This guide addresses the practical question of how to import a subscription into Shadowrocket (“小火箭”). It covers importing a subscription link on iPhone or iPad, updating nodes, choosing a route, and troubleshooting connection issues by checking your IP, DNS, and browser environment. It’s suitable for first-time users and anyone who can’t connect after switching subscriptions.
1. Basic steps for importing a subscription into Shadowrocket
Before importing, make sure you have a working subscription link, which usually starts with http or https. This site also offers guides to free nodes and subscriptions, but free nodes can be unstable, so it’s a good idea to have a few backup routes ready.
- Open Shadowrocket and go to the home screen.
- Tap the “+” in the top-right corner and select Subscribe/订阅 as the type.
- Paste the subscription link into the URL field. You can enter a note such as “Free nodes” or “Backup subscription.”
- Tap Done, return to the home screen, then pull down to refresh and wait for the node list to appear.
- Select a node and turn on the switch at the top. The first time you use it, follow the prompts to allow adding a VPN configuration.
If no nodes appear after importing, first check that you copied the entire link, especially its final characters. You can also open the subscription link in Safari to test it. If it displays a long string of configuration data, the link is usually accessible.
2. How to tell whether you’re actually connected
A green switch in Shadowrocket doesn’t necessarily mean all your websites are using the proxy. Run these three checks: First, visit an IP lookup site and see whether your exit IP matches the region of your selected node. Second, open your usual browser and check whether you can access the target website. Third, look in the Shadowrocket logs for connection records or error messages.
If your IP hasn’t changed, the current website may not match any rule. Temporarily switch to Global mode to test. If it works in Global mode, the node is reachable, and the issue is likely with your rules or traffic routing.
3. How IP, DNS, and your browser environment are related
- IP: Determines where websites think you’re connecting from. When the node is working properly, websites should detect the node’s exit IP rather than your local carrier’s IP.
- DNS: Resolves domain names to addresses. DNS issues can prevent webpages from loading, send you to the wrong page, or cause situations where a site responds to ping but won’t open in a browser.
- Browser environment: Information such as your browser cache, cookies, language, time zone, and WebRTC settings can affect how a website identifies you. If problems persist after switching nodes, try private browsing or clearing the target website’s cache.
Most users don’t need to change advanced settings. If you run into DNS issues, enable remote DNS in your Shadowrocket configuration or use the default recommended settings. Avoid installing multiple VPN apps, as their network extensions can conflict.
4. Quick checklist for connection issues
- Make sure your subscription hasn’t expired, then pull down to refresh it.
- Try two or three different nodes to rule out a problem with a single node.
- Turn Shadowrocket off and back on. If needed, restart your phone’s network connection.
- Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data to check whether the current network is restricting access.
- Check the logs. A timeout usually means the node can’t be reached; a certificate or format error may indicate a problem with the subscription data.
In short, the key to importing a subscription into Shadowrocket is to use a complete link, refresh the subscription successfully, and connect to a working node. Once connected, verify the result by checking your IP, DNS, and browser environment. If a website won’t open, try switching nodes, switching to Global mode, and checking the logs; these steps will usually help pinpoint the problem.