You can talk about connecting only after nodes are written in. If the configuration list is still empty, go back to Add a subscription or node.
Complete one connection
- Tap a node in the list. If this version supports swipe-left or press-and-hold latency tests, check the result first: a number means you can at least handshake with the node; Timeout usually means this one is not usable right now.
- Return to the Home screen and turn the connection switch on.
- This step succeeds only when a VPN mark appears in the system status bar and the app shows Connected.
- In Safari, open a page you already intended to send through the proxy, and confirm the content loads. Do not treat Connected in the app as the only evidence.
- Turn the switch off when you are not using it. Leaving it on increases battery use and makes odd states more likely when you move between Wi-Fi and cellular.
How to read a latency number
Low latency only means the round trip to that node is quicker. It does not guarantee the destination site is fast. A 30 ms node can be slow for one site; a 120 ms node can be smooth. Use the test to rule out “completely unreachable,” not as the only way to pick a node. Numbers that change at different times are normal.
Do not set automatic tests too often either. Frequent probes use more battery and help little with choosing a node.
Decide where the problem is first
- Another node restores it at once: the problem is that node or that proxy service.
- Every node times out: first confirm the phone itself can open ordinary pages, then check whether the VPN configuration is still in the system and whether the clock is set automatically.
- Connected, but no pages load: see whether proxy mode is sitting on Direct, then compare with another node. Details are in Proxy mode and rules.
- Only one app misbehaves: check the per-app list. Do not reinstall Shadowrocket first.
A fuller symptom table is in Connection issues.
Switching between cellular and Wi-Fi
Moving from Wi-Fi to cellular, or the other way, can leave the connection stuck on Connected after it has already dropped. Turn the switch off and on once. If On-Demand is enabled, the next handshake may wait for the next trigger after a network change. Turn On-Demand off while you debug.
The app can count Wi-Fi, cellular, Direct, and proxy usage separately. Those numbers show which path traffic took. They do not replace what you actually see in a browser.
After you connect, look at how traffic is split
Connected only means traffic can be taken over. A site that will not open may be sitting in Direct, or rules may have misclassified it. Use rule mode day to day, and switch to global when you compare. See Proxy mode and rules.