📝 隐私说明：TestFlight 邀请是公开链接，加入过程不需要把你的 Apple ID 告诉任何人。Departures Connection 客户端只用 departures.icu 网站账号登录，绝不会索取你的 Apple ID 密码。
iOS Official Client Install Guide
Departures Connection · Step-by-step walkthrough · Free · No US credit card or US phone number required
📌 Current phase: the iOS official client is not yet live on the App Store and is distributed through Apple's TestFlight beta program. Once it ships publicly, this guide will be updated to "direct App Store download".
📌 Current phase: the iOS official client is now live on foreign App Stores (US/JP/HK/etc.) — search for it directly.
What does this guide do?
It walks you through installing the Departures Connection official iPhone client on your phone.
It's not complicated — just follow the steps in order. Even if you've never installed an app from a foreign App Store before, you can do this.
Three terms to know first (30 seconds)
App Store: where iPhone apps come from. The blue icon with a white "A" on your home screen.
Apple ID: the account you sign into App Store with. Each country has its own App Store; a "foreign Apple ID" (US/JP/HK etc.) signs into that country's App Store.
TestFlight: Apple's official beta-testing app — used to install apps that haven't been officially released yet. Our iOS client is currently distributed through it.
💡 Switching to a foreign Apple ID will not remove WeChat, iCloud, your contacts, or photos — those use a separate account from the App Store one.
Which case are you in?
Click one of the cards below — the matching steps will appear:
Step 1Prep (5 min)
Get the 6 items below ready in your phone's Notes app — you'll paste them into the registration screens later.
① Email
Use any email address that's never been used to register an Apple ID. Gmail, Outlook, QQ, 163 — all work.
⚠️ Rarely, Chinese email providers (QQ/163) may filter Apple's verification mail. If you don't get the code within 5 minutes, check the spam folder; if still nothing, switch to Gmail or Outlook.
No Gmail? https://accounts.google.com/signup
No Outlook? https://outlook.live.com/owa/
② Name (pick any pair)
First name
Last name
Wei
Zhang
Lei
Wang
Min
Liu
Jun
Chen
Yang
Li
Used only for the account record — does not need to match your passport / ID.
③ Date of birth (use this)
Month: March
Day : 15
Year : 1992
⚠️ Must be 18+ or Apple forces parental-mode and the flow stalls.
④ Password (set your own)
Rules: at least 8 characters, must include uppercase + lowercase + a digit.
Templates (modify a couple of digits — don't copy verbatim):
Sunny2024Day
MyApple88Hello
Coffee1992Time
⚠️ Save the password to your Notes — don't trust your memory.
⑤ US billing address in a tax-free state (pick one set)
Not needed during registration — this is the billing address the App Store may ask for the first time you download something. Save it in your Notes for later.
The 3 sets below are real US addresses in states with no sales tax — so future top-ups won't get state sales tax added. Apple only checks the format, not occupancy. Copy any one set verbatim.
Set A · Oregon (tax-free)
Street : 1000 SW Broadway, Suite 1500
City : Portland
State : OR - Oregon
ZIP : 97205
Phone : (503) 555 0147
Set B · Delaware (tax-free)
Street : 1201 N Market St, Suite 800
City : Wilmington
State : DE - Delaware
ZIP : 19801
Phone : (302) 555 0139
Set C · New Hampshire (tax-free)
Street : 900 Elm Street, Suite 600
City : Manchester
State : NH - New Hampshire
ZIP : 03101
Phone : (603) 555 0152
💡 The (xxx) 555-01xx numbers are reserved by the US for fictional use — zero risk to enter, Apple won't actually call.
⚠️ Pick one set, don't mix-and-match street + ZIP from different sets — verification will fail.
⑥ Your real phone number
Apple sends a real SMS code during registration. Use a phone number you actually own — any country works, including Chinese +86 numbers.
Format example for a Chinese number:
+86 138 xxxx xxxx
💡 It's fine if this number is already tied to another Apple ID — one phone number can be linked to multiple Apple Accounts in different regions without conflict.
Step 2Register a US Apple ID (10 min)
Done entirely in a web browser (phone or computer both work), on Apple's official sign-up page. Free.
① Prepare your network first ⭐ critical
Turn off every proxy / VPN app and use your real local network (home Wi-Fi or mobile data).
❌ Registering behind a proxy is the #1 trigger for Apple's fraud check — you'll get "Your account cannot be created at this time". Apple happily accepts sign-ups from mainland-China networks; no proxy is needed for this step.
② Enter through the iCloud website
Open https://www.icloud.com in your browser.
Tap Sign In.
Below the sign-in box, tap Create Apple Account.
💡 Why via iCloud? Registering directly on account.apple.com trips Apple's fraud checks far more often; the iCloud entrance is currently the most reliable path.
③ Name, country, date of birth — country must be United States ⭐ critical
Screen field
Use checklist item
First / Last name
② Name
Country or Region
Pick United States from the dropdown
Date of Birth
③ DOB (March 15, 1992)
❌ The country field is critical. Do not pick China — the flow becomes useless if you do.
④ Email, password, phone number
Screen field
Use checklist item
Email
① Email (this becomes your Apple Account name)
Password / Confirm
④ Password (both fields the same)
Phone number
⑥ Your real number (pick the right country code, e.g. +86)
Tap Continue.
⑤ Pass the 3 verifications in order
Image captcha: type the characters shown, continue.
Email code: check your inbox for Apple's mail, enter the 6-digit code.
SMS code: your phone receives Apple's text, enter the 6-digit code.
❌ No email after a minute? Refresh; check spam; if still nothing, switch to Gmail/Outlook and restart. No SMS? Temporarily disable SMS spam-filtering and tap resend.
⑥ Done — double-check the region
Agree to the terms, wait a moment, and the account is created.
✅ Done: open the account's Personal Information page — "Country/Region" shows United States.
🎉 Save the email (= Apple Account name) + password to your Notes one more time.
💡 New accounts come with two-factor authentication (SMS verification at sign-in) enabled by default — nothing to turn on manually, and there is no "security questions" step any more; Apple retired it.
Step 1Step 3Tap the public TestFlight invite link
The iOS client is distributed via Apple's official TestFlight public beta program — no email or support request required. Just tap the link below on your iPhone.
Open this link in Safari on iPhone (not on a computer). It will jump to the TestFlight app automatically.
⚠️ Two prerequisites before tapping the link (next step walks you through both):
Install TestFlight on your iPhone.
Switch the App Store to a foreign Apple ID (US/JP/HK etc.) — otherwise the link shows "This content isn't available in your country or region".
Step 2Step 4Install and sign in (5 min)
① Install TestFlight
This step works with any Apple ID — no need to switch yet.
Open the App Store.
Tap Search at the bottom.
Search for TestFlight.
Find the app with the blue triangle icon, tap Get.
Wait for it to install. The TestFlight icon appears on your home screen.
② Sign in with your foreign Apple ID on the phone ⭐ critical
⚠️ Never sign out from the very top of the Settings app — that logs out your whole iCloud (Photos / Contacts / Find My). Only switch the App Store account, the safe way:
Open Settings → tap your name / avatar at the top.
Scroll to Media & Purchases, tap it.
Tap Sign Out in the popup (this only signs out of the App Store — iCloud / Photos stay untouched).
Tap Media & Purchases again → in the popup tap "Not [your name]?" — do not tap "Continue", that switches back to the old account.
Enter your foreign Apple ID (email) and password, confirm the SMS code.
✅ Success: open the App Store, tap the top-right avatar — it shows your foreign Apple ID email.
⚠️ Right after signing in, immediately download any free app from the App Store. If you sign out without downloading anything, Apple will likely "send the account back" to the China store on your next sign-in.
💡 If the first download prompts "This Apple Account has not yet been used in the iTunes Store" or asks for payment info: tap Review, set Payment Method to None, and use the tax-free-state address from prep ⑤ (readers who skipped registration: any US tax-free-state address works, e.g. Portland, Oregon).
③ Open the TestFlight invite link in Safari
Open Safari on your iPhone (the blue compass icon).
Type or paste this URL into the address bar: https://testflight.apple.com/join/eXJQx8rc
On the page that opens, tap "View in TestFlight".
The system jumps to the TestFlight app.
⚠️ Must use Safari on iPhone — not Chrome or other browsers, not on a computer. Other browsers can't jump into TestFlight.
④ Accept the invite in TestFlight and install
TestFlight shows Departures Connection with an Accept button — tap it.
Then tap Install.
The app appears on your home screen with a small orange dot in the corner — that's the TestFlight marker, normal, not a bug.
✅ Done: the Departures Connection icon is on your home screen.
⑤ Open and sign in
Tap the Departures Connection icon.
Sign in.
🔑 Use your departures.icu website username + password — not your Apple ID, not a verification code. This is the account you registered on the website.
No website account yet? Open https://departures.icu, register, then come back.
Forgot the password? Reset it on the website; the client will use the new password.
⑥ Connect
After signing in you'll see a list of relays. (First load may say "preparing relays..." for a few dozen seconds — normal.)
Pick any relay, tap Connect.
iPhone prompts "Departures Connection wants to add VPN configurations" — tap Allow.
Confirm with Face ID / Touch ID / passcode.
✅ A VPN badge appears at the top of the screen — connected.
🎉🎉🎉 Done! You can browse normally now.
Step 1Step 3Sign in with your foreign Apple ID on the phone
⚠️ Don't sign out from the very top of Settings (that's iCloud). Only switch the App Store account:
Settings → your name at the top → Media & Purchases → Sign Out in the popup.
Tap Media & Purchases again → tap "Not [your name]?" (not "Continue") → sign in with your foreign Apple ID and password.
Right after signing in, download any free app to keep the account pinned to the US store. If asked for payment info: Payment Method = None, address = a US tax-free-state address.
✅ The App Store's top-right avatar shows your foreign Apple ID email.
Step 2Step 4Download from App Store and sign in
① Download
App Store → Search.
Search for Departures Connection.
Tap Get and wait for it to install.
② Sign in
Open Departures Connection.
Sign in with your departures.icu website username + password (not your Apple ID).
③ Connect
Pick a relay, tap Connect.
Allow the VPN configuration prompt; confirm with Face ID.
✅ A VPN badge at the top = connected. 🎉
FAQ
Q1: Does it have to be a US Apple ID? Will JP / HK work?
JP, HK, US — any of them work. Anything except China mainland is fine. The walkthrough uses US as an example because it's the most common; the steps for other regions are nearly identical (only the address values differ).
Q2: Will switching to a foreign Apple ID erase my WeChat / iCloud / Photos?
No. App Store account ≠ iCloud account — they are separate. After installing, you can even switch back to your original Apple ID; the installed app stays.
Q3: Registration says "Your account cannot be created at this time"?
Almost always a proxy / VPN tripping Apple's fraud check. Turn every proxy app fully off, switch networks (Wi-Fi ↔ mobile data), open a private/incognito browser window and restart from the iCloud website. Still failing? Wait a few hours and try again.
Q4: Why download a free app immediately after signing in?
A fresh foreign account that signs out without ever downloading anything is often "sent back" to the China store by Apple on the next sign-in. Downloading any free app right away pins the account to the US store.
Q5: Tapping the TestFlight link does nothing / fails to open the app?
You must use Safari on iPhone (not Chrome, Quark, QQ Browser, or a computer), and TestFlight must already be installed. If it still fails, check that the App Store is signed in with a foreign Apple ID — China mainland accounts will show "This content isn't available in your country or region".
Q6: After installing, the app says "this app is no longer available" or crashes on open?
99% of the time the App Store is currently signed into a different Apple ID than the one that accepted the invite. Switch back to that Apple ID and reopen Departures Connection.
Q7: Is the orange dot on the TestFlight-installed app a bug?
Not a bug — every TestFlight-installed app has it. Normal, doesn't affect anything.
Q8: TestFlight says "the testing slot is full"?
Each TestFlight group caps at 10,000 testers. If full, email [email protected] — they'll route you to a backup group.
Q9: TestFlight says this build has expired?
TestFlight builds expire after 90 days. Open TestFlight → Departures Connection → Update — you'll get a fresh build, no need to re-request the invite.
Q10: What happens after the official App Store launch?
Once it ships, just install the App Store version directly with your foreign Apple ID. Your website account and subscription are unaffected — the client signs into the departures.icu account, independent of where the binary came from.
Q11: Apple ID registration verification email/SMS not arriving?
Check spam folder / blocked-SMS list; switch to Wi-Fi and resend; if a Chinese email provider keeps filtering it out, try Gmail or Outlook.
Describe which step you're stuck on and what's on the screen (screenshots help). Reply within 24 hours.
📝 Privacy note: The TestFlight invite is a public link — you never need to share your Apple ID with anyone to join. Departures Connection signs in with your departures.icu website account and never asks for your Apple ID password.