Shadowrocket for Mac: Download the Right DMG and Install It

1. Check your Mac’s processor before downloading

Mac DMG files are disk images, a format macOS can mount in Finder. The image contains an app or installer; it is not a subscription, proxy configuration, or connection service. Before downloading, identify your Mac’s processor so you can choose the appropriate Apple silicon or Intel version. A file that downloads successfully may still be the wrong build for your computer, so don’t choose based only on the word “Mac” in a file name.

On your Mac, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. Look for the processor or chip information. A Mac showing an Apple M-series chip uses Apple silicon. A Mac showing an Intel processor uses the Intel version. If the screen presents a chip name rather than the word “Processor,” that is normal on Apple silicon models. You don’t need to determine the processor from the macOS version number: macOS releases can support more than one processor family.

Use the Mac section of the all-platform download page and follow its processor labels. Select Apple silicon if About This Mac identifies an Apple chip; select Intel if it identifies an Intel processor. If you are unsure, check About This Mac again before downloading rather than trying both files at random. Don’t rename a download or change its extension to make it appear compatible. The Mac installer is supplied through this site, and the current file details are shown on the download page instead of being fixed in this guide.

The Mac app is free for both Apple silicon and Intel computers. The iPhone / iPad version is obtained separately from the App Store for a one-time $2.99 purchase; the Mac, Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free. These are platform-specific ways to obtain Shadowrocket, and the iPhone / iPad price does not apply to the Mac DMG. An app purchase or installation also does not include a proxy service or subscription.

2. Download the DMG without mixing up files

Use a browser on the Mac where you plan to install Shadowrocket. Start at the download page, locate the Mac section, and select the build that matches the processor you just checked. A browser may show a download arrow, progress indicator, or a Downloads list; wait for the transfer to finish before opening the file. If you close the lid, lose network access, or stop the download midway, the browser may leave an incomplete file in Downloads.

1. Identify the processor

   Open Apple menu → About This Mac and note whether the computer has an Apple chip or an Intel processor. Keep that information visible while selecting the download.

2. Choose the Mac build

   Open this site’s download page, go to Mac, and select the matching Apple silicon or Intel option. If the labels do not match what About This Mac shows, pause and confirm the processor before proceeding.

3. Wait for completion

   Open the browser’s Downloads list and wait until the DMG is fully downloaded. If the browser marks it paused or failed, resume or restart from the download page; don’t try to open a partial transfer.

4. Open the disk image

   In Finder, open Downloads and double-click the completed DMG. Wait for macOS to mount it and display its contents in a Finder window before moving or launching the app.

Keep the downloaded DMG until you have confirmed that the app opens. If a second attempt creates another file with a number appended to its name, check which download completed most recently rather than opening several copies. A DMG’s name can change as download listings are updated, so use the processor label and the download page’s current instructions, not an old filename copied from an article or message.

If the browser says the download is complete but double-clicking the file produces an error, check the file in Finder before repeating the installation. Select the DMG and use File → Get Info to confirm that macOS recognizes it as a disk image and that its size is not zero. A zero-byte file or a browser entry marked as incomplete is not a usable installer. Remove the incomplete copy, download the correct Mac build again, and wait for the new transfer to finish.

3. Copy Shadowrocket into Applications

When a DMG opens, Finder shows the disk image’s contents. Depending on the package layout, the window may provide an app icon and an Applications shortcut, or instructions for where to place the app. Follow the directions shown in the mounted image. If it displays the app and an Applications shortcut, drag the app onto Applications and wait for copying to finish. Launching the app directly from the mounted DMG may work temporarily, but it is not a substitute for keeping the app in the Mac’s Applications folder.

After copying, open Finder → Applications and locate Shadowrocket. Double-click it there for the first launch. If macOS reports that the app cannot be opened or displays a security warning, don’t delete the app immediately and don’t try random Terminal commands. First confirm that you downloaded the Mac build from this site, that the transfer completed, and that you installed the app from the mounted DMG into Applications. Then follow the “installation allowance” instructions on the download page for the first-open warning you see.

A security prompt is not a reason to bypass every protection or to download a replacement from an unfamiliar source. Read the exact message and use the site’s installation guidance for that case. If the prompt differs from the page’s examples, or the app is still blocked after following the applicable instructions, stop and recheck the processor choice and download status. Avoid changing unrelated macOS security settings, because that can make it harder to identify what caused the original warning.

4. Complete first launch and verify the installation

Once Shadowrocket opens from Applications, check that the window remains open and that macOS has not reopened the DMG instead of the installed app. If you launched the app from the mounted image by mistake, quit it, copy it to Applications using the image’s instructions, eject the DMG in Finder, and launch the Applications copy. This also makes it easier to find Shadowrocket later through Finder or Spotlight.

Installation and connection setup are separate tasks. The first launch may show an empty or unconfigured state if you have not imported your own settings. To test a connection, you need your own existing provider and subscription details. Installing the app does not create an account, supply a server, or turn a Mac into a working proxy connection by itself. Keep credentials private and enter only information you already have permission to use.

For a clean first check, note the processor build you installed, confirm that the app opens from Applications, and check whether your existing configuration is present. If you use an existing subscription, refresh or import it using the instructions associated with that subscription, then select an entry and test it. Avoid changing several settings at once. If the app opens but a connection test fails, that is a connection or configuration issue rather than proof that the DMG installation failed.

5. Narrow down common installation problems

Start with the point at which the process stopped. A browser download failure, a DMG that will not mount, an app that cannot be copied, a first-launch security warning, and a connection test failure are different problems. Record the exact message and the step that triggered it. This keeps troubleshooting focused: changing download source, processor build, macOS permissions, and connection settings all at once can obscure the cause.

If the app is installed but does not appear in Applications, open the mounted DMG again and check its displayed instructions. Some images show an Applications shortcut, while other packages may present different directions. Do not assume that copying an icon from a browser window or moving the DMG itself into Applications installs the app. The item to copy is the app shown inside the mounted image, not the disk image file.

If macOS reports that the app is damaged, cannot be verified, or is from an unidentified source, note the wording before taking action. Check that the file came from this site’s download page and that the download is complete. Then use the download page’s installation-allowance guidance that matches the prompt. If the displayed message does not match the guidance, avoid repeated attempts and confirm that the selected build is intended for your Mac’s processor.

After the app launches, eject the disk image by selecting it in Finder and choosing the eject control beside its name. Ejecting removes the mounted installer from the desktop; it does not uninstall the copy in Applications. Keep the DMG temporarily if you want a fallback while checking the installed app. Once the Applications copy opens normally, you can delete the installer from Downloads to recover disk space.

For the shortest reliable sequence, check About This Mac, select the matching Mac build, wait for the download to complete, open the DMG, copy the app into Applications, and use the download page’s instructions if macOS displays a first-launch warning. Treat connection testing as a later, separate check that requires your own existing configuration. These steps help distinguish a processor mismatch or incomplete transfer from a macOS first-open restriction or a connection problem.