How to choose Config, Proxy, or Direct

Global Routing on Home decides whether rules take part in routing. If the switch is already on but behavior is wrong, check this row before you change nodes.

Near the first row on Shadowrocket’s Home screen is Global Routing. It does not decide whether you have a node. It decides how traffic is routed. After people turn the switch on and find everyday sites slow, or a site they wanted through the node still fails, they assume the node is dead. More often the node works, but the current mode does not match what they expect.

You can switch among the three modes at any time. You do not need to reinstall or delete the subscription. After a switch, watch one or two familiar sites. That is easier than changing the node, subscription, and rules at once.

Config: where you should stay day to day

Config uses the current rule file to decide whether a request goes through a node or direct. Rules in the Config tab only behave as expected in this mode. A fresh install may still ship a default config before you import rules. The file in use on your device is what counts.

For daily use, return to Config. Traffic that needs a proxy goes through the current node. Traffic that can stay local does not detour. Power use and latency are usually lower than sending everything through a node.

If a site fails under Config, there are two common causes. The rules classified it wrong (proxy when it should be direct, or the reverse). Or the current node cannot reach that site. To tell them apart, do not reinstall. Use Proxy below as a comparison.

Proxy: for comparison, not for leaving on

Proxy sends traffic the app can take over through the selected node. The rule file is mostly bypassed. If a site fails under Config and opens immediately under Proxy, the node is probably fine and the rules are the problem. If it still fails under Proxy, look at the node, subscription, or the remote server.

Do not leave Proxy on as the default. Sending everything through a node uses more power and can also send local work out—slow photo sync, a streaming app that stutters, or odd behavior in some banking apps. When the comparison is done, switch back to Config.

A site opening under Proxy only means “this node works as a tunnel.” It does not mean the rule file is sound, or that every node works. After you change nodes, run the comparison again.

Direct: to rule out the system network

Direct sends nothing through a proxy. Even if the switch is still on, traffic is no longer forwarded to a node. When every node fails, or you wonder whether the phone has no network, switch to Direct. If everyday sites work, cellular or Wi-Fi is fine and the problem is the node, subscription, or rules. If nothing loads under Direct either, check the system network, Wi-Fi, or carrier limits before you change Type again.

Some people leave Direct on and then think “import failed” or “the app is broken.” The list has nodes, but tests look like no proxy is in use. Check whether Global Routing is Direct. Switch back to Config, or use Proxy for a comparison, then decide whether to update the subscription.

The rule file and the node list are not the same place

SERVER on Home lists nodes or subscriptions. Config at the bottom lists rule files. An orange dot marks the default file. A blue check mark marks the file in use. Updating a subscription only changes the node list. It does not swap in another rule set. Adding one node by hand also does not create a new routing policy.

If you delete every rule file, or select an empty one, then turn on Config, behavior is close to “no usable rules.” Do not reinstall to “restore defaults.” Open Config and see whether you are still using the file you think you are. For the full UI, see Proxy modes.

A suggested order

When the switch is on and the status bar shows VPN, change only one item in this order:

  1. Check Global Routing. If it is Direct, switch back to Config first.
  2. Use Connectivity Test to see whether the current node returns a latency number. If there is no result or a clear failure, try another node.
  3. If a specific site still fails, switch to Proxy temporarily. If it opens, go back to the rules. If it does not, check the subscription and nodes.
  4. If every node fails, switch to Direct and confirm the system network is healthy.

Do not change the mode, the node, and the subscription at the same time. Three changes stacked together hide which step worked. For troubleshooting steps and how to read Diagnostics, see Troubleshoot.