If you bought Shadowrocket on iPhone, first check which account is used for App Store purchases on your iPad, then redownload the app. Purchase history, existing subscriptions, and Config files are separate things. This guide covers restoring your purchase, navigating in landscape, transferring configurations, and checking connections. It’s for users who already have their own service provider and subscription and want to keep using Shadowrocket on iPad.
1. The Same Apple ID Restores Your Purchase Eligibility
Shadowrocket is a one-time-purchase, closed-source commercial app, available exclusively on the App Store. If your iPhone and iPad use the same account for purchases, check your purchase history before buying again. Check the App Store listing for system requirements, device compatibility, and purchase eligibility.
“Same Apple ID” here means the account used for App Store purchases—not necessarily the iCloud account shown at the top of iPad Settings. They may be different. On iPad, check Media & Purchases in Settings and compare the account with the original purchase details. You don’t need to sign out of iCloud on the whole device just to check your purchase history.
Redownloading the app does not restore all your usage data. Your App Store purchase history confirms eligibility to get the app; server entries, subscription URLs, rule files, and local settings need to be checked separately. If the list is empty the first time you open Shadowrocket on iPad, that doesn’t mean your purchase wasn’t restored.
2. Redownload Your Purchased App from the App Store on iPad
First verify your account and the app listing in the App Store, then set up Shadowrocket. The developer should be Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and the app ID is 932747118. Check the official icon alongside these details; don’t rely on the name in search results alone.
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Check your account
On iPad, go to Settings → your account → Media & Purchases and confirm that the App Store account is the one you used to buy Shadowrocket. Then open the App Store and check that the account shown there matches.
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Find your purchase
Go to App Store → account profile → Apps or Purchased, then search for Shadowrocket. Section names may vary by system version. If you’re viewing Family Purchases, switch to your own purchase history.
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Verify the app
Open the matching product page and check the developer, official icon, and app ID. You can also use the app verification page to open the direct product listing and avoid choosing a similarly named app.
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Redownload the app
Once you’ve confirmed the purchase belongs to you, tap the cloud download button. If the app is already installed, the button may say Open. Follow any App Store verification prompts, then open Shadowrocket from your Home Screen.
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Check local data
Open Home and Config to check your connection entries and configuration files. If your previous data isn’t there, follow the transfer steps below. A successful app installation doesn’t mean your subscriptions, rules, and connection permissions have all been restored.
If the product page still shows a price, go back and check your own purchase history and original purchase details. A refund, a hidden app, a change in account region, or a different account may each require separate checks. A price button alone doesn’t prove you need to buy the app again. If you still have questions after checking, contact App Store account and purchase support about your purchase history.
3. Find Settings by Label in Landscape and Split View
The available window width on iPad changes with orientation, Split View, and window size. Lists may show more items, and the selected item and its details may move as the layout adapts. Directions like “bottom right” or “second row” in iPhone tutorials aren’t reliable on iPad. Look for English interface labels such as Home, Config, Data, and Settings instead.
Rotating the screen doesn’t automatically change Global Routing or switch the active Config file. Check the selected item, connection toggle, and actual request logs to confirm the current state; don’t rely on which side of the screen a panel appears on. In a narrow Split View window, if only the list is visible, select an item or open its details before editing a field.
| Where to look | What to check | iPad tips |
|---|---|---|
Home | Servers, subscription groups, and connection status | Make sure the intended entry is selected, then check the connection toggle. Opening an item’s details doesn’t switch servers. |
Home → Global Routing | Current routing mode | Check the selected option—Proxy, Direct, Config, or Scene. Don’t infer it from the button’s position. |
Config | Local and remote configurations, and the active file | Opening or editing a file doesn’t enable it. Return to the list and check which Config is actually selected. |
Data | Requests, traffic, and connection logs | Send a new test request and check its corresponding log. Don’t mistake an old connection for the result of your latest test. |
Settings → On Demand | On Demand conditions | Note your current settings first. When troubleshooting, check whether any conditions trigger a connection, and avoid changing multiple toggles repeatedly. |
The first time you connect, iPadOS may ask to allow Shadowrocket to add a VPN configuration. Confirm the action is coming from Shadowrocket, then follow the system prompt. Seeing Connected in the app and successfully opening a webpage are two separate checks. Permission to connect only means the system allows the connection; it doesn’t guarantee that your subscription or remote service is available.
4. Transfer Subscriptions and Config Files, Keeping an Original Copy
When moving from iPhone to iPad, handle server sources and routing rules separately. A subscription typically updates server entries; a Config file stores rules and related settings. Importing a subscription alone may not bring over your custom iPhone rules. Importing a rules file alone may not provide usable server details.
- Subscription: On iPad, go to Home, tap “+” in the upper-right corner, then choose Type → Subscribe. Enter your own subscription URL, save it, and update the subscription. Check the update result and server count; the presence of local entries doesn’t mean the update succeeded.
- Config file: On iPhone, check which file is active in Config and make a backup. Use the app’s sharing or export option to save it somewhere you control. Then import the file in Config on iPad using the appropriate import option, and confirm that it’s enabled.
- Remote Config: If you used a remote Config URL, verify its source and contents before adding it. A remote update may change your rules. Save a separate copy of any local edits you want to keep before updating.
- Sensitive information: Store subscription URLs, passwords, UUIDs, keys, and authentication details in your configuration somewhere you control. Redact these fields in screenshots before asking for help, and don’t share the full subscription URL.
Use the snippet below to identify the basic structure of a rules file. It explains the syntax; it isn’t a complete file you can use in place of your existing configuration. example.com is a sample domain, and 192.0.2.0/24 is a documentation-only IP range. Neither can be used to test whether a real service is available.
[Rule]
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,DIRECT
IP-CIDR,192.0.2.0/24,DIRECT,no-resolve
GEOIP,CN,DIRECT
FINAL,PROXYDOMAIN-SUFFIX matches domain suffixes; IP-CIDR matches an IP range. In this example, no-resolve means the rule won’t trigger an additional domain lookup; GEOIP matches based on an IP address’s geographic location; and FINAL is the fallback rule. Rules are evaluated in order, and the policy specified by the first matching rule is applied. That’s why the same subscription can produce different results with different Config files.
5. Choose Global Routing and Test on iPad
The troubleshooting approach is the same on iPad and iPhone: align the server, Config, and routing mode before comparing results. These options describe routing within Shadowrocket only. Choose Config because you’ve confirmed its rules suit your needs—not because every configuration sends unmatched requests Direct.
Config
ConfigUse the rules in the current configuration to determine how requests are handled. Matching requests follow their assigned policies; requests not handled by earlier rules are routed according to a fallback such as FINAL.
Best for: Setups with established rules that need consistent, long-term routing.
Proxy
Route traffic handled by Shadowrocket through the proxy. This can temporarily help rule out the effect of ordinary routing rules. Restore your previous settings when testing is done, and don’t assume one successful request proves every rule is correct.
Best for: Briefly checking whether the current server can handle a specific request.
Direct
Send intercepted requests over a direct connection. This shows how the current network performs without a proxy; it can’t verify whether a proxy server is working.
Best for: Distinguishing basic network issues from proxy-path issues.
Scene
Select routing behavior based on the configured scene conditions. Before enabling it, check the conditions and corresponding actions to avoid results that differ from manual tests when the network changes.
Best for: Users with configured scenes who need behavior to change with their environment.
Takeaway: Change one variable at a time
If a site works on iPhone but not on iPad, first use the same Wi-Fi and align the server, Config, and Global Routing settings. Then send a new webpage request. Don’t update the subscription, replace rules, and switch scenes all at once.
A latency test returning a value only confirms the path or response measured by that test. It doesn’t prove that the webpage’s DNS, TLS, and data transfer are all working. If a webpage opens with Proxy but not Config, check which rule matched and what policy it uses. If both fail, check the network, server details, and DNS settings. If your service has a limit on simultaneous devices, check its documentation.
- In Home, confirm the target server and note the current Global Routing option. In Config, confirm which file is active.
- Check Settings → On Demand for any conditions that may change the connection state automatically during testing.
- Reconnect, then open a new webpage. Existing long-lived connections may not immediately use the new policy, so don’t judge the result from a cached page.
- In Data, check the request and related logs from this test. Change only one setting at a time; retry and record the result, then restore your usual configuration.
6. Common Questions About Restoring Purchases
I bought Shadowrocket on iPhone. Do I need to buy it again for iPad?
Check the App Store purchase history using the original account and confirm that it’s the same product page. If the purchase is listed and your device meets the store requirements, you can usually redownload the app. Check the App Store listing for purchase eligibility and system requirements. If you see a price button, verify your account and purchase details first.
Why are Home and Config empty after reinstalling?
Redownloading from the App Store gets you the app; it doesn’t copy local data from another device. First check whether you have your own backup, then restore the subscription and Config separately. Don’t delete the app from your original device just to recover your configuration—it can still help you check files and settings.
What if I can’t find a button described in a tutorial in landscape?
Use the Home, Config, Data, and Settings labels to find the feature, then open the relevant item. You can temporarily exit Split View or switch to portrait to follow the steps, then return to landscape. A change in window layout doesn’t require another purchase or reimporting all your configurations.
Is a change in connection after iPad sleeps related to restoring a purchase?
Purchase eligibility and connection behavior are separate issues. After waking iPad, check the network, connection status in Home, and Settings → On Demand conditions, then test a new request. If the issue occurs on only one Wi-Fi network, leave your other settings unchanged and record the results on that network and another one.
After transferring your setup, keep a private backup of a working Config and a record of your subscription’s source. When switching iPads or adjusting rules later, work in this order: purchase account → get the app → local configuration → test a new request. This helps you troubleshoot purchase and connection issues separately.