Before installing the Shadowrocket desktop app, choose the correct platform and chip, then address any first-launch warning. This guide is for Mac and Windows users: verify the download source and system architecture, then use the operating system’s one-time approval option if appropriate. Finally, distinguish between opening the app and having a working connection configuration. If the system reports that a file is damaged, detects a threat, or blocks execution due to device policy, don’t follow the standard approval steps.
1. Check your platform, architecture, and how to get the app
Mac installers are different for Apple Silicon and Intel. Don’t choose based only on the case, screen size, or purchase year. Open Apple menu → About This Mac: if you see Chip and an Apple M-series name, choose Apple Silicon; if you see Processor and Intel, choose Intel. Field names may vary with the system language, but the hardware name is what matters.
Go to the download guide and choose the option for your device. Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free. The iPhone / iPad app is a one-time $2.99 purchase on the App Store. Its developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited, and its app ID is 932747118. Check the App Store listing for system requirements. You don’t need to buy the iPhone / iPad app to install the desktop version.
On Windows, check Settings → System → About for System type, then compare it with the requirements listed on the download page. Don’t infer your system architecture from your browser, or confuse the Intel Mac installer with a Windows installer. If the available package doesn’t match your device, stop and check the instructions. A completed download doesn’t guarantee the app will run on your system.
2. Install on Mac: copy the app before opening it
Once the download is complete, confirm that the file came from the on-site installer linked in our download guide. A file’s appearance doesn’t prove where it came from. If your browser unexpectedly redirects to another site, or the filename doesn’t match the platform you selected, return to the download guide and try again. Shadowrocket is closed-source commercial software; a regular installation doesn’t require supplementary scripts from unknown sources.
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Check your chip
Open Apple menu → About This Mac and note the Chip or Processor details. In the download guide, choose the matching Apple Silicon or Intel option.
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Open the installer
In Finder → Downloads, locate the file you just downloaded. If it’s a disk image, open it and follow its instructions to move Shadowrocket to Applications. If it’s an installer, follow the setup wizard.
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Launch the app
After installation, open Shadowrocket from Finder → Applications. Don’t keep launching it from the downloaded file or mounted disk image; those aren’t the installed app’s location.
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Check the warning
If macOS says it can’t verify the developer, dismiss the warning first. Then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and check for a block notice tied to this launch. Continue only after confirming the file’s source.
If the app opens normally, you don’t need to change any additional security settings. A downloaded file that won’t open, an installer that won’t finish, and an app blocked at launch are different issues. Note which step produced the warning instead of repeatedly opening the same file. After installation, eject the mounted disk image and launch the app again from Applications to confirm you’re using the installed copy.
3. macOS can’t verify the developer: use the app-specific approval option
“Can’t verify the developer” means macOS couldn’t complete the relevant checks under its current security policy. It doesn’t confirm that the file is harmful, and it isn’t a warning to ignore. First check the download source, selected architecture, and app name in the alert. Use the system’s option for that app only if you’ve confirmed the block applies to the Shadowrocket app you just installed.
| What you see | What to do | When to stop |
|---|---|---|
| First launch is blocked with a “can’t verify developer” alert | Dismiss the alert → System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security. Find the block notice for this launch, select Open Anyway, then authenticate and confirm Open if prompted. | If the app name doesn’t match, the source is unknown, or there’s no matching notice, don’t approve a different app. |
| macOS offers a right-click Open confirmation | In Finder → Applications, hold Control and click Shadowrocket → Open. Continue only if macOS actually presents a confirmation, and review it before proceeding. | Behavior varies between macOS versions. If the option isn’t available, check Privacy & Security instead of repeatedly trying to bypass the block. |
| macOS says the app is damaged or detects malicious content | Stop. Remove the downloaded file, then return to the download guide and recheck the source and system requirements. | If the same warning appears after downloading again, keep a copy of its exact wording and investigate further. Don’t use the standard developer-verification approval steps. |
| The button is unavailable, or the device is managed by an organization | Check your account permissions and device management requirements. Ask your administrator whether installation is allowed. | Don’t change organization policies, disable system protections, or run bulk restriction-removal commands found online. |
The relevant option in Privacy & Security usually appears only after you try to open the app. If it isn’t there, check that you actually launched the app from Applications—not just the installer—and confirm that the alert is about developer verification. Older versions of macOS may use System Preferences → Security & Privacy → General. Follow the menus shown on your device; don’t mix steps from different versions.
4. Windows SmartScreen: identify the warning before deciding whether to continue
A Windows download warning, a SmartScreen launch warning, a User Account Control prompt, and a malware detection are different things. A completed browser download only means the file was saved. SmartScreen may show a warning on first launch based on reputation information. That warning alone proves neither that the app is harmful nor that it’s safe, so check the source and file before continuing.
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Find the file
Choose the Windows version in our download guide. Wait for the browser to finish downloading, then locate the file in File Explorer → Downloads. Don’t run a temporary file while the download is still in progress.
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View more information
If Windows protected your PC appears, select More info and review the app name and publisher details. Don’t assume the publisher field will always show a particular name.
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Confirm whether to run
Select Run anyway only if you’ve confirmed the file’s source and Windows offers that option. If the only choices are to close or go back, don’t disable SmartScreen to force the option to appear.
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Finish installation
Follow the steps shown in the installer. If User Account Control appears, review the program details and requested permissions before deciding whether to allow it. This prompt is separate from SmartScreen approval.
If Windows Security detects a threat or Protection history shows a related action, stop the installation and keep the record. Don’t treat it as a routine reputation warning. Work or school devices may be restricted by policy, and devices in S mode have installation-source restrictions. Run anyway may not be available in these cases. Follow your device administrator’s requirements rather than repeatedly downloading the same file.
- No More info option: Note the window title and full warning. Confirm whether it’s from SmartScreen, rather than a browser download block or an organization policy notice.
- The app closes immediately after you open it: Check for a system error and verify the supported OS and architecture. Don’t change proxy rules yet.
- Installation requires administrator permission: Ask an authorized account holder to approve it. Don’t use an unknown account or run additional permission-granting scripts.
5. First launch: separate installation issues from connection configuration
Being able to open the app and view Home / Config / Settings only confirms that the interface is available. It doesn’t mean an existing connection works. Buying the app doesn’t include a connection subscription. This site doesn’t provide, sell, or recommend nodes, subscriptions, or connection services. The checks below assume you already have your own service provider and subscription.
To import an existing subscription, open Home and use the add option. Set Type to Subscribe, paste your complete subscription URL, save it, and update. Don’t share screenshots that expose access credentials. Importing a subscription adds connection entries; it doesn’t guarantee that Config contains the routing rules you need. Check connection settings and rule files separately.
Config
RecommendedUse the selected Config to handle rule-based routing. Check the file contents and rule order before deciding which policy a request should follow. Config doesn’t automatically send all requests in mainland China direct and all other requests through a proxy.
Best for: users who have checked their rule file and want to follow its existing policies.
Proxy
Send requests within the proxy’s scope through the proxy path. This can help compare behavior without differences caused by rule matching. It doesn’t mean every process or type of traffic on the device will use the proxy.
Best for: briefly comparing proxy routing with rule-based routing.
Direct
Send requests within the relevant scope directly. If Global Routing is set to Direct, an enabled connection switch alone doesn’t mean requests are using the selected proxy.
Best for: comparing with a direct connection on this device to isolate proxy-path issues.
Global Routing also includes Scene. Use it only after you understand and configure the scene conditions; it isn’t a fix for installation errors. For the first test, choose one known mode and change one variable at a time. If the app requests system proxy, network extension, or other network permissions, review the explanation shown on your device. Don’t grant every permission in advance, and don’t assume every platform shows the same authorization prompt.
6. Common questions about installation and security approval
I downloaded the Intel version for my Apple Silicon Mac. Can I fix that with a security approval?
Don’t treat an architecture mismatch as a security warning. Quit the app, check Chip in Apple menu → About This Mac, then return to the download guide and choose the Apple Silicon version. Even if compatibility features are available, the first choice should be the package that matches your chip.
Why can’t I find Open Anyway on my Mac?
First try opening the app from Finder → Applications, then check System Settings → Privacy & Security. A damaged-file warning, system incompatibility, or device management restriction is a different situation. Keep the exact warning and don’t look for a generic bypass button.
Run anyway isn’t available on Windows. Can I still follow these steps?
Don’t assume the button will always be available. Check whether the warning says Windows protected your PC, whether the device is managed by an organization, and whether Windows Security has taken action against a threat. A policy restriction or explicit threat alert isn’t covered by the standard SmartScreen steps in this guide.
The app opens, but why can’t I access websites?
First check that your existing connection entry is complete and the subscription update succeeded. Then review Global Routing on Home and the selected file in Config. Note what failed and the exact error. Check connection settings, rules, DNS, and system proxy status separately; reinstalling repeatedly won’t replace configuration troubleshooting.
For further troubleshooting, note your operating system, Mac chip or Windows System type, selected download option, the step where the error occurred, and the full warning. Hide subscription URLs, account details, and connection credentials in screenshots. Be specific about whether the download failed, installation failed, launch was blocked, or the connection failed after opening. This keeps issues from different stages from getting mixed together.
Download Shadowrocket and view the first setup steps
The iPhone / iPad app is a one-time $2.99 purchase on the App Store; check the listing for system requirements. The Mac (Apple Silicon / Intel), Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free. Choose your platform in the download guide, then follow the tutorial to import your existing configuration.