This guide is for Mac users who want to download and install Shadowrocket from the correct DMG. The Mac version is free; choose the build that matches your Mac’s processor—Apple silicon or Intel—then open the downloaded disk image and move the app into Applications if the installer window offers that option. If macOS blocks the first launch, check that the file came from this site’s download page and follow its “Install Allow” instructions before changing security settings. The steps below also explain how to confirm the app is installed and what to check if the DMG will not open.
1. Choose the correct Mac DMG before downloading
A DMG is a macOS disk image that contains an app or an installer. The important choice is the processor architecture of your Mac. Apple silicon Macs use Apple-designed processors, while some older Macs use Intel processors. The two builds are not interchangeable simply because both files have a .dmg extension. Downloading the matching build helps avoid an app that will not launch or that does not behave as expected on your computer.
To check your Mac, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. Look for the processor or chip information in the overview. An entry such as “Apple M…” identifies an Apple silicon Mac; an entry that says “Intel” identifies an Intel Mac. The exact wording and layout can vary across macOS versions, so use the chip or processor name rather than relying on a particular screen arrangement.
If you already know the architecture, use the corresponding Mac option on the download page. If you are unsure, check About This Mac before saving a file. Do not choose based on the Mac’s age, screen size, or the fact that a previous app worked: those details do not identify which DMG you need. Shadowrocket for Mac is free. The iPhone and iPad version is a separate App Store purchase at $2.99 once; Mac, Windows, Android, and Linux versions are free from the site’s download page.
Use the download page rather than a file-hosting link or an unfamiliar copy of the DMG. A filename alone is not proof of origin, and a search result can point to a different file from the one you intended to get. The download page is also where to check the available Mac builds and the current installation guidance. Avoid saving multiple similarly named DMGs and then guessing which one is correct.
2. Download and open the DMG
After identifying the processor, select the matching Mac build on the download page and save the DMG to a location you can find again, such as Downloads. Wait for the download to finish before opening it. If the browser shows progress, confirm that it has completed rather than opening a partial file. A DMG that is still downloading may fail to mount or produce an incomplete installer window.
Open the downloaded file from Finder. macOS should mount the disk image and show it in a Finder window or in the sidebar. The exact installer contents can vary, so read the window rather than assuming every DMG has the same layout. If it contains a Shadowrocket app icon and an Applications shortcut, drag the app to Applications. If it presents a different installation flow, follow the instructions shown in that window and on the download page.
Wait for copying to finish before ejecting the mounted disk image. If Finder displays a progress indicator, let it complete. Then open Applications and check whether Shadowrocket appears there. Keeping the app in Applications makes it easier to find and avoids trying to launch it from the mounted DMG or from a temporary download location.
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Check the chip
Open the Apple menu → About This Mac and note whether the processor is Apple silicon or Intel. Use that result to select the matching Mac DMG.
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Use the download page
Open the site’s download page, choose the matching Mac build, and let the file finish downloading. Keep the download in a location you can identify in Finder.
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Open the disk image
In Finder, open the downloaded DMG. Read the installer window and use its displayed instructions; if it shows an app and Applications shortcut, drag the app into Applications.
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Check Applications
Wait for copying to finish, eject the mounted disk image, and confirm that Shadowrocket is listed in Applications before launching it.
If the DMG does not open, first check that the download has completed and that you selected the build for your processor. If the file appears unusually small compared with the download page’s current file, download it again rather than trying to install a partial copy. If Finder reports that the disk image cannot be opened, close the message, remove the incomplete download, and get a fresh copy from the download page. Do not rename an Intel build to make it look like an Apple silicon build, or the reverse; changing a filename does not change the architecture inside the file.
3. Apple silicon and Intel: make the distinction practical
The labels “Apple silicon” and “Intel” describe the Mac’s processor architecture, not the version of macOS or the kind of network you use. A MacBook, iMac, or Mac mini may belong to either group depending on its model and processor. The model name alone is not a reliable substitute for checking About This Mac, especially when a household has more than one Mac or a device has been handed down.
Use the native matching build whenever the download page provides separate Apple silicon and Intel choices. Avoid selecting a build because another Mac in your home uses it. A DMG downloaded for one computer does not automatically match a second computer, even if both Macs have the same screen size or a similar appearance. If you are installing on more than one Mac, check each machine separately before choosing its file.
Choose this build when About This Mac identifies an Apple chip, such as an M-series processor. It is the matching option for Apple silicon hardware when the download page lists it separately.
Suitable for: Macs identified as Apple silicon in About This Mac
Choose this build when About This Mac identifies an Intel processor. Do not infer this from the macOS version or from the age of another Mac you own.
Suitable for: Macs identified as Intel in About This Mac
If you cannot find the processor information in the overview, open System Information from the Apple menu’s system information options and review the hardware details. Menu wording can differ between macOS releases. The goal is simply to identify the processor family before downloading, not to change any system setting. If the information remains unclear, pause and check the download page’s Mac instructions rather than testing random DMGs.
A mismatch can look like a damaged download even when the file itself opened successfully. For that reason, verify architecture before troubleshooting other causes. If you have already opened a DMG and copied an app but it will not launch, return to About This Mac, compare the processor with the build you selected, and then use the download page to obtain the matching file if needed.
4. First launch and macOS security alerts
On first launch, macOS may show a security message or prevent the app from opening. Treat that message as a reason to verify the source and the file, not as a prompt to bypass checks automatically. Confirm that you downloaded the Mac build from this site’s download page, selected the correct processor architecture, and copied the app into Applications. If any of those checks fail, stop and get a fresh, matching download before continuing.
When the source and architecture are correct but macOS still blocks the first launch, follow the download page’s “Install Allow” instructions for the version of macOS on your Mac. Apple can change the wording and location of security controls between releases, so use the instructions that match the current system prompt rather than relying on an old screenshot or a menu path from another macOS version. Only proceed with an app you intentionally downloaded from the expected source.
If macOS displays a warning, read the full message and identify whether it concerns opening the app, an unavailable app, or a damaged download. Those messages indicate different situations. A damaged-download message, for example, calls for checking the file and obtaining a clean copy; it should not be treated as the same issue as a first-launch confirmation. Do not respond to a warning by disabling broad system protections or changing unrelated privacy controls.
Practical check: verify the source before changing a setting
Before following any first-launch instructions, make sure the DMG came from the site’s download page and matches the Mac’s processor. If either detail is uncertain, download the correct build again instead of trying to override the alert.
After Shadowrocket opens, macOS may ask for permission related to a system network configuration when you use connection features. Review the system prompt and authorize only the action you expect. This permission is separate from installing the app: copying the app into Applications does not itself establish that a connection is configured or active. If you use your own subscription, import and connection setup are separate tasks from the DMG installation.
For a Mac that is managed by an organization, an administrator may control which apps can be opened or which system configurations can be approved. In that situation, follow the organization’s device policy or ask its administrator for help. Repeatedly retrying the same alert will not change a managed restriction, and changing unrelated settings can make the issue harder to diagnose.
5. Confirm the installation and fix common problems
Once the app is in Applications, open it from that folder or use the system app launcher. Check that the app starts without returning to the DMG window. If the disk image remains mounted, you can eject it after copying is complete; ejecting the image does not remove the installed app from Applications. Keep the original DMG only if you want a local copy, and make sure you can tell which architecture it contains.
Installation and connection setup are separate. A successful first launch confirms that the app can open; it does not confirm that a subscription is present, that a server is selected, or that traffic is routed as intended. If you already have your own subscription, complete its setup in the app and check the connection status independently. Do not repeatedly reinstall the DMG to troubleshoot a connection issue that occurs after the app has opened.
- The DMG will not open: Confirm the download finished, then check that you selected the processor-matched build. If the file still fails, download a fresh copy from the download page.
- The app is missing from Applications: Reopen the DMG and read its installer window. If it shows an app and an Applications shortcut, copy the app again and wait for the operation to finish.
- The app opens from the DMG but not Applications: Confirm that copying completed and that you are opening the app in Applications, not an item inside the mounted image. If needed, repeat the copy from a fresh matching DMG.
- macOS blocks the first launch: Verify the download source and processor choice, then follow the download page’s “Install Allow” instructions for your macOS version.
- The app opens but there is no connection: Treat this as a configuration or network check, not a DMG installation failure. Confirm your own subscription and the selected connection inside the app.
If you need to reinstall, quit Shadowrocket first, then use Finder to remove the existing app from Applications before copying in the fresh, correctly matched build. Be careful not to delete other files or configuration data you intend to keep. Download the replacement DMG from the download page and repeat the architecture check. A reinstall should be a controlled test: change one factor at a time so you can tell whether the issue came from the downloaded file, the processor choice, or a separate setup step.
For Mac, the app is free and the download page is the place to select the Apple silicon or Intel build. iPhone and iPad use a separate App Store purchase priced at $2.99 once; Windows, Android, and Linux versions are also free through the download page. The app purchase and any network service are separate matters: installation does not provide a subscription. If your goal is only to install Shadowrocket on a Mac, finish by confirming the app is in Applications and launches normally, then keep connection setup as a separate step.