Subscriptions, manual nodes, rules, and per-app settings are stored in Shadowrocket’s own data. Deleting the app, changing devices, or an occasional cleanup after a system update can empty the list. Export before you migrate or reinstall.
Export a backup
- In Config or Settings, find Export, Backup, or share configuration file.
- Save the file to the Files app, a computer, or cloud storage you control. Do not send it to a public chat.
- If you edited a separate rule file, save that too.
Keeping only the subscription URL can rebuild the node list on a new device, but rules, per-app settings, and remarks you changed by hand will not come back. A full backup is less work.
Move to a new device
- On the new device, install genuine Shadowrocket from the App Store with the same Apple ID. You usually do not pay again.
- Complete VPN configuration permission as in First launch.
- Use Add from File or import the backup.
- Update the subscription once, then spot-check two or three nodes.
A new iPhone opening to an empty list is normal: the old configuration is still in the app on the old device. You do not need to buy the software again.
iPad and Mac
The same purchase can usually be installed on an iPad signed in with the same Apple ID. The permission step matches iPhone: the first connection still needs Allow for adding a VPN configuration. In Split View or Stage Manager, per-app behavior may not match iPhone exactly. Test on the device.
On a Mac with Apple silicon, you may be able to install the same app from the iPhone tab. Menus and system permission locations differ and lead to macOS VPN settings. Being able to install does not mean an iOS backup will import unchanged. Test nodes and rules after import.
Windows PCs and typical Android phones are outside this app’s distribution.
What a backup usually contains
A full export generally includes subscriptions, manual nodes, rules, and local changes such as per-app settings. Saving only the subscription URL rebuilds the node list; hand-edited rules and remarks will not return. A backup file is your configuration. Do not post it in a public chat or as a public cloud link.
Ordinary in-store updates usually keep app data, but after an iOS upgrade, storage cleanup, or Delete App and Data, the local configuration can disappear with it. A backup before a major update is cheap insurance.
Before you reinstall
Reinstalling is a last resort. Reinstalling without a backup drops nodes and local rules together. If the switch flips back or one site will not load, read Connection issues first. Do not delete the app as the first step.