If you’ve already purchased Shadowrocket, check your App Store purchase history using the original purchasing account before paying again on a new device. This guide covers account checks, redownloading the app, store region availability, and restoring your setup: recover the app first, then restore your existing services and rules, and verify your connection settings.
How a One-Time Purchase Is Tied to Your Account
Shadowrocket is a paid app sold as a one-time purchase. The purchase is associated with the Apple Account used to complete the transaction, not with your old phone’s hardware. As long as the app remains available for redownload and your new device meets its compatibility requirements, you can generally download it again from the App Store purchase list using the same account. Switching iPhones doesn’t normally mean you have to buy it again.
Keep two things separate: the App Store verifies your purchase eligibility, while the app stores your connection settings. Redownloading restores access to the app, but it doesn’t automatically restore every server, Subscribe URL, or Config file. Buying the app is not the same as paying for a service plan. This guide assumes you already have your own service provider and subscription; this site does not provide, sell, or recommend nodes or subscriptions.
Shadowrocket is available only on Apple platforms, with iPhone and iPad as its primary devices. Compatibility, system requirements, and whether the app is a universal purchase for Mac, Apple TV, or Apple Vision are listed on the App Store page. Check the compatibility details for your target device before using it across devices; don’t assume that an installation on iPhone confirms compatibility with another device.
First, Check the Account Used for Media & Purchases
The iCloud account shown at the top of your new phone may not be the account you used to buy Shadowrocket. App Store purchases use the account signed in under Media & Purchases. If those accounts were different, restoring your iCloud sign-in alone may not make the app appear in your purchase list.
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Check the Current Account
Open Settings → your name at the top → Media & Purchases to see which account is used for store purchases. If prompted, follow the system instructions to verify your identity.
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Check the Original Purchase Record
Check your purchase receipt or an old device you can still use to confirm which account bought Shadowrocket. To review the transaction, go to Media & Purchases → View Account → Purchase History, then adjust the date range as needed.
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Confirm Your App Store Sign-In
Return to the App Store, tap the account picture in the top-right corner, and check the account page. If the store is signed in with a different account, make sure you can verify the original account before following the sign-in steps provided by the system.
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Keep Your Old Device’s Data
Keep your configuration backup on the old device until you’ve downloaded the app and verified the connection on your new phone. You don’t need to sign out of iCloud on the entire device or erase the old phone just to check an App Store purchase.
Redownload from Your App Store Purchase List
Once you’ve confirmed the account, open your App Store app list. Labels and navigation can vary by system version and interface language: newer account pages may show Apps, while older ones may show Purchased. In Chinese, the equivalent labels are commonly “应用” or “已购项目.” Follow the options shown on your screen; there’s no need to keep signing out and back in to find an exact label.
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Open Your App List
Go to App Store → your account picture in the top-right corner → Apps → My Apps. If the page shows Purchased, open Purchased. If prompted to choose a member, select your own purchase list first.
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Search for the App
Search the list for Shadowrocket. To filter for apps that aren’t installed, check Not on this iPhone. On iPad, use the equivalent filter shown on your screen.
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Verify the App
Open the app’s product page and check the developer, Shadow Launch Technology Limited, the official icon, and app ID 932747118. A similar or identical name alone doesn’t confirm that it’s the same app you purchased.
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Tap to Redownload
Tap the cloud download icon when you find it, verify your identity if prompted, and wait for the download to finish. If the button says Open, the app is already installed on this device and you can open it to check.
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Open the App for the First Time
Open Shadowrocket and check whether server entries appear in Home and whether your configuration appears in Config. If iOS asks to add a VPN configuration when you enable a connection, follow the prompt. Downloading the app and adding a VPN configuration are separate steps.
If search results or the product page still show a price, don’t assume that changing phones means you have to pay again. First check the purchase history, account, transaction, and app identity. The price button alone can’t confirm whether your original purchase exists or replace checking which account is signed in.
What to Check If You Can’t Find the Purchase or the Store Region Differs
Check the region only after verifying the account and purchase history. The account’s Country/Region and your device’s language and region settings are separate. Changing your phone’s display language to English or changing its system region won’t automatically switch your App Store account or store region.
| What You See | Where to Check | What to Do Next |
|---|---|---|
| Shadowrocket Doesn’t Appear in the Purchase List | Media & Purchases；Purchase History | First confirm the original purchasing account and transaction date, then clear any search or filter applied to the app list. |
| Purchase Record Exists, but the App Is Missing from the List | App Store → account picture → account name → Hidden Purchases | Verify your identity and check hidden purchases. If you find the app, follow the on-screen steps to unhide or download it. |
| The Page Says the App Isn’t Available in Your Region | Settings → your name → Media & Purchases → View Account → Country/Region | Check your current store region and refer to the product page and system prompts for that region. |
| The Download Button Appears, but the Download Won’t Complete | App Store product page; system download prompt | Check compatibility, available device storage, network access, and any account verification prompts, then try downloading again. |
Changing your store region isn’t a universal way to restore a purchase. A region change may have requirements related to account balance, subscriptions, or payment details, so review the conditions on your account page first. Having purchased the app in another region doesn’t guarantee the same redownload option is available in your current region. Availability shown in the App Store is definitive.
Bottom Line: Check the Transaction Before Changing Regions
If Purchase History confirms the original purchase but redownloading is still unavailable, keep the transaction details and on-screen message, then contact Apple Support through your device for help with the store. Don’t buy the app again or repeatedly change your region first.
Hiding a purchase and deleting an app are different things. Deleting the app from your device doesn’t cancel the purchase; hiding a purchase may keep it out of the standard app list. Check separately whether the app is installed on this device, whether it appears in your purchase list, and whether the transaction exists. Don’t confuse these three states.
After Restoring the App, Restore Home and Config Separately
Being able to open the app confirms only that installation is complete. A new device may restore some data from a system backup, or it may show empty lists. Check what’s actually in Home and Config. Seeing Open in the App Store doesn’t mean your old servers, passwords, subscriptions, and rules have all migrated.
- Home: Check your existing server entries and Subscribe items. Verify that addresses, ports, authentication details, and protocol parameters are complete. Before updating a subscription, make sure its URL is still valid, and don’t include access tokens in public screenshots.
- Config: Check that the configuration files you need are present and confirm which one is selected. Restoring a file and selecting it are separate checks; a file appearing in the list doesn’t mean it’s being used to process requests.
- Settings: Check device-specific settings, especially Settings → On Demand. First make sure a manual connection works, then restore your On Demand conditions to match your needs.
- Backups: If items are missing, restore them from configuration files you saved or from an old device you can still use. Config files and Home connection entries may be stored separately, so check both even after restoring one.
To reimport an existing subscription, go to Home → + in the top-right corner → Type → Subscribe, enter your own subscription URL, and save it. Then update it using the in-app controls. A subscription URL and a configuration file serve different purposes: the URL retrieves or updates a server list, while the file defines rules and related settings. Importing a subscription won’t necessarily restore all the old device’s Rules.
Check the Connection with Global Routing After Switching Devices
After restoring your configuration, check Global Routing in Home first. Config, Proxy, Direct, and Scene are different routing modes; don’t confuse a purchase recovery issue with a routing mode issue. Use the comparisons below to verify your settings after switching devices: choose Config to keep using your original rules; use the other modes for their respective checks.
Global Routing · Config
RecommendedRoutes requests according to the active configuration. Check which file is selected in Config, then review the Rule order and the FINAL fallback. This is the most direct way to confirm that your original routing configuration was restored.
Use when: You’ve restored your original configuration and want to verify its rules
Global Routing · Proxy
Routes requests in Proxy mode, so you can check the proxy connection separately from rule-based routing. Switch back to the mode you actually need after the temporary test.
Use when: You have a working server and want to test the proxy connection temporarily
Global Routing · Direct
Routes requests in Direct mode to check direct access over your current network. Being able to access an address in Direct mode doesn’t mean your proxy entries have been restored and verified.
Use when: You need to tell apart access issues on your current network and proxy connection issues
Global Routing · Scene
Routes requests according to the configured Scene conditions. If you used Scene on your old device, check the associated conditions and configuration, not just whether the mode has the same name.
Use when: Your original setup used Scene and you need to verify its conditions
In Config, check the match values, policies, and order of rules such as DOMAIN-SUFFIX, GEOIP, IP-CIDR, and FINAL against your original file. The example below shows only the structure of Rule. It uses example.com, contains no server credentials, and does not provide a connection service:
[Rule]
DOMAIN-SUFFIX,example.com,PROXY
IP-CIDR,192.168.0.0/16,DIRECT,no-resolve
FINAL,DIRECTIn this example, example.com and its subdomains match the first rule, the specified private IPv4 range matches the second, and FINAL,DIRECT handles all other requests. If the new device is in Direct mode, don’t use the expected result of these Rules to judge whether the configuration was restored. First set Global Routing to Config, then check the active file.
Bottom Line: Verify App Installation and Connection Settings Separately
After the App Store shows Open, finish checking these four items: Home entries, Config files, Global Routing, and Settings → On Demand. The device migration is complete only when these settings match your needs.
Common Questions About Redownloading
Do I have to pay again when I switch from an old iPhone to a new one?
First check your purchase history with the original purchasing account. If the app is still available to redownload and your device meets its compatibility requirements, you can generally download it again without paying. If you see a price, check the account and transaction before assuming you need to pay again.
Does the cloud icon in my purchase list mean my settings will be restored too?
The cloud icon is the App Store’s redownload button; it doesn’t mean Shadowrocket’s data has been restored. After opening the app, check Home, Config, and Settings. Restore anything missing from your own backup or existing service details.
Can I recover an App Store purchase through the app?
Purchases and redownloads are handled through your App Store account. Updating a Subscribe item, importing Config, or toggling a connection in Shadowrocket won’t transfer a purchase from another store account to the one currently signed in.
Why do I still need my own subscription after redownloading?
You purchased the app. The validity period, authentication details, and subscription status of your existing service are determined by that service and aren’t renewed when you redownload from the App Store. Make sure your service is still active, then import it and check the connection settings.
Shadowrocket App Store Purchase and Recovery Guide
Verify the developer, official icon, and app ID, then restore the app using the original purchasing account. The App Store is the only place to get Shadowrocket. After installation, follow the guide to check your existing configuration and first connection.