Hiddify: The Cross-Platform Client

Hiddify is my number-one choice for the desktop and for any "zoo" of devices a client has. The very same client on Windows, mac, Linux, Android, and iOS, RF bypass out of the box, subscription auto-update. Below is installation and setup. Substitute the subscription link into the builder above.

This material is about engineering your own infrastructure and is educational in nature. You are responsible for complying with the laws of your own jurisdiction.

Why Hiddify for the desktop

Happ is good on the phone, but on a big screen Hiddify is more convenient: it's cross-platform from the ground up, works cleanly on Windows/macOS/Linux, and does everything the mobile clients do — multi-subscriptions, routing with RF bypass, and auto-update. One client on all of a client's devices = fewer different instructions in support.

Installation

• Windows — the installer from Hiddify's official site (or from the Microsoft Store).
• macOS — the .dmg from the site, or via Homebrew.
• Linux — the AppImage / package from the site.
• Android / iOS — Google Play / App Store, "Hiddify."

The app is free and open source.

Subscription import

1. Copy the subscription link from the bot (of the form https://sub.your-domain.com/xxxxxxxx).
2. In Hiddify tap ＋ (Add profile) → Add from clipboard or Import by link and paste.
3. The profile appears with a list of servers. On the main screen pick a server or leave auto-select → the big connect button in the center.

On the desktop you can also drag and drop a config file or scan a QR from your phone — but the subscription link is the simplest.

Operating modes (important on the desktop)

Hiddify offers several tunneling modes — on the desktop the choice affects whether all of the system's traffic goes through the VPN:

• VPN / Tun — wraps all system traffic. This is what most need: it works in all apps, not only the browser.
• Proxy (System proxy) — only apps that respect the system proxy. Lighter, but some traffic may go past.

For the ordinary client set VPN/Tun — then the VPN "just works" in everything.

Bypass for Russia

Hiddify can do a split tunnel, and this is critical: without it, banks and marketplaces are lost. Usually the rules arrive together with the subscription, if you set them in the template on the panel. If not — Hiddify itself has routing settings where you can enable RF bypass (Russian sites → direct, the rest → through the node).

Verification: 2ip.ru through the tunnel shows the client's home IP, and a blocked resource opens through the node.

DNS and updating

• Connects slowly — change DNS in Hiddify's settings to Google (8.8.8.8) or Quad9 (9.9.9.9). Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 is slow in RF.
• The server changed on your side — in Hiddify pull the profile down to refresh, or tap "Update" on the profile.

Hiddify updates the subscription itself on a schedule by default — the client usually has nothing to do, fresh servers get pulled in automatically.

Kill-switch

On the desktop in VPN/Tun mode, Hiddify holds the tunnel at the system level; on a drop the connection is re-established. On Android you can additionally enable always-on VPN in the system settings (Network → VPN → gear → "Always-on VPN"), as with other clients.

Bottom line

Hiddify is a universal client that covers desktop and mobile with one app and one instruction. For a non-technical client on a computer it's the calmest option: install it, paste the link, press the big button. For a pure-iOS audience there's a more native, lighter option — Streisand, covered in the next article.