Hiddify: Setup in 5 Minutes — How to Add a Subscription on Phone and Computer

In short: Hiddify is a free, open-source, cross-platform client for connecting over modern protocols (VLESS, Shadowsocks, Hysteria2 and others). On its own it does not give you a protected connection - you need a subscription from a service: a link or a QR code. The setup: install the app, add the subscription, press the connect button. Below is the step-by-step for every platform, plus the typical problems.

What Hiddify is and how it differs from other clients

Hiddify is a client shell, like Happ or V2rayNG: it has no servers of its own, it connects to the ones your subscription provides. Its strengths are open source code, support for all the main protocols at once, and the same interface on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux: set it up on your phone and everything on the computer will look familiar.

The subscription comes from the service. With Tainet it appears in the Telegram bot under the “My subscription” button right after you sign up, with a free trial period - you can sign up in the Telegram bot or on this site in your account. One link works in every client: if Hiddify does not stick, the same subscription works in Happ without recreating anything.

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Setup on Android and iPhone

1. Install Hiddify from Google Play or the App Store.
2. Copy the subscription link from your service’s bot (a single tap on the “My subscription” button).
3. Open Hiddify and press ”+” on the main screen → “Add from clipboard”. The alternative is scanning a QR code, if you are setting up a second device.
4. The subscription profile will appear in the list - press the big connect button.
5. The system will ask for permission for a VPN connection (once) - confirm it.

If the subscription will not add: check that no other protected connection is enabled at that moment - turn it off and try again. And make sure the link was copied in full: some messengers cut the tail off long links when copying.

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Setup on Windows, macOS and Linux

1. Download the installer for your system from the project’s official site (hiddify.com) - on Windows it is a regular installer, on macOS a dmg image.
2. Launch the app, press ”+” → “Add profile from clipboard”, having copied the subscription link beforehand.
3. Select the profile and turn the connection on with the main button.
4. A detail specific to computers: browser proxy extensions intercept traffic and conflict with the client - disable them in the browser settings (sometimes removing them is more reliable: a disabled extension can keep holding the proxy settings).

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Common problems and fixes

It connects, but there is no internet

Switch the server inside the profile - Tainet has several, and switching takes seconds. If that does not help, try changing the operating mode in Hiddify’s settings (system VPN ↔ proxy): on some devices one of the modes is more stable.

The profile was added empty or with an error

Delete the profile and add it again - on the first import the link may not have loaded completely. Check the date: if the subscription has expired, the client will show a profile with no servers - renew it in the bot and refresh the profile with the refresh button.

Low speed

Pick a server with a lower ping (Hiddify can test ping across the list), close parallel clients and extensions.

Everything broke after a system update

Reinstall the app and import the subscription again - a minute’s work, the link is the same.

If nothing helped, write to support: at Tainet real people answer, and most often they solve the issue by switching a server on their side.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Hiddify free?

Yes, the app is free and open source on every platform. You only pay for the subscription of the service you connect to.

Which is better - Hiddify or Happ?

Both work with the same protocols and subscriptions. Happ is a bit simpler for a newcomer, Hiddify is more flexible in its settings and fully open. Practical advice: start with either one - the subscription is the same, and moving between clients takes a minute. A roundup of all clients is in the review.

Which protocols does it support?

All the main modern ones: VLESS, Shadowsocks, Hysteria2, Trojan and others. For how the protocols differ and for how VLESS is built on the inside, see a detailed VLESS breakdown.

Can one subscription be used on a phone and a computer?

Yes - a single Tainet subscription covers several devices at once, so add it to Hiddify on each of them.