Shadowrocket for iPad: Redownload from Purchases with the Same Apple ID and Understand the Landscape Layout

1. Purchases: Check the Account First

Shadowrocket is a paid Apple-platform client, primarily used on iPhone and iPad, and is available exclusively from the App Store. The developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited, the app ID is 932747118, and the app is sold as a one-time purchase. See the App Store page for system requirements, device compatibility, and universal purchase availability. Whether you need to pay again depends on the purchase history for your current account and the App Store listing; being signed in to the same iCloud account on a device alone does not settle the question.

The iCloud account on your iPad may differ from the account used for App Store purchases. To check, open Settings and look under Apple Account for Media & Purchases, then confirm that it is the account used to buy the app. On older systems, this account may be labeled Apple ID. Do not sign out of your entire iCloud account just to find a purchase; doing so could affect data on other devices.

2. Same Apple ID: Redownload from Purchases

Open the App Store on your iPad and tap the account icon in the top-right corner. Depending on your iPadOS version, your purchase history may appear under Apps or Purchased. Open your app history and search for Shadowrocket. If it does not appear, first check the purchase account, hidden purchases, and App Store region before deciding what to do next.

1. Check the account

   Go to Settings → Apple Account → Media & Purchases and confirm that the current purchase account matches the one used for the original purchase. Check only the information you need, and never share your account credentials.

2. Find the purchase

   Go to App Store → account icon → Apps or Purchased, open your app list, and search for Shadowrocket. The labels may vary by device.

3. Verify the app

   Check that the developer is Shadow Launch Technology Limited and the app ID is 932747118. If the purchase appears, tap the redownload icon. If a price is shown, stop and verify the account and purchase history first.

4. Open the app

   After installation, open the app and check Home, Config, and Settings. When you first enable a connection, follow the system prompts to review VPN configuration permission. This is separate from confirming an App Store purchase.

The redownload button, price button, and Open button reflect the status currently recognized by the App Store; they do not tell you whether your configuration has been transferred. If the App Store shows Open, the app is installed. Open it and check its contents rather than searching for the download option again. If your purchase history shows an order but the product page still displays a price, check which account and region are associated with that purchase in your App Store account.

3. Landscape Layout: Find Features by Their Tabs

Landscape orientation gives you more screen width on iPad, but do not rely on fixed coordinates from iPhone screenshots to find buttons. Rotating the screen, resizing a window, or using Split View can change how much of a list or detail view is visible. Find features by their names—Home, Config, and Settings—and the current page title. If the details are not shown alongside the list, select an item first, then open its edit page.

Landscape orientation does not change what Shadowsocks, VMess, VLESS, Trojan, Hysteria2, or WireGuard mean, and it does not replace the address or port provided by your service. When copying settings, check every field rather than just the connection name. For example, if the existing port is 443, enter that value in the corresponding port field; do not copy a different port just because another device uses it. A port number alone also cannot identify the protocol.

4. Move Configurations: Handle Subscriptions and Config Separately

Using the same purchase account does not mean all app data is automatically kept in sync. Before transferring anything, distinguish connection items in Home, existing subscription URLs, rule files in Config, and device settings in Settings. Even if you use an in-app backup or sync feature, check the results on your iPad item by item. A file appearing does not mean it is selected or active.

• Existing subscription: Go to Home → “+” → Type → Subscribe, enter your own subscription URL, then save and update it. Check the resulting item names and count. A full URL may contain access credentials, so do not include it in public screenshots or shared notes.
• Manual connection: Check Type, address, port, and authentication fields against the original settings. For configurations using TLS, also check the relevant server name and certificate verification settings. Disabling verification is not a migration step.
• Rule files: Use the import or file operations available in Config to load your own configuration. Check policy names and references, then select the file you want to use.
• Device settings: Check DNS and Settings → On Demand separately. Network conditions differ, so automatic triggers from an older device may not be suitable for your iPad.

Check rules in Config in order. DOMAIN-SUFFIX matches domain suffixes, IP-CIDR matches specified IP ranges, GEOIP matches by IP geolocation, and FINAL is the fallback when no earlier rule matches. Pay particular attention to whether the policies or policy groups referenced by rules exist on the new device. Successfully importing the text does not mean every reference is valid.

5. Global Routing: Configuration and Diagnostic Modes

Check Home → Global Routing in both landscape and portrait. The options include Config, Proxy, Direct, and Scene. Check Scene against the actual scenes configured on the device; it is not simply another name for Config. After migrating, first confirm the mode you used before, then compare results. This helps avoid mistaking a routing change for an iPad compatibility issue.

6. Split View: Keep Test Conditions Consistent

Whether your iPad supports the Split View or window features you need depends on the system and the features available in the app. When supported, place Shadowrocket next to a browser: check connection and routing settings in one window while visiting a test destination of your own in the other. A narrower window only changes the available screen space; it is not a reason to change protocols, DNS, or rules.

1. In Home, select an existing, working connection. Note the current Global Routing option and selected Config, then enable the connection.
2. Open the same destination in a browser. Note whether DNS lookup fails, the connection times out, or the page opens but does not fully load. Avoid recording only “doesn’t work.”
3. Keep the network and destination unchanged, switch between landscape and portrait or resize the window, then try again. If only the edit page collapses while the connection still works, treat it as a layout change first.
4. If comparing Proxy with Config, change just one setting at a time. Restore the original settings after testing, then check whether Settings → On Demand triggers a connection when the network changes.

A VPN status indicator does not prove that a particular destination is reachable; switching to another window does not necessarily disconnect the connection either. Verify the results of an actual request. If the connection fails on only one of your iPhone and iPad while both are in use, first check the concurrency limits of your existing service, then compare each device's protocol settings and network. Do not assume the purchase account is the cause.

7. FAQ: Purchases, Syncing, and Landscape Mode