Think of Shadowrocket’s interface in four areas: connections, rules, logs, and settings. Home manages connections and existing nodes; Config manages configuration files; Data helps you review connection logs; and Settings controls app behavior. This guide uses the English interface commonly seen on iPhone and iPad to explain the difference between screen names, Global Routing options, and rule policies. It’s for users who already have their own service provider and subscription but aren’t sure what an English button does. Layouts may vary by platform, so follow the feature names.
Home, Config, Data, and Settings: Know the Screens
Keep one distinction in mind: a screen name tells you where to go, while a policy name tells you how traffic is handled. For example, opening Config doesn’t enable rule-based routing. You also need to confirm the active configuration file and choose a suitable mode under Home → Global Routing. Switching screens alone won’t change how connections work.
| Interface term | Where to find it and what it does | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
Home | The main control screen for the connection toggle, node list, and Global Routing. | Check whether the connection is on and which node is selected. |
Config | The configuration file screen for viewing, importing, or editing rule configurations. | Check which file is active, not just which file was opened most recently. |
Data | Shows traffic and connection logs to help identify destinations and handling results. | Check whether the request you just made appears and whether its log shows the expected policy. |
Settings | Controls app settings, including options such as On Demand. | Check for settings that may affect reconnections, subscription updates, or diagnostics. |
Nodes shown in Home mean connection entries are available locally; they don’t prove that a remote server is reachable. An enabled connection toggle means the client has started handling the relevant network traffic, but it doesn’t guarantee that a particular website will load. Check these as three separate steps: the entry exists, the tunnel is established, and the request reaches its destination.
Global Routing: Proxy, Direct, Config, and Scene Explained
Home → Global Routing is where you choose the overall routing mode. Proxy and Direct here are related to policies with the same names in rules, but they work at different levels: the routing mode controls overall handling, while a rule’s policy may apply only to traffic matching that rule. When troubleshooting, check the mode first, then inspect individual rules. This helps avoid mistaking overall Direct mode for a broken rule.
Config
RecommendedUses rules in the active configuration to determine how traffic is handled. Requests may match PROXY, DIRECT, or REJECT, so not all traffic necessarily goes through a proxy. This mode is recommended only after you’ve checked the configuration and its fallback policy.
Best for: Everyday use when you have a reliable configuration and need traffic routed by destination.
Proxy
Routes traffic handled by the client through the proxy path as a whole, rather than deciding each destination using ordinary rules in Config. It won’t fix an incorrect password, an inactive node, or a remote server issue, and it doesn’t guarantee that every type of system traffic will use the proxy.
Best for: Temporary comparison tests to see whether a problem is related to rule-based routing.
Direct
Routes traffic handled by the client directly, without forwarding it through the selected proxy node. Turning on the connection while selecting Direct is not the same as browsing through a proxy.
Best for: Comparing against your local network to see whether a destination is reachable directly.
Scene
Applies routing behavior based on preset scene conditions. Before using it, check the conditions and their corresponding actions. The name Scene alone doesn’t tell you whether traffic will use a proxy or connect directly.
Best for: Using different handling behavior in different network environments when scenes are configured.
Change just one variable at a time when comparing results. For example, note the original Config mode, temporarily switch to Proxy, and retry the same request. Restore the original mode afterward. If Proxy works but Config doesn’t, check the matching rule, policy target, and DNS next rather than immediately reimporting every subscription. This is a troubleshooting method, not a guarantee about the outcome of any particular network test.
Subscribe and Node Fields: Importing Connection Details
Subscribe identifies a subscription type used to retrieve node entries from a subscription URL you already have. A node stores the server address, port, protocol, and authentication details; Config mainly determines how requests match rules. Updating a subscription usually refreshes its associated node list—it doesn’t automatically fix every rule in the active configuration.
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Open Home
Go to Home and tap “+” in the top-right corner to open the add screen. First make sure you’re adding a subscription URL, not a single server address.
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Choose a type
Select Subscribe under Type. Other protocol types are for entering the details of a single node. Don’t paste a subscription URL into a single node’s Address field.
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Enter the URL
Paste the full subscription URL from your service provider into URL, and enter a recognizable name in Remarks. Don’t truncate query parameters or leave spaces before or after the URL.
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Save and update
After saving, return to Home, pull down on the subscription list to refresh, and check that the entries load. If the update fails, first determine whether the URL is unreachable, authentication failed, or the response couldn’t be parsed. Don’t keep adding the same subscription repeatedly.
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Select a node and connect
Select a node, check Global Routing, then turn on the connection toggle in Home. If a system VPN permission prompt appears for the first time, allow it only after confirming you initiated the action.
In the single-node editor, Address is the server hostname or IP address, Port is the remote listening port, and Password, UUID, and similar fields contain authentication details. For example, if your service provider specifies Port 443, enter that value as given. The number alone doesn’t identify the protocol or serve as a default port for all nodes.
- Type: The protocol must match the remote configuration. Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Hysteria2, and WireGuard are distinct protocol names, not interchangeable speed-boost options for a node.
- TLS: Relates to encrypted transport and certificate validation. Follow your existing connection details when deciding whether to enable it and what server name to enter. Don’t disable verification just to clear an error.
- Remarks: Helps you identify an entry locally. It doesn’t change the server address, port, or authentication capabilities.
- URL: A subscription URL may contain access credentials. Don’t share the full URL in public screenshots, chat logs, or issue titles.
Config and Rule Keywords: Understanding Match Results
Config can refer to a screen or to the rule-based mode under Global Routing. On the Config screen, first confirm which configuration file is in use, then review its rules. Opening a file in the editor alone doesn’t prove that it’s active.
The examples below illustrate rule syntax. The domains and IP ranges are for demonstrating how matching works; they aren’t a complete configuration to replace your existing settings. Policy names must also match those defined in your configuration. Don’t paste these snippets into a file whose structure you don’t understand.
[Rule]
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,PROXY
IP-CIDR,192.168.0.0/16,DIRECT,no-resolve
GEOIP,CN,DIRECT
FINAL,PROXY| Keyword | Meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
DOMAIN-SUFFIX | Matches by domain suffix; the example covers example.com and its subdomains. | Check the domain in the actual request, not just the main site shown in the browser’s address bar. |
IP-CIDR | Matches an IPv4 range; the example is 192.168.0.0/16. | no-resolve prevents this rule from triggering a DNS lookup just for matching. It doesn’t disable all DNS. |
GEOIP | Uses an IP geolocation database to determine the region. | A database result doesn’t determine a website’s content language and may not cover every related domain. |
FINAL | The fallback policy used when no earlier rule matches. | Place it after specific rules and confirm that the fallback target is what you expect. |
Rules are generally evaluated in order, and an earlier match can affect whether later rules are considered. PROXY means the proxy policy, DIRECT means a direct connection, and REJECT means the request is denied. Custom policy groups may point to other names. If a request shows DIRECT, first check which rule it matched rather than looking only at the selected node in Home.
Settings → On Demand and Data: Separate Auto-Connect from Diagnostics
On Demand controls VPN connections triggered by conditions. It isn’t a node speed booster or a domain rule. Data helps you inspect requests and traffic. Its logs can offer diagnostic clues, but missing entries may also be related to logging settings, system caching, or reuse of an existing connection. Don’t immediately conclude that the app isn’t handling traffic at all.
Two tasks: keeping a connection active and tracing requests
Settings → On Demand
- Review existing conditions first, then decide whether to enable auto-connect.
- If you need to disconnect manually, check whether a condition could reconnect automatically.
- After switching between Wi-Fi and cellular, check the connection status again.
Data
- Note the current Global Routing mode and selected node.
- Retry the request and look for the corresponding connection log by time.
- Compare the destination domain, IP, and policy details to distinguish a rule issue from a connection issue.
On Demand controls when a connection is attempted, Global Routing controls how traffic is routed, and Data helps you inspect the results. They aren’t interchangeable.
Connectivity Test in Home checks whether the selected node can reach the test destination. A failed test may be caused by the local network, server, authentication details, or test destination; one result alone doesn’t prove that the entire subscription is unusable. A successful test doesn’t mean every website or protocol works. Check the actual failed request as well.
Common Questions About the English Interface: Troubleshoot by Symptom
Why does all traffic still go through the proxy after I open Config?
Go back to Home → Global Routing and make sure Config—not Proxy—is selected. Then check which file is active on the Config screen and whether most rules point to PROXY, including whether FINAL does too. Opening the screen and enabling rule-based routing are two different things.
Why does it show Direct even though I selected a node?
First check where you see it. Direct in Global Routing is the overall mode; DIRECT on an entry in Data is the handling result for that request. In Config mode, some requests may connect directly as intended by the rules. Selecting a node doesn’t mean every request will use it.
Why does it reconnect after I turn off the connection?
Go to Settings → On Demand and check whether any relevant conditions are enabled. If you’re troubleshooting manually, note the original settings, temporarily disable the relevant auto-connect conditions, then disconnect from Home and observe. Don’t delete nodes to stop automatic reconnections.
What should I do if websites still won’t load after updating Subscribe?
Updating a subscription only confirms that the node details were retrieved. Return to Home, select a node, run Connectivity Test, and check Global Routing. Then review the failed request in Data. If you see an authentication error, ask your service provider to verify the valid connection details rather than changing the protocol or port at random.
Get the App and Continue
Shadowrocket is a closed-source commercial app; buying the client doesn’t include a network service plan. The iPhone and iPad version is a one-time $2.99 purchase on the App Store, developed by Shadow Launch Technology Limited, app ID 932747118. Check the App Store listing for system requirements. Versions for Mac (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, Android, and Linux are free, with installers available from this site’s download page. This guide explains the interface and how to configure resources you already have; it doesn’t provide, sell, or recommend nodes or subscriptions.
- Not installed yet? Visit the app download page and choose the option for your device and processor.
- Already installed? Check the connection status and Global Routing in Home, then follow the guide to import your existing details.
- Need help understanding configuration files? See the Terminology Guide to distinguish screen names, rule keywords, and protocol fields.