Shadowrocket for Mac and Windows: Installation, Apple Silicon vs. Intel, and First-Launch Security

1. Check your platform and Mac processor

The Mac downloads for Apple silicon and Intel are different. Don’t identify your Mac by its appearance or purchase year. Open the Apple menu → About This Mac and check the Chip or Processor field: choose the Apple silicon download when Chip shows an Apple processor, or the Intel download when Processor shows Intel. Even if an Apple silicon Mac can run some Intel apps, choose the installer that matches your Mac’s architecture.

Use the Shadowrocket download page to get the app. The iPhone / iPad app is a one-time $2.99 purchase on the App Store; check the App Store listing for system requirements. The Mac (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free, with installers available from this site. The iPhone / iPad app is published by Shadow Launch Technology Limited under app ID 932747118. Desktop installation steps are different from purchasing the mobile app.

2. Install the Mac app from a DMG

A DMG is a disk image. Double-clicking it mounts a temporary volume in Finder. Mounting the image doesn’t install the app on your Mac. If you keep launching the app from the mounted volume, you may not be able to find it after ejecting the image. Copy the app to Applications first, then open it from there.

1. Check your Mac’s processor

   Open the Apple menu → About This Mac and check Chip or Processor. Note the result before visiting this site’s download page so you can choose the right Mac download instead of guessing between the two buttons.

2. Download the disk image

   Choose the matching DMG on the download page and wait for the browser to finish downloading it. If the browser reports a download error or the file is incomplete, don’t try to open it.

3. Copy the app

   Double-click the DMG. In the Finder window that opens, drag Shadowrocket to Applications. If the image has no shortcut, open Finder → Applications in another window and copy the app there.

4. Open it for the first time

   Open Shadowrocket from Finder → Applications. If a security alert appears, read the full message before following the next section to identify whether it’s a standard confirmation, an identity warning, or a security block.

5. Eject the disk image

   Once you’ve confirmed that the app opens from Applications, choose Eject next to the mounted volume in the Finder sidebar. Launch the app from Applications from now on, not from the downloaded DMG.

If you’re told that an app with the same name already exists, quit the running copy of Shadowrocket and keep a backup of your existing configuration before deciding whether to replace it. Don’t run both the copy in the disk image and the one in Applications; it can be hard to tell which one is open. If you see “This app is not supported on this Mac,” check the architecture and system requirements on the download page instead of trying to bypass Gatekeeper.

3. Mac: Respond to the Gatekeeper alert you see

Gatekeeper checks apps downloaded from the internet. A standard confirmation that an app was downloaded, a warning that its developer can’t be verified, and a malware alert are different kinds of messages. The steps below apply only when macOS lets you make an exception for an individual app. Available options depend on your macOS version and management policies; Open Anyway won’t work for every block.

First try opening the app from Applications, then check Privacy & Security for a record of the block. If Open Anyway doesn’t appear, don’t keep clicking or change system-wide settings. Check that you chose the correct architecture, the download completed, and the device isn’t managed by an organization. Record the exact alert text. A security exception permits an app to launch; it won’t fix an incompatible app or a damaged installer.

4. Windows: Install the app and handle a SmartScreen prompt

On Windows, go to this site’s download page, choose the Windows version, and check its system requirements. You can find your system architecture under Settings → System → About → System type. If your device doesn’t meet the requirements listed on the download page, stop before installing. When the download finishes, open the file’s location from your browser’s download history and confirm it came from the download you just started on this site.

1. Confirm the file’s source

   Check the download location in your browser’s download history. Right-click the file and choose Properties. If there’s a Digital Signatures tab, you can check the signature status. Not seeing that tab doesn’t prove there’s a problem, but it also doesn’t replace confirming the file’s source.

2. Start the installation

   Double-click the Windows installer from the download page and follow the setup wizard. If User Account Control appears, check the program name, publisher, and file location. Select No if the details don’t match what you expect.

3. Identify the warning

   If you see “Windows protected your PC,” first check whether it’s a SmartScreen reputation warning or a specific threat detected by Windows Security. These alerts require different responses.

4. Continue once, if appropriate

   If you’ve confirmed the source and it’s only a reputation warning, select More info and review the app details. If Run anyway is available, decide whether to continue once. If the option isn’t there, don’t bypass the restriction by disabling reputation-based protection.

5. Confirm the app starts

   After installation, open Shadowrocket from the Start menu and check that its window appears normally. If the installer asks you to restart, save your other work first and follow the prompt.

A SmartScreen reputation warning doesn’t mean malware was detected, and it doesn’t prove that a file is safe. If Windows Security has quarantined the file or identified a specific threat, don’t add an exclusion to force it to run. Organization-managed computers may also enforce application control policies. Give the warning text to your administrator instead of trying to bypass those restrictions.

5. After installation, check startup and connectivity separately

If the app window opens, basic startup is working. Having no nodes, an unimported subscription, or unsuitable rules are configuration issues to address separately. Buying the app doesn’t include a proxy service. Get subscription details from your own provider; this site doesn’t provide, sell, or recommend nodes, subscriptions, or providers. Don’t share subscription links in public screenshots; treat the access credentials they contain as sensitive information.

• Check Home first: See whether you already have your own nodes or subscription. To add one, use the add option on Home, choose Type → Subscribe, enter the subscription URL from your provider, and save it. Then update the subscription. Layouts may differ by platform, so follow the labels in your current version of the app.
• Then check Global Routing: Proxy routes traffic through a proxy, Direct connects directly, and Config applies the rules in your configuration. Scene is for scene settings, not a transport protocol. For initial troubleshooting, note the current selection and avoid changing multiple settings at once.
• Know the difference between Config and the installer: Configuration files in Config control behavior such as rules. Reinstalling the app won’t fix incorrect rules. Before changing a configuration, keep a recoverable backup and change one setting at a time.
• Finally, check automatic connections: If Settings → On Demand is available on your platform, check its status while troubleshooting. Don’t enable automatic triggers until you’ve verified that a manual connection works; otherwise, automatic connections may look like a problem with the switch.

An app that won’t open, an open app with no usable entries, and entries that can’t connect are three different stages of a problem. Note where the issue occurs instead of repeatedly uninstalling the app. The Gatekeeper and SmartScreen steps in this guide address first-launch permission only; they won’t fix subscription timeouts, authentication failures, or rule-matching issues.

6. Common installation questions