Connect Proxy on iPhone / iOS

1. Shadowrocket Recommended

One of the most popular, powerful, and reliable paid apps for iOS.

• Step 1: Download Shadowrocket from the App Store.
• Step 2: Open the app, and tap + in the top right corner.
• Step 3: In the Type field, select SOCKS5.
• Step 4: Enter the Server (IP or proxy domain) and Port.
• Step 5: Tap on Authentication, select Password, and enter your Username and Password.
• Step 6: (Optional) Enable Remote DNS to protect against query leaks.
• Step 7: Tap Done. Return to the main screen and toggle the main switch on. Allow the iOS system to add a VPN configuration.

2. Potatso Lite Free

A simpler and free alternative. Fully supports SOCKS5 with authentication.

• Step 1: Install Potatso Lite from the App Store.
• Step 2: Tap Add Configuration → Manual.
• Step 3: Select Type: SOCKS5.
• Step 4: Enter Host, Port, Username, and Password. For Authentication, select Password.
• Step 5: Save the settings and tap the round ▶️ button to activate.

3. Super Proxy

Another excellent alternative for quick traffic proxying.

• Step 1: Download Super Proxy.
• Step 2: Select the SOCKS5 protocol and enter the IP, port, username, and password.
• Step 3: Activate the VPN profile. The app will automatically route all your requests through the server.

4. Other Popular Utilities

Streisand

A free, open-source app, though its interface is less intuitive for beginners. Great for experienced users.

Quantumult X / Surge

Professional networking toles for analytics and routing. Extremely powerful, supporting complex scripts and bypass rules, but quite expensive. Only buy these if you truly need their premium functionality.

• Go to Settings within the Telegram app.
• Select Data and Storage.
• Scroll down and select Proxy.
• Tap Add Proxy and choose the SOCKS5 type.
• Enter the Server (IP), Port, Username, and Password of your purchased proxy.
• Save. The app will automatically check the connection status.

If you have access to an SSH server, you can "dynamically" create a local SOCKS5 proxy without needing to input a password into the iPhone client (which it might not even support).

• Step 1: Install an app like SSH Tunnel or Termius.
• Step 2: Create a new SSH connection: Host (your server), Port (22), Authentication (your SSH key or password).
• Step 3: Enable Dynamic Port Forwarding (SOCKS5) on a local port (e.g., 1080).
• Step 4: In your proxy client (Shadowrocket/Potatso), enter the proxy address: 127.0.0.1:1080 without a password.

Since standard system proxy settings on iOS only work over an active Wi-Fi connection, you can use a remote desktop to simulate proxy routing over a cellular network.

• Rent a remote Windows VPS server.
• Configure your SOCKS5 proxy on the server.
• Install the Microsoft Remote Desktop app on your iPhone.
• Connect from your phone to your VPS. All browser and app traffic within the remote session will go through the configured proxy.

• Official Sources: Always download apps exclusively from the official App Store—this guarantees you are free from injected malicious code often found in Jailbreak repositories.
• Connection Quality: Do not use free, public proxy servers—they invariably log your entire web surfing history and blatantly sell that data to advertisers.
• DNS Leak Control: Always enable "Remote DNS" (or Remote Resolution) in the settings of your proxy client (e.g., Shadowrocket) to prevent your ISP from seeing the addresses of the websites you visit.
• Testing: After activating the proxy, navigate to ipleak.net or dnsleaktest.com on your phone to verify that neither your real IP address nor your cellular provider's DNS servers show up in the results.
• Updates: Regularly update your VPN apps via the App Store—this promptly patches vulnerabilities in software components responsible for routing your proxy traffic.