Restore Shadowrocket on a New iPhone: Redownload from App Store Purchases

Before you redownload: original account and App Store availability

Shadowrocket is a paid app sold as a one-time purchase on the App Store. If the app is still associated with your original purchase account, available for redownload, and compatible with your device, deleting it or switching iPhones does not require paying for the app again. “Free redownload” means using an existing purchase—not getting the app for free for the first time.

Shadowrocket is available only on Apple platforms. This guide uses iPhone for its instructions; iPad users can follow along to check their purchase history. System requirements and general purchase eligibility are as listed on the App Store product page. This is the official Shadowrocket website and manual. The official App Store verification page provides the single source for obtaining the app.

To verify the app, check its name, Shadowrocket, the developer, Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and app ID 932747118. Don’t rely on a similar-looking icon in search results, or mistake another app’s purchase receipt for this one.

Check Media & Purchases—not just iCloud

Being signed in to your original iCloud account on a new iPhone doesn’t guarantee that the App Store is using the same account. Your Media & Purchases account may be different, and purchase history is tied to the account that actually made the purchase. Check the store account first to avoid buying the app again under the wrong account.

• Open Settings → your name at the top → Media & Purchases → View Account, authenticate if prompted, and check the account.
• Then open App Store → your profile picture in the top-right corner and check that the account shown matches the one used for the purchase.
• If you still have the original purchase receipt, check the app name and the account associated with it. View full order and account details only in the account interface provided by the system.
• If you need to switch store accounts, sign in under Media & Purchases only. Don’t sign out of iCloud on the entire device just to find a purchase.

Apple may now refer to your former Apple ID as your Apple Account. In this guide, “original Apple Account” means the same account used to purchase Shadowrocket—not merely the account currently syncing your photos and contacts.

Redownload from your App Store purchase history

Once you’ve confirmed the account, open the app list in your account. This makes it easier to verify your purchase than tapping a price in search results. Menu names vary by system version: newer interfaces may show Apps, while others show Purchased. In either case, continue to your own purchased apps.

1. Open your account

   Open the App Store, tap your profile picture in the top-right corner, and make sure you’re using the account that purchased the app. If prompted, complete verification before continuing.

2. Open your purchase history

   If you see Apps, go to Apps → My Apps. If you see Purchased, open Purchased; if prompted to choose a family member, select My Purchases.

3. Find the app

   Search for Shadowrocket in the list. On a new iPhone, it may appear under Not on this iPhone. If it doesn’t, return to the full app list and search again.

4. Redownload the app

   Verify the app name and identity, tap the cloud download icon, authenticate as prompted, and wait for installation to finish. A verification prompt may appear during redownloading, but that does not mean you’ll be charged again.

5. Open and check

   Open Shadowrocket from your Home Screen. Check whether your server entries are still on Home and whether your original configuration is in Config. Review what needs restoring rather than assuming the connection is ready to use.

If the App Store shows Open, the app is already installed. You can open it directly or look for it in the App Library. If you only removed its Home Screen icon—not used Delete App—there’s no need to repurchase or redownload it.

If you still see a price or the list is empty, troubleshoot the specific issue

A price in the store alone doesn’t prove that your original purchase is no longer valid. Check the account, list scope, hidden purchases, and current availability before deciding what to do next. The table below is a troubleshooting guide, not a guarantee for every account or region.

Hiding a purchase doesn’t delete the purchase record. Check App Store → profile picture in the top-right corner → your name or account at the top → Hidden Purchases, then use the available option to unhide or redownload the app. The exact path varies by system interface. If you don’t see this option in your account details, first make sure you’re signed in and verified.

If the app isn’t available in your current store, or your device doesn’t meet the system requirements on the product page, a past purchase doesn’t guarantee that it can be downloaded immediately in every circumstance. Keep your purchase receipt and the exact error message, then use the support option provided by the App Store. Don’t erase your device to try to fix a purchase-history issue.

Reinstalling the app doesn’t restore its configuration

Redownloading restores access to the app; whether local data comes back depends on migration, device backups, and whether the app’s data was retained. Offload App typically keeps documents and data, while Delete App removes the app and its associated local data. If you can still use your old phone, make sure your information is backed up before deleting anything.

After transferring your device or restoring from a backup, open the app and check each section. A Home Screen icon or an app marked as downloaded in your purchase history doesn’t prove that server entries and rules were fully restored. Check these three areas separately; none can replace the others.

• Home: Check whether your server entries or subscription groups are there. If information is missing, import details already provided by your service provider. Don’t guess server addresses, ports, or passwords.
• Config: Check that the configuration file you need has been restored and selected. When Global Routing is set to Config, routing depends on the active configuration file. Restoring Home entries alone won’t restore your original rules.
• Settings: Review settings you previously changed, especially Settings → On Demand. During initial troubleshooting, avoid letting automatic connection behavior complicate the diagnosis. First confirm that manual connection and access work as expected.

If you used a subscription, reimporting or updating it requires a valid subscription URL and an accessible server. Purchasing Shadowrocket doesn’t create a subscription URL or renew an existing service. After updating a subscription, check whether the selected server has changed. Restore the original configuration file, custom rules, and other settings separately.

First connection after restoring: connect manually, then check automatic behavior

After restoring your purchase, verify “the app installed successfully” separately from “the app can connect using the original configuration.” The App Store and the ability to open the app confirm the first. Checking the server, routing mode, and system VPN authorization is necessary for the second.

1. Open Home and select one of your active servers. If the list is empty, restore your existing service details before trying to connect.
2. Check Global Routing. If you use your original routing rules, confirm that Config is selected and that the intended configuration file is selected in Config. Proxy and Direct handle traffic differently; don’t assume they work the same way.
3. Start the connection manually. If the system asks to add a VPN configuration, make sure Shadowrocket initiated the request before authorizing it. A VPN status indicator confirms the tunnel state; it doesn’t guarantee access to every destination.
4. Visit the pages you normally use and note exactly what fails. If there’s a problem, check the service status, selected server, and configuration separately. Don’t assume the purchase failed to restore.
5. Once manual connection and access work as expected, check whether Settings → On Demand should be restored to its previous state, then test what happens when you switch networks.

This order helps separate App Store purchase issues from connection and configuration issues. If the app installs and opens, troubleshoot websites that won’t load through your connection settings instead of repeatedly buying the app.

Common questions about switching iPhones and reinstalling