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

Understand the difference between purchase history and connection settings

Shadowrocket is a paid, closed-source app distributed through the App Store and sold as a one-time purchase. A completed purchase is associated with the original Apple Account, not a specific iPhone. If you use the original purchase account and the app is still available to redownload under the store’s conditions, you do not need to buy it again when you switch phones. Check the App Store page for system requirements and purchase availability.

Redownloading restores your right to use the app; it does not restore all data from your old phone. Home connection entries, rule files in Config, and preferences in Settings may transfer with device migration or a backup, but seeing the app icon on your Home Screen does not confirm that this content is intact.

A one-time app purchase is not a service plan. This guide assumes you already have your own provider and subscription; restoring the app does not extend your provider’s service or create a working connection. If your old device still works, confirm where your connection details and rule files are saved before erasing it.

Redownload from the original account’s purchases

The key is to check the account used for App Store purchases. Your iCloud account and the account used for Media & Purchases can be different, so the name at the top of Settings alone does not tell you which account owns the purchase. The steps below use the English interface labels; depending on your system, the menu may be called Apps or Purchased.

1. Check the purchase account

   Open system Settings → Apple Account → Media & Purchases and check the account currently used for store purchases. Compare it with the account associated with the original purchase; do not rely only on your iCloud sign-in status.

2. Open your purchase history

   Open the App Store, tap your account picture in the upper-right corner, then open Apps → My Apps. If your system shows Purchased, open it and, if needed, select My Purchases to see apps you’ve acquired.

3. Find the app

   Search for Shadowrocket in the list, or check Not on this iPhone. Open the matching product page and verify the developer, Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and app ID id932747118.

4. Redownload

   Tap the cloud download button, complete any authentication requested by the system, and wait for the installation to finish. If the button still shows a price, stop before making a purchase and check your account and purchase history in the next section.

5. Open and check

   Launch Shadowrocket and check whether Home contains your connection entries and Config contains your original rule files. Being able to open the app only confirms that installation is complete; it does not confirm that your connection settings have been restored.

What to do if Shadowrocket is missing from Purchased

No search result, no entry in your purchase list, and a price shown on the product page are three different situations. Note exactly where you get stuck, then check your account and region. App Store search results depend on the current store region, so a missing result alone does not mean your purchase history is lost.

• Check the original order: In system Settings → Apple Account → Media & Purchases → View Account → Purchase History, review your purchase history. If the date range is too short, expand it and search for Shadowrocket, then compare the result with your original receipt.
• Check hidden purchases: If the app is missing from your purchase list, check Hidden Purchases in your App Store account details. Hiding an app affects how it appears in the list; it does not cancel the purchase. If you find it, use the available system option to unhide or download it.
• Check the download status: If the cloud button appears but the download is paused, check the system message, available device storage, and current network first. Focus on the download requirements rather than repeatedly switching accounts.
• Check account notifications: If the App Store asks you to verify your account or update payment information, read the store message first. Treat account restrictions during redownload separately from your eligibility to use the app.

If the current account differs from the original purchase account, the purchase will not automatically transfer to the current account. Once you’ve confirmed that the original account is accessible, sign in to the store under Media & Purchases as needed. You do not need to sign out of iCloud on the entire device just to find the app. Read the system prompts for any affected services before proceeding.

What to expect if your account’s region has changed

Check the original purchase account, the current store region, and the app’s availability in that region separately. A past purchase under the same account does not guarantee the same search results in every region, and changing your store region does not move purchases to another account.

• You signed in with a different account on the new phone: Start by checking which account is associated with the original order. Do not use the devices’ locations or system languages to determine the account’s region.
• You changed the region for the same account: Go to Settings → Apple Account → Media & Purchases → View Account → Country/Region to check the current region. Then open the product page from your purchase history and see whether redownloading is available.
• A message says the app is unavailable in your current region: Keep the message and check the original purchase history. Availability in a region can affect redownloading, and changing regions is not guaranteed to restore access.
• Before changing your region: Review Apple’s requirements for account balance, subscriptions, Family Sharing, and payment methods on the account page. Do not make a region change your first troubleshooting step.

Shadowrocket is primarily used on iPhone and iPad. For compatibility with other Apple devices, refer to the App Store page. The steps here cover switching iPhones and should not be taken to mean that the same purchase or compatibility conditions apply to every device.

Restore your settings and test the app after reinstalling

If device migration or a backup restored app data, check what is already there before importing anything again. If Home is empty, add your connection details from your own records or an existing provider’s subscription. If Config is missing the original configuration, restore the relevant files from your own backup. Updating a subscription and restoring rule files are separate actions; the former may not restore the latter.

• Restore an existing subscription: Go to Home → “+” in the upper-right corner → Type → Subscribe, enter your own subscription URL, and save it. Then update and check that the expected connection entries appear. Do not post subscription URLs containing access credentials publicly.
• Check your rule files: Open Config and confirm that the selected file is the one you need. The file name alone is not enough; check that its rules and policy references still match your existing connections.
• Complete system authorization: When connecting for the first time, follow the system prompt to allow a VPN configuration to be added and complete device authentication. This authorization creates a system connection configuration; it does not restore missing service details in Home.
• Check On Demand settings: Go to Settings → On Demand and confirm that the conditions match your previous setup. Before testing manually, determine whether a connection will currently start automatically so you can interpret the results correctly.

Global Routing affects how your restored rules are used. The comparison below is only for checking your setup after switching phones. Config is recommended only if you have restored and checked your own rule file; selecting Config alone does not ensure that traffic is routed correctly.

For testing, choose a domain explicitly specified in your own rules, make a new request, then check the destination and applied policy in the connection log. If it works under Proxy but not as expected under Config, check which rule matched and how its policy is referenced. If both fail, check your existing service’s validity period, connection settings, and network conditions. A VPN indicator in the system status alone does not confirm that everything has been restored.

FAQs about restoring Shadowrocket on a new iPhone