Complete Clash Meta Upgrade Guide: Migrating to the Mihomo Core

Why you should move from legacy Clash to Clash Meta

If you have been searching for phrases like "Clash stopped working," "Clash for Windows end of life," or "ClashX no longer updated," this guide is written for you. Around late 2023, mainstream clients such as Clash for Windows (CFW) and ClashX entered maintenance mode or were archived. Their upstream repositories became read-only, which means maintainers no longer merge fixes or adapt the apps to new operating system releases. Continuing to run an unmaintained build is not only a security risk; it also becomes harder to keep working as Windows and macOS evolve.

At the same time, Clash Meta, the community-driven core that was officially renamed Mihomo, has become the de facto standard for anyone who still wants a Clash-style YAML workflow. It remains compatible with classic Clash configuration files while adding meaningful upgrades: more precise DNS controls, richer routing, native support for newer transports such as VLESS, Hysteria2, and Reality, and a more reliable TUN implementation for full-device traffic capture.

The good news is that migration is usually straightforward. In most cases you install a modern client, import your subscription URL or existing config.yaml, and you are back online without rewriting your rules from scratch. The sections below walk through Windows, macOS, and Android so you can follow the same mental model on every device you use. If you want a broader overview of installers and platform choices first, skim our Clash download page before you dive into the steps.

What to do before you upgrade

Before you install anything new, spend a few minutes backing up the profile you already trust. A simple copy of your YAML and a saved subscription URL prevents accidental data loss if you toggle the wrong setting during the move.

Back up your existing configuration

Each legacy client stores files in a different place. These are the paths people encounter most often:

• Clash for Windows (Windows): Profiles live under %APPDATA%\clash\profiles\. You can also right-click a profile inside the Profiles tab and export it from the CFW interface.
• ClashX (macOS): Files are under ~/.config/clash/. Open Finder, press ⌘⇧G, paste that path, and press Return to jump straight to the folder.
• ClashX Pro (macOS): Uses the same ~/.config/clash/ layout as ClashX.
• Clash for Android: Open the Profiles screen, select an entry, open the overflow menu on the right, and choose Export.

Copy config.yaml to your Desktop or another safe location. If you rely on a hosted subscription instead of a local file, jot down the HTTPS link so you can paste it into the new client later; that workflow is often faster than hunting for an old export.

Windows upgrade walkthrough

On Windows, the two clients we recommend most often are Clash Verge Rev, the community continuation of Clash Verge, and FlClash, a Flutter-based UI that shares the same Mihomo engine underneath. Both ship modern dashboards, subscription management, and optional TUN mode for apps that ignore system proxies.

Download and install

1. Open our client download page, pick Windows, and grab the installer. The .exe build is usually the quickest path for first-time setup.
2. Run the installer and follow the wizard. If User Account Control asks for elevation, approve it—installing the TUN virtual adapter requires administrator rights.
3. After setup finishes, the app launches automatically and docks to the system tray so you can reach it without cluttering the taskbar.

Import a profile or subscription

1. Click the tray icon to open the main window.
2. Navigate to Profiles (sometimes labeled Config) and press the plus icon or Import button in the upper-right corner.
3. For a remote subscription, choose the URL option, paste the link, and hit Update so the client downloads nodes and policy groups automatically.
4. For a local file, choose the local import option and point the dialog at the config.yaml you backed up earlier.
5. Once the import succeeds, select the profile in the list so it becomes the active configuration.

Verify that traffic is proxied

Select a node, enable System Proxy (or TUN if you need full-device capture), and visit ip.sb or whatismyip.com in a browser. The reported country should match your exit node. If the IP never changes, walk through this checklist:

• Confirm the status strip reads that system proxy is enabled.
• Make sure the policy group you selected routes the test domain through a proxy instead of DIRECT.
• When TUN is involved, relaunch the client as administrator; otherwise the driver stack cannot finish installation.

macOS upgrade walkthrough

macOS users typically pick between ClashX Meta, which keeps the minimalist menu-bar workflow, and Clash Verge Rev, which exposes deeper dashboards. The steps below focus on Clash Verge Rev because they mirror the Windows flow closely, but the import logic is nearly identical on ClashX Meta once you locate its profile manager.

Install Clash Verge Rev on macOS

1. Visit the download page, choose macOS, and download either the arm64 build for Apple silicon (M1/M2/M3 and later) or the x64 build for Intel Macs.
2. Open the .dmg, drag the application into your Applications folder, and eject the disk image.
3. On first launch, Gatekeeper may warn that the developer cannot be verified. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway after you confirm you downloaded the binary from a trusted source.
4. When prompted, approve the helper tool installation so the TUN extension can load; macOS will ask for your login password.

Import a profile on macOS

The flow matches Windows: open the profile manager, paste a subscription URL or import a local YAML file, activate the profile, and toggle system proxy. Safari and Chrome both honor macOS system proxy settings, so you should see the same IP checks succeed as soon as the profile parses cleanly.

Android upgrade walkthrough

On Android, ClashMeta for Android (often shortened to CFA Meta) and FlClash are both solid Mihomo front ends. FlClash is especially handy if you already use it on desktop and want a consistent UI language across devices.

Install the APK

1. From the download page, grab the latest .apk for your preferred client.
2. On your phone, enable installation from trusted sources—either globally under Security settings or per app for the browser or file manager you used to download the package.
3. Tap the downloaded file and confirm the install prompt.
4. Launch the app and approve the Android VPN permission dialog the first time you start the tunnel.

Import a subscription on Android

Open the Profiles tab, tap the plus icon, choose import from URL, paste your subscription, and download. Activate the profile from the list, return to the home screen, and press the large start button to bring the VPN service online.

Configuration compatibility in plain language

The question we hear most often is whether an old Clash for Windows config.yaml still runs on Mihomo.

In most cases, yes—you can import it unchanged. Mihomo preserves the core YAML surface area you already rely on, including proxies, proxy-groups, and rules. A few details are worth knowing before you stress-test every niche feature:

• Protocol coverage: Shadowsocks, VMess, Trojan, and SOCKS5 behave the same as they did on classic Clash. If your provider moved to VLESS or Hysteria, legacy Clash never supported those stacks anyway; Mihomo is actually the upgrade that unlocks them.
• DNS blocks: Existing dns sections remain valid. Mihomo adds optional knobs such as fake-ip-filter and proxy-server-nameserver if you want finer control over how queries leave your machine.
• Rule providers: Remote rule-providers entries continue to work. If you depend on community sets such as ACL4SSR, trigger a manual update once after migration so caches repopulate on the new engine.
• Deprecated fields: A handful of rarely used keys (for example certain legacy authentication styles on external-controller) emit warnings in newer builds. The warnings are informative; follow the on-screen hint or release notes if you need to adjust a niche setting.

Frequently asked questions

Q: The client says the subscription failed to parse or the node list is empty

Start by opening the subscription URL in a desktop browser. If you see YAML or Base64 payload, the link is alive and the issue is likely network filtering or TLS interception on the device. If you receive HTTP 404 or an HTML error page, ask your provider for a refreshed URL. Some providers also require a custom User-Agent string when newer clients fetch the file; look for that toggle in the subscription editor of your app.

Q: Enabling TUN cuts off all connectivity

TUN depends on privileged helpers. On Windows you need an elevated session; on macOS the helper tool must be approved in Privacy settings. If either step fails, the virtual adapter never attaches and traffic has nowhere to go. Relaunch as administrator on Windows, reauthorize the helper on macOS, then toggle TUN again.

Q: Browsers respect the proxy, but games or CLI tools do not

System proxy mode only affects applications that honor the WinINET or macOS proxy APIs. Many games, terminals, and background daemons ignore those hooks and talk straight to the interface. Switching to TUN mode pushes TCP and UDP through the virtual adapter so nothing can silently bypass your rules without you noticing.

Q: Safari works, yet Chrome still appears direct on macOS

Chrome normally inherits macOS proxy settings. When it does not, stale proxy state inside the browser is the usual culprit. Fully quit Chrome or clear cached proxy data. If the behavior persists, disable experimental VPN extensions that might be fighting for control of the network stack.

Closing thought: pick a client that ships updates

Once you finish migrating, the lesson that sticks is simple: ongoing maintenance matters more than a feature checklist from two years ago. Clash for Windows dominated mindshare until maintenance stopped, and within months the same binary went from indispensable to risky. Choosing a Mihomo-based GUI that tracks upstream releases is how you avoid repeating that cycle.

That philosophy is why we keep publishing installers and setup documentation that stay aligned with current kernels. You should not have to hand-edit YAML just to get online—paste a subscription, confirm connectivity, and spend your time tuning rules instead of fighting outdated dependencies.

Compared with juggling abandoned forks, a maintained Mihomo stack tends to feel calmer: fewer mystery crashes, faster support for new protocols, and clearer upgrade paths when Apple or Microsoft tighten security requirements. When you are ready to standardize on a build that receives regular patches, download Clash for free from our official page and experience the difference for yourself.