Getting international routes working on an iPhone or iPad takes four steps: get the client, import the subscription, allow the system configuration, verify connectivity. The order cannot be changed — if any step goes wrong, the symptom is either “it won't connect” or “it connects but nothing changes”, and those two need completely different fixes.
The steps below run in order. Each one covers what appears on screen, where to tap, and what to check first when it fails. On a first setup, follow them from the top without skipping.
Before You Start: Three Checks
Confirm three things before you begin — it saves most of the pointless troubleshooting later.
- System version. Settings → General → About, and read the version number. If it is too old, the App Store replaces the download button with “Requires a newer version” — that is not a network problem, and switching networks will not help.
- App Store account region. Whether the client shows up in search depends on the region of the App Store account you are signed in with, not on where the device physically is.
- Current network. Importing a subscription and pulling the node list for the first time both need to reach the subscription URL. If you are on a restricted network right now, switch to one that opens international sites normally before you start.
A few numbers come up again and again in this setup, so here they are once — no repeats later:
Where the Client Comes From: App Store Region Limits
iOS and iPadOS do not allow installing apps from outside the App Store, so “installing the client” on an iPhone really means “downloading it with an App Store account that can find it”. That is where region limits bite: the same app is listed in some regional stores and returns no results in others.
Option 1: Download with an existing overseas account
If your Apple ID is already registered in an overseas region, just search the App Store and install. To switch accounts inside the store, tap the avatar in the top-right corner, scroll to the bottom of the account page and sign out, then sign in with the other account. Switch only the Media & Purchases account — do not sign out of iCloud for the whole device, or Photos, backups and Find My will drop out too.
Option 2: Register a new regional account
If you do not have an overseas account, you can register one just for downloads. Pick the target country as the region, choose “None” as the payment method, and fill in an address for that region. Do not use this account for iCloud, and do not share a payment method with your main account — keeping them separate makes problems easier to clean up later.
Option 3: TestFlight beta
Some clients distribute test builds through TestFlight. Seats are controlled by the developer and the link stops working once they are gone, so it is not a long-term option. When the official App Store build is available, use that one.
What Configuration Profiles and Shortcuts Can Do
An iOS configuration profile can push VPN parameters and certificates into the system in one go, but someone has to hand you a prepared profile first, and it cannot replace a protocol client — the client handles the protocol handshake, node switching and routing, while the profile only stuffs parameters into system settings. Shortcuts can do things like “turn the VPN on or off” or “switch automatically when joining a certain Wi-Fi network”, and it does not handle the protocol either.
Get the subscription URL from the user panel after signing in. Avoid public subscriptions of unknown origin: you cannot confirm where their exit is, and you cannot confirm what they log.
Importing the Subscription: Three Ways In
Once the client is installed, the first launch usually shows an empty list. There are three ways to import a subscription; they all work the same, so use whichever is available to you.
- Copy the subscription link. Copy the full address from the user panel, including the parameters after the question mark — one missing character and no nodes will load.
- Find “Subscription” or “Add subscription” in the client. Most clients put it behind a plus icon in the top-right corner of the home screen, or in the bottom tab bar.
- Paste and save. The remark name is yours to choose, which helps later; the URL must be pasted exactly, with no spaces or line breaks inserted.
- Update once by hand. After saving, tap “Update” and the client pulls the node list. When country names and node counts appear in the list, the import worked.
- QR code import. If the panel offers a QR code, scan it with the scanner built into the client — not the system camera, which only opens it as text.
- Single-node import. Some clients let you copy an individual node link from the subscription details, one at a time, which is handy for testing a region quickly.
When an import fails, first work out whether the list will not load or the list loads but nothing connects. The first is usually an incomplete link, an expired subscription, or a network that cannot reach the subscription URL; the second is usually the node itself, and switching nodes is far faster than reinstalling.
First Connection: the System Stops You Twice
The first time you tap Connect, the system raises two permission prompts, in a fixed order.
Add VPN Configuration
The dialog reads roughly “the app would like to add VPN configurations”. Tap Allow, then confirm with your passcode, Face ID or Touch ID. This step hands the tunnel to the system; if you decline, no node will connect. If you tap Don't Allow by mistake, go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, delete that configuration, then return to the client and tap Connect again.
Local Network Permission
iOS asks separately for Local Network access. It affects device discovery on the LAN and some routing rules; if you decline, internet access usually still works, but rules that involve private addresses may stop working. If unsure, allow it — you can change it later in system settings.
The app name in the dialog must match the client you just installed. If an unfamiliar name appears, tap Don't Allow first and check on the home screen whether you installed the wrong app.
Connectivity Checks: Exit, DNS and Routing
A “Connected” label does not mean traffic is actually going through the proxy. Run through the four checks below — they are more reliable than a green light in the client.
| Check | Where to look | Expected | If something is wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exit region | Any IP and region lookup page | Matches the country of the selected node | Still shows your local city |
| DNS resolution | A DNS leak test page | The resolver sits on the node side | Your local ISP's resolvers show up |
| Routing rules | Open a domestic site and an international site in turn | Domestic traffic goes direct, international traffic goes through the proxy | Neither opens, or domestic sites are noticeably slower |
| Connection status | The client's home screen | Shows connected, and the current node matches the one selected in the subscription | Shows connected but the traffic counter does not move |
A DNS leak means traffic already goes through the proxy, but domain lookups are still handed to your local ISP's servers. The result is that sites see the wrong region, and region-based content routing makes the wrong call. Only when the test page shows the resolver on the node side is there no leak.
Routing rules decide which domains go through the proxy and which go direct, usually judged by domain suffix, IP ranges and GeoIP databases. When the rules are off, the typical symptom is “the proxy works but domestic sites got slower” or “domestic sites are fine but international sites will not open” — not a total failure to connect. When you see that, check the rule set first instead of switching nodes.
When It Will Not Connect: Troubleshooting Order
Work through the order below and change only one variable at a time, so you know which step made the difference.
- ✅ First, switch to another node in the same country inside the client, leaving the configuration untouched
- ✅ If that does not help, switch protocol — only possible when the subscription offers more than one
- ✅ Still stuck, change network: Wi-Fi to cellular, or the other way round
- ✅ If none of that works, refresh the subscription in the user panel and pull the node list again
- ❌ Do not start by deleting and reinstalling the client — redoing the subscription and configuration adds variables instead of removing them
First separate a device problem from a route problem. If the same node works on another device, the problem is this iPhone's configuration or permissions; if it fails on two devices, switch node or protocol; if every node fails, check whether the subscription has expired and whether the plan's data is used up. Keeping those three layers apart works far better than reinstalling.
After Setup: Devices, Data and Refunds
Setup happens once; what really shapes the experience afterwards is the subscription itself. One subscription allows unlimited devices online at the same time, so iPhone, iPad and computer can all use it — no separate purchase per device.
Monthly plans: ¥9.9 for 60GB, ¥18 for 250GB, ¥28 for 500GB. Data resets each month on the activation date, and upgrading mid-cycle converts the price difference into remaining days. Data packs: ¥158/300GB, ¥358/1000GB, ¥658/3000GB, valid until used, no expiry. Payment supports Alipay, WeChat and USDT. Sign-up needs only a username and password — no email address, so there is no verification email step. If the routes turn out not to suit your use, a no-questions-asked refund is available within 60 days.
Wrap-Up: Four Steps and You Are Done
Back to the start: client installed, subscription imported, system configuration allowed, exit verified. Once those four steps are done, the iPhone and iPad setup needs no further attention; if a connection fails later, work through the order in section 6 — most cases recover by switching nodes. Genuine reinstalls are rare, so keep the subscription link safe and import it once on a new device.