What it is and what it costs
Shadowrocket is a rule based proxy client for iPhone and iPad, sold in the App Store for a small one time price. It reads VLESS links, Reality included, and has a reputation for stability and for fine control over routing. It is not needed for a Valideo key, because the free clients Streisand and V2Box read the same link. People buy it for the rule system and the polish, and if you like to tinker, the money is reasonably spent.
Buy it only from the official App Store listing, under your own Apple ID. Shared Apple IDs offered online for downloading it are a well known scam and a security risk.
Setup
Buy and install Shadowrocket from the App Store.
Open @valideo_bot in Telegram and copy your vless:// link, or show the QR code on another screen.
In Shadowrocket tap the plus sign at the top right. Choose the QR scanner, or paste. The app usually offers to import a link it finds on the clipboard.
Tap the new server so that a dot marks it as selected.
Turn on the main switch and allow iOS to add the VPN configuration.
What you get over the free clients
- Rules: send only certain domains or apps through the tunnel, by list or by region.
- Several config files that you can switch between.
- Detailed connection logs and a latency test.
- On demand behaviour, such as always connecting on untrusted Wi-Fi.
- A long record of frequent updates.
Global routing versus rules
Out of the box the app may be in config mode, where rules decide what goes through the tunnel. If you simply want everything to use the key, set Global Routing to Proxy. If you prefer to route only blocked services, keep Config and edit the rules. Most problems people report with Shadowrocket come from a rule that sends the traffic direct, and not from the server.
Leave these alone
- The protocol fields inside the server entry. The link has already set them correctly.
- DNS overrides, unless a leak test shows a problem.
- Experimental toggles you do not recognise.
- Subscriptions, which are for providers that publish lists. A single key is a single entry.
- Keep iCloud sync of configs off if you share an Apple ID with family.
Should you buy it?
If you are new, start with Streisand or V2Box and spend the money later, or never. If you already know that you want routing rules by domain on your iPhone, Shadowrocket is the mature option. The key is the same in either case, and one key still covers five devices. Try the free clients during the five free days and buy only if you find a limit that bothers you.
Q.Is Shadowrocket free?
A.No. It is a paid app with a one time price. Free alternatives read the same key.
Q.Does Shadowrocket work with VLESS Reality?
A.Yes. Import the link and it fills in the fields.
Q.Is it in the US App Store?
A.Yes. Availability varies in some other countries.
Q.Someone offers a shared Apple ID to download it. Should I use it?
A.No. Signing in to a stranger's Apple ID is risky. Buy it on your own account or use a free client.
Q.Why does nothing go through the tunnel?
A.Check Global Routing. In config mode a rule may be sending the traffic direct.
Q.Is there a Mac version?
A.It runs on Apple silicon Macs as an iPad app. On a Mac, Hiddify or V2Box is the simpler choice.