This article walks you through importing a subscription into Shadowrocket (often called “Shadowrocket” or “小火箭”) and explains how your IP, DNS, and browser environment may affect access if things still don’t work afterward. It’s intended for everyday Shadowrocket users on iPhone or iPad. Follow the steps to import your subscription and perform basic troubleshooting.
1. Standard steps for importing a subscription
Before you begin, make sure you have a valid subscription link. It’s usually a long URL starting with https. This site also collects some free nodes and subscription resources, but free nodes may become unavailable, congested, or change regions. After importing, test their latency and availability yourself.
- Open Shadowrocket and go to the home screen.
- Tap the “+” in the upper-right corner, then select Subscribe/Subscription as the type.
- Paste your subscription link into the “URL” field. You can enter “freevpn” or another recognizable name in the remarks field.
- Tap “Done” in the upper-right corner to save.
- Return to the home screen and find the subscription you just added. Swipe left or open its details, then select “Update.”
- Once the update is complete, select a node, turn on the connection switch at the top, and allow iOS to add the VPN configuration.
If the subscription updates successfully, you’ll usually see multiple nodes. If the list is empty, first check that the link was copied in full, has no extra spaces, and—if needed—opens correctly in a browser.
2. What your IP, DNS, and browser environment affect
Many people assume that successfully importing a subscription means they’ll automatically be able to open websites. In fact, Shadowrocket involves several separate layers: the subscription provides the nodes, a node establishes the proxy connection, DNS resolves domain names, and your browser environment affects how websites identify your connection.
- IP environment: Once you connect to a node, your public IP becomes the node’s exit IP. If a website still reports that your region is incorrect, the node may be in the wrong region, or the site may have cached your previous login environment.
- DNS environment: DNS issues can make it possible to connect to the VPN but not open webpages, or cause images to load slowly or some apps to work while others don’t. Try changing the DNS strategy in Shadowrocket’s configuration, or restart your network and test again.
- Browser environment: Cookies, cache, language, time zone, WebRTC, and other browser settings can reveal information about your previous environment. If you have trouble logging in, try private browsing, clearing your cache, or testing with a different browser.
3. Troubleshooting import and connection failures
If you get a subscription update error, try opening the subscription link in Safari. If you see a string of encoded text or other content, the link is probably reachable. If Safari shows an error, the subscription may have expired, the network may be unable to reach it, or the link may have been truncated. Try switching networks—for example, from Wi-Fi to cellular data—and update again.
If the nodes appear but you can’t connect, check the following in order: try another node from the same subscription; close and reopen Shadowrocket; go to iOS Settings > VPN, remove the old configuration, and allow Shadowrocket to add it again; then restart your phone’s network connection. Avoid running multiple VPNs, accelerators, or proxy apps at the same time, as they can cause routing conflicts.
If the connection succeeds but websites won’t open, try switching modes in Shadowrocket—for example, temporarily switch from “Config” to “Global” mode to test. If Global mode works but Config mode doesn’t, your rules or routing configuration may need updating. If neither works, the node may be unavailable, DNS may be failing, or your local network may be restricted.
4. Practical tips
After importing a subscription, keep two or three backup subscriptions from different sources so that a single broken link won’t interrupt your access. For everyday use, choose a node with low latency and a stable connection; there’s no need to switch frequently. For websites involving account logins, payments, or risk checks, try to stick to an IP address in the same region to avoid triggering additional verification by changing regions too often.
In short, importing a subscription into Shadowrocket comes down to adding the subscription URL, updating it, selecting a node, and enabling the VPN. If problems persist, check these four areas: the subscription link, node connectivity, DNS resolution, and browser cache. This should help you identify most common issues.