This guide is for anyone installing Shadowrocket on a Mac or Windows PC. Check your device and installer first, then handle the first-launch prompt from Gatekeeper or SmartScreen. Finally, confirm that the app opens normally. Source verification prompts, malware alerts, and organization-managed restrictions require different responses; the same override does not apply to all of them.
1. Check your platform and Mac chip before downloading
Shadowrocket has two pricing options: the iPhone and iPad version is a one-time $2.99 purchase on the App Store; the Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free. For desktop installers, use the download guide on this site and select your platform. Don’t install files sent in chat or from unknown sources.
Choose the Mac version by processor architecture, not by appearance, purchase year, or screen size. Open the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select About This Mac. If it shows a Chip field with an Apple chip name, choose the Apple Silicon version. If the Processor field shows Intel, choose the Intel version. The two Mac installers are built for different architectures; don’t try the wrong one repeatedly.
On Windows, go to Settings → System → About and check System type against the installation instructions in the download guide. The Mac steps for choosing an Apple Silicon or Intel version do not apply to Windows. Don’t open a temporary file while the download is still in progress. Once your browser shows the download is complete, use its download history to open the file’s location.
2. Install on Mac: copy the app before opening it
After downloading the DMG, copy the app before handling the first-launch prompt. Running it from a mounted disk image can make it harder to find the app later, eject the image, and keep track of where updates are installed. These steps follow the Mac installation process in this site’s download guide.
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Check your chip
Open the Apple menu → About This Mac. Check the Chip or Processor field, then choose the matching Apple Silicon or Intel version in the download guide.
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Open the disk image
Wait for the DMG to finish downloading, then double-click it. If macOS says the disk image can’t be read, stop and download it again. Don’t treat a damaged file as a permissions issue.
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Copy the app
Drag Shadowrocket into Applications. Wait for the copy to finish. If you need to replace an existing app, quit Shadowrocket first, then follow the replacement prompt.
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Launch for the first time
In Finder → Applications, open Shadowrocket. If macOS blocks it, note the full message and follow the instructions for that specific case in the next section.
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Eject the disk image
Once the app is in Applications, eject the installer from the Finder sidebar. Launch Shadowrocket from Applications from now on; you won’t need the DMG in your Downloads folder.
If macOS says the app isn’t supported on this Mac, go back to About This Mac and check the architecture, then review the system requirements in the download guide. Compatibility and Gatekeeper’s source checks are separate issues. Allowing the app in Security settings won’t change its architecture or meet unmet system requirements.
3. Gatekeeper prompts: allow only a verified app
Gatekeeper is macOS’s app security check. When you first open a downloaded app, macOS may ask you to verify its source or block it if it hasn’t passed the required checks. The wording varies by macOS version and file status. Read the prompt first; don’t change security settings just because you see “can’t be opened.”
Choose a response based on the prompt
| Prompt | What to do | When to stop |
|---|---|---|
| macOS can’t verify the developer or can’t confirm the app is free of malware | After verifying that the app came from this site, open System Settings → Privacy & Security. Find the blocked copy of Shadowrocket, select Open Anyway, then authenticate and confirm when prompted. | If Shadowrocket isn’t listed or you can’t verify where the file came from, don’t allow it to open. |
| macOS says the app is damaged | Stop the installation and delete the downloaded file. Return to the download guide, get the installer for the correct architecture, and try copying it again. | If the error persists after downloading again, note your macOS version, chip type, and the full prompt. Don’t use a generic bypass command to force the app to run. |
| macOS explicitly reports malware or says the app will damage your computer | Stop and don’t open the app. Keep a record of the message and use macOS security features to handle the file. | The normal source-verification override does not apply to these alerts. |
| Windows displays “Windows protected your PC” | Verify where the file came from, select More info, and check the app and publisher details. If Run anyway is available and you’ve confirmed you want to proceed, allow this run only. | Stop if Windows detects a specific threat, an organization policy blocks the app, or the app details look wrong. |
On Mac, first try opening the app, then open the Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security and check the Security section. If Open Anyway appears, confirm it refers to Shadowrocket, select it, authenticate with your password or Touch ID, and choose Open in the confirmation dialog. On older macOS versions, the path may be System Preferences → Security & Privacy → General.
4. Install on Windows: distinguish SmartScreen from threat detection
A SmartScreen reputation warning does not mean Windows has identified the app as malware, but it is not a safety guarantee either. Run anyway is appropriate only if you’ve verified the source, understand the warning, and choose to continue. Don’t automatically look for that button whenever a security prompt appears.
- Select the Windows version in this site’s download guide. Wait for the download to finish, then use your browser’s download history to open the file’s location and confirm it’s the installer you just downloaded.
- Double-click the file. If Windows displays “Windows protected your PC,” select More info to see the app and publisher details. Cancel if the information is missing or doesn’t match what you expect.
- Once you’ve verified the source and app details, select Run anyway if the prompt offers it. If that option isn’t available, don’t force the app to launch by disabling protection or changing organization policies.
- If User Account Control appears next, check which program it wants to start and where the file is located. Allow it only if you’ve confirmed it’s part of this installation, then follow the installer.
- When installation is complete, launch Shadowrocket from the Start menu or its actual installation location. Confirm the app window opens normally before setting up a connection.
SmartScreen, User Account Control, and Windows Security handle different checks: app reputation, elevated permissions, and potential threats. If Windows explicitly detects a threat, stop the installation and review Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Protection history. Don’t treat restoring a quarantined file as a routine installation step.
5. Verify installation separately from connection
If Shadowrocket opens, the installation and launch steps are complete. Connecting also depends on your own server configuration, network, routing settings, and system permissions. Shadowrocket is closed-source commercial software; the client itself does not include a service plan. This site does not provide, sell, or recommend nodes or subscriptions.
Troubleshoot by stage
The app won’t open yet
- Mac: check whether you downloaded the Apple Silicon or Intel version.
- Confirm the download finished and the app was copied to Applications.
- Respond to the specific Gatekeeper or SmartScreen prompt you see.
- Record the exact error. Changing subscriptions or routing won’t fix a launch problem.
The app opens
- If you have your own configuration, first check the selected server on Home.
- Check whether the current Global Routing selection matches your test.
- Read the system permission prompt when connecting before deciding whether to allow it.
- Run Connectivity Test and record connectivity issues separately from installation issues.
Fix launch issues first, then test your configuration. If the app already opens, don’t reinstall it repeatedly as a substitute for troubleshooting the connection.
In Global Routing, Config applies the rules in the current configuration; Proxy and Direct select the respective routing modes. If the interface offers Scene, consider the scene you’ve configured when assessing its behavior. Changing modes won’t fix an installer architecture mismatch or replace system permission to launch the app. For first-time setup steps, see the user guide.
6. Common installation issues and what to record
Which Mac version should I download? Can I tell from the model?
Don’t rely on the model or year alone. Open the Apple menu → About This Mac. Choose the matching version if Chip shows an Apple chip, or the Intel version if Processor shows Intel. Recording this field is more reliable than judging by the device’s appearance.
What if Open Anyway isn’t in Privacy & Security?
First confirm that you tried opening Shadowrocket from Applications. Then check the specific message in the Security section. For compatibility errors, explicit malware alerts, or organization policy restrictions, a standard override may not appear and shouldn’t be expected. Keep the original message and follow the appropriate steps for that issue.
What if Windows only shows a Back button, not Run anyway?
Check whether you selected More info. If there’s still no option to continue, a system setting or organization security policy may be blocking the app; stop the installation. Ask your administrator to check on a work computer. Don’t disable SmartScreen or real-time protection as a workaround.
The app opens, but the connection fails. Should I reinstall it?
Don’t reinstall yet. Check the selected server on Home, run Connectivity Test, and note any connection prompt. If the app window works and settings save, focus on your existing configuration and network rather than repeating the Gatekeeper or SmartScreen override.
If you need to describe the problem, prepare four details: operating system name and version, Mac chip or Windows system type, the platform you selected in the download guide, and the full error message with the steps that triggered it. Be specific—for example, “when I double-clicked the DMG,” “when I first opened it from Applications,” or “after I selected Connect.” Don’t include passwords, full subscription URLs, or access tokens in public screenshots.
- Download failed: note the browser message and whether the download completed. Don’t start by changing the app’s connection settings.
- Launch failed: record the security or compatibility prompt and verify the installer source and architecture.
- Connection failed: record the Connectivity Test result and current Global Routing mode. Don’t share service credentials.