Sing-box Setup Guide 2026: iOS, Android, Windows & Mac Full Config

What Is Sing-box? The Universal Proxy Platform

Sing-box is a next-generation, open-source proxy platform developed by the SagerNet team. Unlike traditional proxy clients that focus on a single operating system, sing-box is written in Go and runs natively on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and even routers. It's often described as the spiritual successor to Clash, but with significantly more protocol support and a cleaner architecture.

The core philosophy of sing-box is "one config, all platforms." You write a single JSON configuration file, and it behaves identically whether you're running it on your iPhone, your Windows gaming PC, or a Raspberry Pi in your closet. This makes sing-box particularly popular among technical users who want a consistent experience across all their devices.

Installing Sing-box on iOS (iPhone / iPad)

On iOS, sing-box is distributed through the App Store as a paid app. Like other proxy clients for iOS, it requires a non-China Apple ID since the app is not available in the mainland China App Store. The iOS version provides a full-featured graphical interface that makes configuration straightforward without touching JSON files directly.

Installing Sing-box on Android

Android users have more installation flexibility with sing-box. You can get it from the Google Play Store, or download the APK directly from the official GitHub releases page. The Android version includes the same feature set as iOS with full TUN mode support for system-wide proxying.

Installing Sing-box on Windows

Windows users typically run sing-box in one of two ways: as a standalone command-line application, or via a GUI wrapper like Karing or Hiddify (which use sing-box as their core engine). For users who prefer a graphical interface, we recommend using the Karing GUI frontend for sing-box on Windows. For power users, direct CLI configuration gives you maximum control.

Installing Sing-box on macOS

macOS users can install sing-box via Homebrew (recommended for developers) or use the official macOS app from the App Store. Both approaches work well, but the App Store version provides the easiest setup experience with a native macOS menu bar interface.

Sing-box Configuration: JSON Structure Explained

Understanding sing-box's JSON configuration format is key to customizing it for your needs. The config is divided into several main sections. Here's the essential structure for connecting to VPN07:

{
  "log": { "level": "info" },
  "dns": {
    "servers": [
      { "tag": "cloudflare", "address": "https://1.1.1.1/dns-query" },
      { "tag": "local", "address": "223.5.5.5", "detour": "direct" }
    ],
    "rules": [
      { "outbound": "any", "server": "local" },
      { "rule_set": "geosite-cn", "server": "local" }
    ]
  },
  "inbounds": [
    {
      "type": "tun",
      "inet4_address": "172.19.0.1/30",
      "auto_route": true,
      "strict_route": true
    }
  ],
  "outbounds": [
    {
      "type": "vless",
      "tag": "vpn07-hk",
      "server": "hk01.vpn07.com",
      "server_port": 443,
      "uuid": "YOUR-UUID-HERE",
      "flow": "xtls-rprx-vision",
      "tls": { "enabled": true, "server_name": "hk01.vpn07.com" }
    },
    { "type": "direct", "tag": "direct" },
    { "type": "block", "tag": "block" }
  ],
  "route": {
    "rules": [
      { "rule_set": "geosite-cn", "outbound": "direct" },
      { "rule_set": "geoip-cn", "outbound": "direct" }
    ]
  }
}

Sing-box Protocol Comparison: Which to Use?

One of sing-box's biggest advantages is its support for multiple modern protocols. Not all protocols perform equally — here's a practical guide for choosing the right one with VPN07:

Traffic Routing Rules in Sing-box

Sing-box's routing engine is one of its most powerful features. Unlike simple proxy clients, sing-box can make intelligent routing decisions for every connection based on domain, IP address, application, or network type. Here's how to configure effective routing rules with VPN07:

Common Sing-box Problems and Fixes

Why VPN07 Is the Best Server Backend for Sing-box

Sing-box is only as good as the server infrastructure behind it. The app is the engine, but VPN07 is the fuel. Here's why thousands of sing-box users trust VPN07 as their server provider: