If you bought Shadowrocket on your iPhone and want to use it on your iPad, first check which Apple ID was used for the App Store purchase. Then handle your subscription, Config, and system VPN authorization. This guide covers these three steps in order, explains how the landscape split view affects selecting items and saving changes, and shows how to check Global Routing. You’ll be able to tell whether an issue involves app access, configuration transfer, or connection settings—rather than assuming that a purchase means the app is already configured.
1. Check your iPad purchase eligibility and verify the app
Shadowrocket is a paid client for Apple platforms, available exclusively on the App Store as a one-time purchase. iPhone and iPad are the primary devices; system requirements, compatibility, and whether the purchase is universal are listed on the App Store page. If you already bought it with your account, you may not need to pay again on each device. First check the purchase history for the original account.
Verify the official app icon, developer Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and app ID 932747118 together. A similar name in search results alone is not enough to confirm that you have the right app. For verification steps, see the iPad access guide, then follow the instructions to open the App Store.
The one-time app purchase and your existing connection service are separate. A purchase record confirms eligibility to get the app; it does not provide a connection address, subscription, or service quota. The steps below assume you already have your own service and subscription, and do not cover choosing a service.
2. Get the purchased app with your original Apple ID
Check the account used for App Store purchases—not just the iCloud account shown at the top of your iPad. They may be different. Open your App Store account page to check the current account, then compare it with the original purchase details. You do not need to sign out of iCloud on the entire device just to find an app.
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Check the purchase account
Open the App Store, tap your account picture in the upper-right corner, and check the Apple ID currently used for purchases. If it differs from the original purchase account, address the sign-in status in your purchase account settings. Follow any prompts shown when switching accounts.
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Find your purchase history
On the App Store account page, open Purchased. Depending on your system version, you may also find the app list under “Apps” → “My Apps.” Search for Shadowrocket and check the items that are not installed on this device.
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Verify the app details
Open the product page and check the official app icon, developer Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and app ID 932747118. Also check the compatibility section for your iPad and system version.
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Get the app again
If you see a cloud download button, tap it and follow the system prompts to authenticate. If your purchase is available in the current storefront, you generally won’t need to pay for the app again. The App Store’s displayed status is definitive.
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If a price appears, stop and check
If a price is still displayed, go back and check the purchase account, purchase history, and storefront region before confirming payment again. Keep your original order details and, if needed, check with Apple through its purchase support channel.
3. After restoring your purchase, reimport your connection and Config on iPad
The App Store’s purchased apps list does not restore connection entries in Home or automatically select the Config used on your iPhone. Even if device migration brought over some data, check each item on your iPad; subscriptions and configurations that weren’t migrated must be imported again. Keep a backup of your existing configuration on the original device before making changes.
- Import an existing subscription: In Home, tap “+” in the upper-right corner and set Type to Subscribe. Paste your full subscription URL into the URL field, add a recognizable note, and save. Return to Home and update the subscription, then confirm that connection entries appear in the group.
- Check the subscription: Seeing the subscription name does not mean its contents were retrieved successfully. Check the entries in the group and the update status. If the group is empty, verify that the URL is complete and hasn’t expired, and check whether your service limits the number of devices or simultaneous connections.
- Import a configuration file: Import the file into Config from a configuration source you already have, or use the add option in Config to import an existing configuration URL. Then explicitly select the Config you want to use. Seeing a file in the list does not mean it is active.
- Check the connection settings: If transferring a connection manually, compare the protocol, server, port, and authentication fields with the details for your existing service. Use the port specified by the service; don’t change it based on assumptions about which ports a protocol typically uses.
- Authorize the first connection: In Home, select an existing connection and turn it on. Review the system prompt to add a VPN configuration, confirm, and authenticate as required. Authorization on your iPhone does not authorize the connection on your iPad.
A subscription is mainly for retrieving and updating connection entries; Config mainly contains rules and other settings. Importing only the subscription does not ensure that the rules match your original device. Importing only Config may not provide a usable connection. Subscription URLs often contain access credentials, so don’t include the full URL in public screenshots or support requests.
4. How iPad landscape navigation differs from iPhone
Home, Config, and Settings keep the same roles regardless of screen size. When there’s enough space, iPad can show a list and its details side by side. The layout depends on the app screen, system window size, and current page. In portrait orientation or a smaller window, some screens may return to a step-by-step layout. Not seeing two columns doesn’t necessarily mean the app is installed incorrectly.
| Where to go | What to check in landscape | Common misinterpretations |
|---|---|---|
| Home list | Check which row is selected before viewing or editing its connection. | After selecting a different item, you continue to judge its status using details from the previous connection. |
| Config details | Opening a file’s contents doesn’t switch the active configuration. Return to the list and check which item is selected. | You edited a file but are still using a different Config. |
| Editing screen | After changing the fields, find the save or done control on the current screen, then return and review your changes. | You closed the details or switched sections without checking whether your changes were saved. |
| Settings | Check the current item’s details heading to confirm you’re editing the intended setting. | You confused the selected item in one column with older content in the other. |
Bottom line: Check the selected item before acting
After editing in landscape, return to the list and check which connection or Config is selected, then run a test. Don’t assume something is active just because its details are still visible.
If you use multiple app windows on iPad, keep the Shadowrocket window at a steady width while importing and saving, then adjust the window layout. This makes controls easier to find and helps avoid mistaking a layout change for a missing setting.
5. Check rule behavior after migration with Global Routing
Check Global Routing in Home. The same subscription doesn’t mean both devices use the same routing mode. One device may use Config while the other is set to Proxy or Direct, resulting in different behavior. Match the routing mode first, then check whether the rules transferred correctly.
Config
RecommendedApplies the rules in the currently selected Config. The match determines whether traffic uses DIRECT, a proxy policy, or another configured policy. This does not guarantee that any particular site connects directly; the result depends on the rules and their order.
Best for: Everyday use when you’ve imported and checked your rules and want traffic routed according to the configuration.
Proxy
Sends traffic that would otherwise be handled by a proxy to the selected proxy, without deciding the route rule by rule according to Config. This can help with comparison testing, but it does not replace checking which rules match.
Best for: Temporarily ruling out the effect of rules after confirming the connection itself works.
Direct
Connects directly without forwarding traffic through the selected proxy. A failed connection in this mode does not prove that a subscription connection is unavailable; retest using the intended routing mode.
Best for: Comparing direct access over your local network to distinguish proxy-path issues from local network issues.
Global Routing also includes Scene, which applies behavior according to configured scenes; it is not another name for Config. Until you’ve checked the scene conditions, use a clearly defined Config, Proxy, or Direct mode for a single test to avoid adding variables by switching scenes.
The minimal rule snippet below illustrates rule order. It is not a complete Config or usable connection information. Test it only in a copy, and make sure the proxy selected for PROXY is available:
[Rule]
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,DIRECT
FINAL,PROXYDOMAIN-SUFFIXmatches the specified domain suffix;example.comin this example is for illustration only.- Rules are checked from top to bottom. Once an earlier rule matches, the final
FINALrule no longer determines the policy. FINALis the fallback used when none of the earlier rules match, and is usually placed at the end of the rule list.- If the original Config also uses
GEOIPorIP-CIDR, preserve their original order when migrating. Don’t copy only the domain rules.
6. Common questions about iPad purchases and connection issues
I bought Shadowrocket on my iPhone. Why does the iPad still show a price?
First check the purchase account on the App Store account page, then review that account’s purchases and purchase history. Make sure you’re not just signed into the same iCloud account, and check the storefront region and compatibility. If the purchase record and product status don’t match, check the order before paying again.
The app is installed. Why is Home still empty?
Getting the app again restores purchase eligibility only. Go to Home → “+” → Type → Subscribe to import your own subscription, save it, and update it. If you also need your original rules, import the file in Config and select it. Check each separately.
I edited Config in landscape. Why hasn’t anything changed?
First confirm that your changes were saved, then return to the Config list and check that the file is selected. Next, go to Home → Global Routing and confirm that Config is in use. If routing is still set to Proxy, changes to your routing rules won’t take effect as expected.
Can both devices connect at the same time?
App purchase eligibility and connection service limits are separate. Check the device and simultaneous connection limits for your existing service, then test the iPhone and iPad separately. If each works alone but not together, note what happens and check the service limits rather than buying the app again.
Why does it reconnect automatically after I disconnect it manually?
Go to Settings → On Demand and check the enabled conditions. While troubleshooting, temporarily turn off On Demand, then return to Home to connect manually and test. Once the connection is stable, restore the conditions you need and test on both Wi-Fi and Cellular. You don’t need to test Cellular on an iPad that supports Wi-Fi only.
After migration, keep a record of whether you checked the purchase account, whether the subscription updated successfully, the current Config name, the Global Routing mode, and whether On Demand is enabled. The next time you switch devices or reinstall, check these in the same order to identify app access, configuration, and connection issues separately.