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.

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.