This guide is for users who purchased Shadowrocket on iPhone and want to use it on their own iPad. First, verify the App Store purchase account and find the redownload option. Then check Home, Config, and Settings in landscape, and separately verify existing subscriptions, routing mode, and system VPN permission. Restoring a purchase record does not mean your configuration has been transferred.
1. Separate purchase eligibility from device configuration
Shadowrocket is a paid, closed-source app for Apple platforms, available exclusively on the App Store. To verify the product, check the app name Shadowrocket, developer Shadow Launch Technology Limited, official icon, and app ID 932747118. It is a one-time purchase; buying the app does not include a service plan. This guide assumes you already have your own service provider and subscription, and does not cover choosing a connection service.
Here, “sharing a purchase with the same Apple ID” means redownloading an app you already purchased onto your own device using the same purchase account. It does not automatically copy in-app configurations to another device. iPhone and iPad are the primary devices; compatibility with Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision, system requirements, and eligibility for Universal Purchase are as listed on the App Store page.
Purchase records belong to the store account; subscription contents, selected configurations, and local VPN permissions are separate things to check. Even after redownloading Shadowrocket to iPad, you may need to add an existing subscription, select a configuration, and allow the system to add a VPN configuration the first time you open the app. When troubleshooting, first determine whether the issue is with getting the app or connecting within the app; use the relevant steps rather than mixing the two.
2. Redownload from Purchased on iPad
First, check which account your iPad uses for the App Store. The account signed in to iCloud may differ from the account used for Media & Purchases; purchase eligibility depends on the store account that actually made the purchase. On the iPad, go to Settings → your name at the top → Media & Purchases. You do not need to sign out of your entire iCloud account to check.
-
Verify the purchase account
On iPad, check Media & Purchases and confirm it matches the account used to purchase Shadowrocket. If you are unsure, check your own purchase history rather than relying only on the name shown at the top of the device.
-
Open Purchased
Open App Store → your account picture in the top-right corner → Purchased. On some system versions, app records are under Apps → My Apps. Menu names can vary by system version; use the labels shown on your device.
-
Find the app record
Search for Shadowrocket in your app history. If needed, switch to a filter such as Not on this iPad. If you cannot find it, clear the filter, verify the account again, then check your purchase history and hidden purchases.
-
Verify, then download
Open the product page and verify the developer, Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and app ID 932747118. Once you confirm it is an app you purchased, tap the cloud download button and complete authentication if prompted by the system.
-
Check the app on first launch
After installation, open the app and check Home, Config, and Settings separately. First make sure the expected content is present; installation alone does not mean the subscription and routing selection from your other device have been restored.
3. iPad landscape layout compared with iPhone
Landscape on iPad gives you more screen width; it does not change subscription URLs, server parameters, or rule behavior. Full-screen landscape, Split View, and portrait orientation provide different amounts of space, so do not rely on a button being in a fixed spot such as the bottom-right corner. Find the entry by its English name, then check the current list or detail view.
| What to check | Viewing on iPhone | What to check in iPad landscape |
|---|---|---|
| Home | On a narrow screen, you may need to scroll further to see groups and entries. | Use the wider area to check group names and longer labels. Whether text is truncated also depends on window width, font size, and label length. |
| Config | View the configuration list, then open the relevant configuration’s details. | Confirm which configuration you are viewing, not just which content is expanded. A rearranged interface does not mean the active configuration has changed. |
| Settings | Navigate through settings by their names. | Find options by name, such as Settings → On Demand. Do not rely only on their relative position in landscape. |
| System permission prompt | Confirm on the current device that you want to add a VPN configuration. | This permission applies to the device in use. Approving it on iPhone does not replace the confirmation required on iPad. |
Lists, navigation, and detail views may be arranged differently across system and app interfaces. In landscape, if you see a list and a content area side by side, first check which entry is selected. If the interface still opens one page at a time, follow the same English entry names. When you narrow the iPad window for Split View, some content may wrap or collapse. That reflects the available width and does not mean an app feature is missing.
Bottom line: check status by entry name
On both iPhone and iPad, record the selected entry in Home, the active configuration in Config, and the mode in Global Routing, then compare connection behavior. Do not use button placement or the amount of content visible in landscape to decide whether the devices are configured the same way.
4. Check subscriptions and configurations after redownloading
Redownloading restores eligibility to use the app; it is not a complete data migration. If Home is empty, first check whether you need to reimport your existing subscription. If a list is already present, verify its group source and contents to avoid importing the same URL again and creating duplicate groups. Subscription links often contain access credentials; do not include them in screenshots, public notes, or shared text.
- Import a subscription: In Home, tap “+” in the top-right corner → Type → Subscribe, enter your own subscription URL, and save. The placeholder
https://example.com/sub?token=xxxxillustrates the format only and cannot be used to connect. - Update a subscription: After saving, pull down on the Home list to refresh and check that the expected group appears. If you get an error or the list is empty, first verify that the URL is complete, that it is reachable on your current network, and that the service provider has not changed the access credentials.
- Check configurations: Open Config and confirm that the configuration you need is present and selected. Seeing a subscription entry does not mean your previous custom rules have also been restored; check them separately.
- Check On Demand: Go to Settings → On Demand and check whether it is enabled and which conditions are set. Keep this in mind when troubleshooting a manual connection, since automatic behavior can affect how you interpret the connection toggle.
For example, the rule DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,DIRECT uses the DIRECT policy for a matching domain suffix; FINAL,DIRECT handles connections not matched by earlier rules. These are syntax examples, not recommendations to replace your existing configuration. Even if both devices have the same subscription entry, different rules in Config or a different Global Routing selection can result in different traffic paths.
5. Compare Global Routing on both devices
Global Routing determines how traffic is handled; it is unrelated to screen orientation. To compare iPhone and iPad, first check Global Routing on Home, then verify the selected entry or configuration. The comparison below describes Shadowrocket’s routing modes, not device performance.
Config
RecommendedConnection handling is determined by the rules in the current configuration. The result depends on rule order and the policies they point to; it does not automatically mean one type of website connects directly while another uses a proxy.
Best for: returning to everyday use after verifying your configuration and applying its existing rules.
Proxy
Handles connections managed by the app in proxy mode rather than selecting them individually according to the usual rules in Config. For troubleshooting, still verify that the selected connection entry and server parameters are valid.
Best for: briefly checking whether configuration rules affect the result, then restoring the original mode.
Direct
Handles connections managed by the app in direct mode. This does not prove that the selected proxy entry works, nor does it replace checking the proxy parameters.
Best for: comparing access on the current network to distinguish the local network path from the proxy path.
Scene
Routing behavior depends on existing scene settings. Before selecting a scene, check its conditions and corresponding actions; the mode name alone does not reveal which policy will be used.
Best for: using a configured and verified set of scene conditions to apply the appropriate policy for different environments.
Change only one thing at a time during a comparison: keep the network the same, align the mode first, then check the configuration, and finally verify the connection entry. If you change the network, mode, and entry on both devices at once, you will not know which change caused a different result. After troubleshooting, restore the mode you actually need instead of leaving a test selection in place.
6. First connection and common differences: troubleshooting order
The first time you turn on the connection toggle on iPad, the system may ask to add a VPN configuration. This permission allows the corresponding network configuration to be created on the device; confirm when prompted on that device. If you previously declined, return to the app and try connecting again. If you think the configuration was removed, check for it under Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. Menu names may vary; use the labels shown on your device.
- App is installed, but there is no list: Go back to Home and check whether your existing subscription has been imported and updated successfully. Restore the purchase record and subscription contents separately; reinstalling repeatedly is not a substitute for checking the subscription.
- List is present, but you cannot connect: First check system VPN permission, then verify the selected entry, Global Routing, and current network. If needed, check Log and note the error category. Before sharing diagnostic information, remove host details, credentials, and subscription information.
- Works on iPhone but behaves differently on iPad: Compare the network, selected entry, Config, Global Routing, and Settings → On Demand in order. Using the same purchase account does not mean these settings are automatically the same.
- Cannot find an entry in landscape: Exit Split View or widen the window, then look for Home, Config, or Settings by name. Check whether only the navigation area has changed; do not immediately delete configurations or reset all settings.
You have completed the checks when purchase eligibility is confirmed, your existing subscription content is available to verify, the target configuration and routing mode are clear, system permission has been granted, and the connection result matches the current settings. A landscape layout or a single latency reading is not, by itself, proof of successful restoration. Follow the same checks when you change networks or resize the window later.