anyone planning a purchase, restoring it on a new device, or investigating a charge. Check the App Store price and purchase account first, then distinguish the app purchase from an existing subscription or connection issue. Follow the steps below to determine whether a billing issue needs attention—don’t repurchase just because a connection isn’t working.
1. How much does Shadowrocket cost? Check your App Store storefront
Shadowrocket is a closed-source commercial app available as a one-time purchase through the App Store. Check the price in the App Store storefront you use; prices shown in other regions are not necessarily what you’ll pay. Storefronts use local currencies, and the final amount is shown on the purchase confirmation screen. This guide doesn’t list a fixed price, since the amount shown in one storefront may change and shouldn’t be mistaken for a universal price.
When verifying the app, check more than its name: confirm the developer and app ID too. The App Store is the only place to get Shadowrocket. The app is primarily for iPhone and iPad. For Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision, check the App Store listing for compatibility and system requirements; don’t assume an app is right for your device based on its name alone.
Bottom line: check your storefront, then confirm the price
Before paying, note the app name, developer, currency, and amount on the confirmation screen. If you only have a price screenshot from another region, check the App Store page for your own account’s storefront instead of assuming you’ve been overcharged.
2. What the app purchase covers—and what a service plan covers
The app reads your existing configuration, establishes connections using supported protocols, and handles traffic according to your settings. External services involve separate factors, including remote server availability, account validity, data limits, and connection restrictions. Both may be involved in a connection, but they are separate purchases: owning Shadowrocket doesn’t automatically provide a remote server address, access credentials, or data allowance.
| What to check | App purchase | Your existing service |
|---|---|---|
| Where to find purchase or access details | App Store purchase history and the associated Apple ID | Your existing service account, protocol settings, or subscription details |
| What the payment covers | The right to use the Shadowrocket app | The service, term, or allowance covered by your existing service agreement |
| What happens when it expires | An expired service doesn’t mean your app purchase has expired | You may be unable to update a subscription or connect to a remote server |
| What to check when troubleshooting | Purchase account, app listing status, and purchase history | Existing account status, configuration validity, and connection test results |
For example, the app may open normally and your configuration may still appear in Home, but your existing service allowance may be used up. Buying the app again won’t restore that allowance. Conversely, if the App Store hasn’t recognized the account used for the original purchase, a service bill can’t replace the app’s purchase record.
3. Before buying: verify the app and account in four steps
Before you buy, confirm which Apple ID you use for the App Store. The account signed in on your device may differ from the account used for purchases. To check purchase eligibility, use the account currently active in the App Store and the original purchase record—not just the name shown at the top of your device. Don’t repeatedly attempt a payment to troubleshoot a connection problem.
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Check your App Store account
Open the App Store and tap the account picture in the upper-right corner to check which account is signed in. If you’ve bought the app before, make sure this is the Apple ID used for the original purchase before checking the app listing.
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Verify the app
Open the App Store from this site’s app verification page. Confirm the app is Shadowrocket, the developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and the app ID is 932747118.
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Check the price and compatibility
Check the current price and currency on the app listing, along with Compatibility. App compatibility, system requirements, and purchase availability for your device are as shown on the App Store page.
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Check your purchase history
After purchasing, find the transaction in Settings → Apple ID → Media & Purchases → View Account → Purchase History. Look for the item by amount and purchase date. The names of account sections may vary slightly between system versions.
If the app listing offers redownload, restore it using your existing purchase. If it still shows a price, don’t assume you need to pay again. First check your account, storefront, and purchase history, and confirm the record is for the same app before deciding what to do next.
4. Do you pay a monthly fee after buying the app? What “subscription” means
Shadowrocket is a one-time app purchase. People sometimes use “subscription” to mean recurring charges for an external service, or a link the app uses to retrieve configuration. These are different things. A configuration link that refreshes doesn’t prove the external service will never expire; a monthly service charge doesn’t mean Shadowrocket itself has a monthly fee.
- App purchase
- For a Shadowrocket purchase made through the App Store, check the purchase history and app details.
- Subscribe
- A link used to import or update your existing configuration. Refreshing it retrieves configuration; it isn’t an App Store purchase.
- External service term
- Set by the terms of your existing service. It may include time, data, or device limits; check your original account.
If you already have a subscription, go to Home → tap “+” in the upper-right corner → Type → Subscribe to add your own link, then save it and check the update result. Links may contain access credentials, so don’t post them publicly in screenshots or support requests. If an update fails, check whether the link can be reached, the credentials are still valid, or the returned content is unexpected. A failed refresh alone doesn’t mean the app needs renewing.
- Configuration imported, but the connection times out: Check the selected configuration’s address, port, and protocol settings, and confirm your existing service is active.
- Subscription content hasn’t changed: Check the link you’re actually using and the update result. Don’t estimate remaining data from the number of items in the list.
- You received a recurring charge notice: Check the merchant, line item, and original order. Don’t assume it’s an app charge just because the notice says “subscription.”
5. Paid, but can’t connect? Check Global Routing first
Completing a payment confirms eligibility to use the app; it doesn’t verify your remote configuration or guarantee that your current network can reach its destination. To troubleshoot, check the selected configuration and connection status in Home, then review Global Routing. These settings help you tell rule-routing issues from connection issues; they don’t change how you’re billed.
Config
Rule-basedRoutes traffic according to the rules in the currently selected configuration. Matching traffic follows the corresponding policy. For requests that don’t match earlier rules, check FINAL rather than assuming they will go DIRECT.
Best for: Everyday rule-based routing and checking which rules apply.
Proxy
Handles traffic within its scope using a global proxy setting. You can use it temporarily to compare results with Config, but it still depends on a valid selected remote configuration; it won’t bypass an expired service or incorrect settings.
Best for: Briefly checking whether rule-based routing is affecting a connection.
Direct
Handles traffic within its scope as direct connections. If a destination works this way, it only shows that the direct route is available; it doesn’t confirm that the remote proxy configuration or service allowance is valid.
Best for: Checking direct connectivity on your current network.
For example, if a domain won’t load under Config but works temporarily under Proxy, check which rule and policy apply to that domain instead of buying the app again. If it still times out under Proxy, check the address, port, and connection conditions. Global Routing also includes Scene, whose results depend on scene settings; don’t mistake it for a fixed global proxy setting.
- Rule keywords such as
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,GEOIP,IP-CIDR, andFINALdescribe matching conditions or fallback behavior; they aren’t charges. - Settings → On Demand lets you check on-demand connection settings; it isn’t an auto-renewal switch.
- After comparing settings, restore the Global Routing mode you normally use so you don’t leave a diagnostic setting enabled.
6. New device, duplicate charges, and expired services: FAQs
Do I need to buy Shadowrocket again on a new iPhone?
Sign in to the App Store with the Apple ID used for the original purchase, then find Shadowrocket in your purchased apps or check the same app listing for a redownload option. Restoring your purchase and transferring configuration are separate steps; after reinstalling the app, you’ll still need to restore your own configuration. Check the App Store listing for device compatibility.
The app listing still shows a price. What should I do?
First, check the Apple ID signed in to the App Store. Then look for the original transaction in Settings → Apple ID → Media & Purchases → View Account → Purchase History. Confirm the app, account, and storefront before taking action. Don’t pay again just to see whether the purchase will be restored.
I’m charged every month. Is that a monthly app fee?
Check the merchant and line item on each bill. For Apple charges, search Purchase History by date and amount. For a bill from your existing service, check the account you already use with that provider. Don’t automatically treat a separate service renewal as a Shadowrocket app charge.
Do I need to buy the app again when my service expires?
Buying the app again won’t restore an external service. First check the expiry date and allowance in your existing account, then go to Home to update your existing subscription and confirm the selected configuration. Only investigate the App Store purchase history if there’s a question about your app purchase eligibility.
Do two charges for the same amount mean I was charged twice?
Check each order’s line item, account, date, and payment status. Distinguish completed transactions from pending records in your payment channel. If you confirm a billing issue for the same app, use the purchase history and billing support options in your App Store account, and keep your order details handy. Don’t share payment credentials publicly.
Record these three things separately: whether you’re eligible to use the app, whether your existing service is active, and whether the current configuration can connect. Keeping them separate makes it clear whether to check purchase history, your service account, or configuration settings next. A failure in one area doesn’t mean either of the others needs another payment.