This guide explains how to use Shadowrocket (“小火箭”) and why sharing it across a team can affect account environment stability. You’ll learn how to import nodes or subscriptions on iPhone/iPad, choose the right rules, and follow best practices when team members use the app to reduce frequent disconnections, security checks, and IP inconsistencies.
1. Using Shadowrocket as a team
Shadowrocket, often called “小火箭,” is primarily used on iOS devices to connect to proxy nodes such as V2Ray, VLESS, Trojan, and Shadowsocks. For teams, simply making sure everyone can connect is not enough. It’s also important to keep access environments reasonably consistent. For example, avoid frequently switching between countries or routes when using the same business account.
If you’re only browsing the web, you can simply import a working node. But for team collaboration—such as multiple people logging in to the same dashboard, social media account, or cross-border tool—you should pay attention to node groups, usage guidelines, and rule modes to avoid switching back and forth between the US, Japan, and Singapore.
2. Installing the app and importing nodes
- Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, search for Shadowrocket, and install it.
- Prepare your node details. These can be a vmess, vless, trojan, or ss link, or a subscription URL. This site also curates free nodes for connectivity testing, but you’ll need to verify their stability yourself.
- Open Shadowrocket, tap “+” in the upper-right corner, select a “Type,” and paste in the node details. For a subscription, select “Subscribe/订阅,” paste the subscription URL, and save it.
- Return to the home screen, tap the node you just imported, and turn on the switch at the top. The first time you use it, follow the prompts to allow the VPN configuration to be added.
- Test access in Safari or another app. If a page won’t load, try another node in the same group.
3. Stability settings for team use
Start by setting some basic guidelines for team use. For example, name nodes by purpose—“Account A – Fixed US,” “Research – Auto Select,” or “Temporary Test”—so members know which node to use for each task. For important accounts, use a fixed region and route, and avoid having multiple people log in to the same account through different exit points at the same time.
- Avoid frequently switching countries or regions: Multiple regional IP addresses appearing on the same account within a short period can trigger security checks.
- Don’t use test nodes for core accounts: Free nodes are suitable for testing network connectivity, but not for login environments that require high stability.
- Enable rule mode. A common setup is to connect directly within China and use a proxy for overseas traffic, reducing unnecessary traffic routed through nodes.
- Set a consistent update schedule. If nodes change after a subscription update, notify the team so nobody keeps using an outdated configuration.
4. Troubleshooting connection failures
If webpages won’t load in Shadowrocket, don’t rush to reinstall the app. Check the following in order: first, make sure the VPN icon appears in the system status bar; second, confirm the node hasn’t expired or been deleted; third, switch networks—for example, from Wi-Fi to cellular data; fourth, update the subscription and select a node again; fifth, check whether a rule is incorrectly set to connect directly to the target website.
If only one app isn’t working, it may be sensitive to proxy environments, or the relevant rule may not be matching. Temporarily switch to global proxy mode to test. If it works globally, the issue is with the rules. Once you’ve finished troubleshooting, switch back to rule mode to avoid routing all traffic through the proxy long-term.
5. Summary: Recommendations for team use
The basic process in Shadowrocket is “import nodes, select rules, and connect,” but for teams, maintaining a consistent environment matters even more. Create fixed node groups for different tasks, keep track of who is using them and when they were updated, and document how to revert if something goes wrong. This makes management easier and helps reduce login issues caused by frequent IP changes. If you’re a regular user, start by testing the setup process with free nodes, then choose a more suitable route based on your stability requirements.