Getting started with subscriptions and clients
First, check your account and plan in the dashboard, then import your subscription into a client. I8VPN supports Windows / macOS / iOS / Android / Linux, with unlimited simultaneous devices. This guide follows the setup process from start to finish, showing where to go and what to expect at each step.
Create an account
I8VPN does not require an email address. Create an account with a username and password using the link below, then follow the dashboard instructions. If asked to confirm your password, make sure both entries match. Choose a username you can recognize, use a password that is unique to I8VPN, and save it in a trusted password manager.
After submitting, check that the dashboard has opened your account. If you’re still on the same page, read the message by the input fields and correct your username or password rather than submitting repeatedly. If you already have an account, sign in to the account dashboard to manage your orders there and avoid activating a plan on a different account.
You’re done with this step when you can open your account overview—not just the dashboard page. The Start free button takes you to the account creation flow; check the plan catalog and account overview for current prices and availability. Once you’ve confirmed that you can sign in, move on to choosing a plan.
Choose a plan and place an order
Open the plan catalog in your dashboard and compare monthly plans with data packages. Monthly plans are ¥9.9/month for 60GB, ¥18/month for 250GB, and ¥28/month for 500GB. Data resets monthly on the activation date. Data packages are ¥158/300GB, ¥358/1000GB, and ¥658/3000GB; they last until used and never expire. If you’re unsure how much data you need, read Plan pricing and billing before choosing in the dashboard.
If you use the service regularly, compare the data allowances of the monthly plans. If your usage is less predictable, check how data packages are billed. All plans allow unlimited simultaneous devices, but device count and data allowance are different: activity on each device uses data. If you upgrade a monthly plan mid-cycle, the price difference is converted into remaining days. Check the dashboard for the exact result.
Once you’ve chosen a plan, check its name, price, and billing terms on the order confirmation page, then select Alipay, WeChat Pay, or USDT as prompted. After payment, return to the dashboard and check the order result and plan status. Closing the payment page does not import a subscription into your client; you still need to get and import the configuration.
If your plan is not shown as active after payment, check your existing orders before paying again. I8VPN offers a 7-day no-questions-asked refund. See the Terms of Service for details. Once your account overview shows the plan you chose, you can get your subscription.
Get your server subscription
Open your account overview and check your account, plan, and data status, then find the subscription or import option. A subscription is not a client installer; it’s a personal credential that lets a client retrieve server configurations. Installing the client alone is not enough—you also need to import the configuration to see the servers available to your account.
If the dashboard offers a quick import option for your client, use that first. If your browser asks whether to open an app, check that the app name matches the client you installed before proceeding. If quick import does nothing, don’t keep clicking. Copy the subscription link instead, then add it manually from the client’s subscription or configuration page.
Paste the link into the client’s subscription URL field—not a search box. Don’t use the dashboard login URL as your subscription link. Use the dashboard’s copy button to avoid missing characters at the end. Your subscription URL grants personal access: don’t share it in public chats, screenshots, or posts. When troubleshooting, hide the full URL first.
This page does not display real subscription links. You’ve completed this step when you’ve found the dashboard’s import option or copied your personal subscription URL. Next, install a client for your device and check that the server list appears after importing. For help diagnosing subscription update failures, see the complete troubleshooting guide.
Import your subscription into a client
Choose your device’s platform in the client downloads section of the account dashboard. The download button is labeled “Get client.” Sign in to get your subscription. Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux clients are available after sign-in; the iOS download option requires an active plan. Follow the dashboard prompts for details. This page does not provide direct download links.
The steps below apply to clients that support remote subscription configuration; menus may differ between versions. Install the client first, then import a compatible subscription. If the dashboard offers multiple formats, follow the client’s instructions instead of guessing based on the format name.
Windows: Import a configuration and enable the system proxy
Get the Windows client from your dashboard and install it. Open the app and look for an option such as “Configuration,” “Subscription,” or “Profiles.” For quick import, leave the client running and trigger the import from your account overview. To import manually, open the configuration page, add a remote subscription, paste the copied URL, save, and update.
After a successful update, the configuration should appear in the list, with servers available under it. Select the configuration, then choose a server on the connection or proxy page. Desktop clients usually also require the system proxy to be enabled; selecting a server alone may not route your browser through it. For your first test, use rule mode to verify web access. Adjust app-specific routing only after the connection works.
macOS: Import a configuration and confirm permissions
Choose the macOS client in your dashboard. Once installed, open the app and go to configuration or subscription management. Use quick import from the dashboard if supported, or create a remote configuration and paste in your subscription URL. Save and update it, then set it as the active configuration. Saving the URL in the list alone does not activate it.
If macOS asks to authorize network configuration or proxy permissions, check that the request comes from the client you just installed, then follow the system prompt. Back in the client, choose a server and enable the system proxy or relevant connection switch. Whether the client keeps running after you close its window depends on your settings. Leave it running during testing so you don’t mistake quitting the client for a dropped connection.
Android: Update your subscription and grant VPN permission
Sign in to the dashboard to get the Android client, then install it as prompted by your device. In the client, find the subscription, configuration, or add-configuration option and import from a link. Paste your personal subscription URL, save, and update. If you use quick import from the dashboard, check that the browser actually switched to the client rather than staying on the web page.
Once the server list appears, select a configuration and server, then tap Connect. The first time Android sets up this type of connection, it shows a system VPN permission prompt. Check the client name and allow it. Return to the app to confirm the connection status, then test in a browser. If the connection drops only when the app is in the background, check its background activity and battery settings. You don’t need to change a lot of settings during the initial import.
iOS: Get the client and add your subscription
Check the iOS instructions in the downloads section after signing in. If your plan is active, the dashboard will show the relevant client download option. If it prompts you about your plan, return to the account overview to check its status before continuing. After installation, open a client that supports subscription imports. Go to subscription or configuration management and import from the dashboard, or paste a subscription URL compatible with that client.
Save and update the configuration, then check that the server list appears. Choose a server and connect. If iOS asks to add a VPN configuration, check the app’s source and authorize it, then follow the device prompts. Return to the client and check its connection switch. If another VPN connection is running on your device, turn it off before testing this configuration to avoid conflicts.
Connect and verify your connection
Make sure the imported subscription configuration is selected, then choose a server from the list. For your first test, pick a setup that’s easy to verify again; there’s no need to keep switching regions. Turn on the client’s connection switch. On desktop, also check that the system proxy is enabled; on mobile, make sure VPN permission has been granted. A “connected” status only shows that the client has reached that state—verify by actually accessing a site or app.
First, make sure your local network can access ordinary websites. Then open the site you want to use, reload it, and check that its content displays correctly. Try an actual task, such as opening an online document or sending a message in a collaboration app. For AI tools, streaming services, and similar sites, network access is separate from account eligibility and regional rules. Follow the service’s current on-page guidance; being able to open its homepage doesn’t mean every feature is available.
Once your browser works, test an app you use regularly. If the browser works but an app doesn’t, first check whether the app uses the system proxy and which routing mode the client is using. Don’t immediately delete your account or reinstall everything. To diagnose app routing, DNS issues, or frequent disconnections, follow the symptoms in the complete troubleshooting guide.
If you can’t access anything, disconnect and check your local network first. Then update the subscription in your client, reselect the configuration, and test another server. Change one setting at a time and note the results so it’s easier to tell whether the problem is with your local network, the subscription update, or the connection. Don’t share your subscription link with anyone who doesn’t need it while troubleshooting.
For help, open a support ticket in the account dashboard and include your device platform, client name, exact error message, the steps that led to the issue, and what happened after changing networks or servers. Hide your subscription URL, password, and payment details in screenshots. Short answers about account status, billing, and refunds are in the Help Center; this page covers only the initial setup.
Setup is complete when your client can update the server list, the connection switch works, and your target sites and apps can complete real requests. If your plan or server configuration changes later, update the subscription and verify the connection the same way—there’s no need to create another account.