Client apps don't all use the same wording: some file subscriptions under “Configuration”, others call it “Subscription” or “Servers”, and the import button may read “Add”, “Scan” or “Import from clipboard”. The location doesn't matter — as long as you follow the same order (paste the subscription link → save → update), the result is the same.
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Create an account
Open the VPNEM sign-up page: click the “Start Free” button at the top of this page and you'll land on the dashboard's registration screen. Signing up takes just two things — a username and a password. No email address required, and there's no verification email to wait for; the whole process usually takes under a minute.
The username is what you log in to the dashboard with. Aim for 8+ characters mixing letters and numbers, and don't make it identical to a forum nickname you use elsewhere. Save the password straight into a password manager and avoid reusing one from another site. Submit the form and the page goes straight to your account overview.
What you should see: the page stays on “Account Overview”, your username appears in the top right, and the plan field says no plan is active yet. If you see this, your account is ready and you can move on to the next step.
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Choose a plan and order
Once you're registered, find the “Buy a plan” section in the dashboard. There are three monthly tiers: ¥9.9/month for 60GB, ¥18/month for 250GB and ¥28/month for 500GB. Data resets every month on your activation date, not on the calendar month — whatever day you activated, it refills on that day each month. If you upgrade to a higher tier mid-cycle, the difference is converted into remaining days, so you don't have to buy a second plan.
Which tier to pick: if you're mostly looking things up, sending email and watching the occasional video, 60GB is plenty. If you stream HD video often, sync large files, or share one subscription across several devices at home, go straight to 250GB or 500GB. If your usage is concentrated in a few months and you'd rather not renew monthly, data packs are an option: ¥158/300GB, ¥358/1000GB and ¥658/3000GB — use them until they run out, they never expire.
Once you've settled on a tier, click “Choose This Plan” on the card. The checkout page lists the supported payment methods: Alipay, WeChat and USDT. Pick one, complete the payment, then head back to the dashboard.
What you should see: the order appears under “My Orders” with its status changed to active, and the plan field in your account overview switches to the tier you just bought, showing remaining data and the expiry date.
If the payment went through but the status hasn't changed, refresh the page once. If it's still not active after ten minutes, open a ticket in the “Tickets” section and include the order number and payment method so it can be checked item by item.
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Copy your subscription link
Once your plan is active, go back to “Account Overview” and find the subscription section: there's a long link starting with https:// with a “Copy Subscription Link” button next to it. That link is the credential your client needs — it carries your account token, and the client uses it to pull the route list after you import it.
Copy it once and reuse it on as many devices as you like — no limit on simultaneous devices. The link works like a password, so don't post it in group chats or public forums. If you're worried someone else has it, reset the subscription in the dashboard: the old link stops working immediately, and you just re-import with the new one.
The link looks roughly like this (the value below is a placeholder — always use the link shown in your dashboard):
https://example.com/sub?token=YOUR_TOKENWhat you should see: after you click “Copy Subscription Link”, the button briefly changes to “Copied”. Paste it into a text editor and it should be a single line with no spaces or line breaks. While you're there, grab the client for your platform from the “Download client” section of the same dashboard.
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Import into your client
There are two kinds of client: on Windows, macOS, Android and Linux you use the VPNEM client, available in the “Download client” section of the dashboard; on iOS you get the client from the App Store, and the dashboard links there too. The order is identical on all four platforms — install the client → find the subscription entry → paste the link → save and update. The only difference is what that entry is called and how deep it sits in the menu.
Windows
Download the Windows installer from the dashboard (usually a .exe or .zip), double-click to install and open it. Find the “Subscription” entry in the left sidebar or at the top, click “Add Subscription”, paste the link you copied in the previous step into the address field, save, then click “Update” once. A set of routes appears in the list, grouped by region — Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Los Angeles and so on. On first launch Windows may show a firewall prompt; tick the box to allow access on private networks.
macOS
Download the macOS package (a dmg), drag the app into Applications and open it. If macOS says the developer can't be verified on first launch, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click “Open Anyway” once. The first time you connect, macOS also asks for permission to add a VPN configuration — just allow it. After that, open “Subscription” from the menu bar icon, paste the link, save and update.
Android
Download the Android package (an apk) and install it. If Android blocks installs from unknown sources, use the dialog to open Settings, grant install permission to your current browser or file manager, then return to the installer and continue. Open the client and go to the “Configuration” or “Subscription” screen, add a new subscription, paste the link, then save and update. The first time you connect, Android shows a VPN connection request — tap “OK”, and it won't ask again.
iOS
Get the iOS client from the App Store — the dashboard's “Download client” section links to it. Install it and open it, then add a new entry on the “Subscription” screen, paste the link, save and update. On the first connection, iPhone shows a “VPNEM would like to add VPN configurations” prompt; confirm with Face ID or your passcode. Once connected, a VPN badge appears in the status bar.
What you should see: a route list grouped by region appears in the client, which means the subscription imported successfully. If the list is empty, work through the troubleshooting order in the next section before deleting the subscription and importing it again.
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Connect and verify it works
Go back to the client's main screen and connect to a route from the list. To start with, pick the one showing the lowest latency. If the client has an “Auto-select route” toggle, turning it on lets it choose based on current network conditions — handy for leaving it running day to day.
There are three simple ways to check it's working: open a site that normally won't load for you and see the page come up; search for “what is my IP” and the location shown should match the region of the route you picked; open a connection-sensitive service such as ChatGPT or Netflix and confirm you can sign in and stream without buffering.
Different route types suit different situations: IEPL dedicated lines run on their own channel and hold up better at peak hours, which suits video calls and large file transfers; relay routes balance price against speed; direct routes suit latency-sensitive AI tools and web browsing. The routes cover 110+ countries across 210+ lines, organized by region on the nodes page — a useful reference when you're picking one.
The same subscription link can be imported on several devices at once, with no limit on simultaneous devices. When you add a device later, just repeat step four — there's no need to buy another plan.
What you should see: the client shows connected, the tray or status bar icon changes color, web pages load and video plays. At this point you've finished the main path.
Stuck? Start here
These four cover what beginners run into most often. If your problem isn't here, the full user manual has a troubleshooting order grouped by symptom, from “won't connect” to “connects but slow”, so you can work through them one by one.
The sign-up form says the username is taken. What now?
Just pick another username and submit again. The username is only used for logging in — it has no effect on route speed or what your plan includes. Signing up doesn't need an email address, so there's no verification email to wait for either.
Payment went through but the plan still shows as inactive?
Refresh the page first and check the status under “My Orders” — Alipay and WeChat occasionally take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. If it's still not active after ten minutes, open a ticket in the “Tickets” section with the order number and payment method so it can be checked.
No routes in the client after importing the subscription?
Check three things in order: whether the plan is still within its validity period (the overview page shows remaining data and the expiry date), whether the subscription link was copied in full (paste the whole line, don't drop characters at the end), and whether you've clicked “Update subscription” in the client. If all three check out and the list is still empty, delete the subscription and import it again.
Connected, but a few sites won't open?
Try a different route first — route types vary a lot from site to site. Next, make sure another proxy tool isn't running on the same device: when two clients fight over the same system proxy setting, the result is exactly this on-and-off behavior. For a more systematic troubleshooting order, see the full user manual.
This page only covers the “zero to working” main path. For the finer detail — full import walkthroughs for five platforms, how often the subscription updates, how to pick routes at peak hours, and how to combine data packs with a monthly plan — see the full user manual. If you'd rather compare prices first, the plans page lays out the three monthly tiers and the data packs side by side.