Mac VPN Setup
Get macOS connected in 5 minutes
Recommended clients
ClashX Meta
RecommendedOriginal ClashX is unmaintained. ClashX Meta (MetaCubeX fork) is the active version.
ShadowsocksX-NG
LightweightProject is archived but still works. Compatible with M1/M2 via Rosetta.
Step-by-step (~5 minutes first time)
- 1
Download ClashX Meta .dmg and install
Drag to Applications. First launch is blocked by Gatekeeper → System Settings → Privacy & Security → 'Open Anyway'.
- 2
Cat icon appears in the menu bar
If not, double-click ClashX Meta in Applications to launch.
- 3
Menu bar → Proxies → Add Proxy
Type = Shadowsocks. Fill IP / Port / Password / Encryption from jiangren.com.au Account → VPN.
- 4
Select the new node
Menu bar → click the node name to put a tick next to it.
- 5
Menu bar → 'Set as System Proxy'
Crucial — without this, browsers go around the proxy. Once enabled, macOS Settings → Network → Wi-Fi → Details → Proxies will auto-populate (127.0.0.1:7890).
- 6
Mode → 'Rule' (smart routing)
Switch to Global temporarily if some sites refuse to proxy.
- 7
Verify in any browser with https://ifconfig.me
IP should switch. Then try google.com.
Mac troubleshooting
Safari isn't going through the proxy
Settings → Network → Wi-Fi → Details → Proxies → ensure HTTP / HTTPS proxy is 127.0.0.1:7890. Toggling 'Set as System Proxy' in ClashX Meta should populate this automatically.
Can't access the internet after quitting ClashX
Disable 'Set as System Proxy' before quitting. If you forgot: Settings → Network → Wi-Fi → Details → Proxies → turn off all proxy switches.
M1/M2/M3 compatibility
ClashX Meta supports ARM natively. ShadowsocksX-NG runs via Rosetta 2. Pick the universal or arm64 build when downloading.
Gatekeeper blocking
macOS 14+: System Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll down → 'ClashX Meta was blocked' → 'Open Anyway'.
Links go to official sources. If GitHub is slow or unreachable in your region, email contact@jiangren.com.au for mirrors.