Torrenting - Basics

What is BitTorrent

BitTorrent is a P2P (peer-to-peer) file-sharing protocol. "Protocol" in this context means "internet protocol", the procedure used for transmitting data over the internet (ex. HTTP, FTP, SMTP). However, most internet protocols are centralized, meaning there is a "server" that sends the data when the user requests a file.

Peer-to-peer means there is no central server, instead, people who previously downloaded the files send them to people who want those files.

BitTorrent is not just for piracy. It's a tool for sharing files. What purpose to use it depends on you.

Terminology

Seeder: The person who sends the file

Leecher: The person who receives the file

Peer: A seeder or leecher. BitTorrent users.

Tracker: Coordination servers that keep track of who has which file and who wants which file

Can I get in trouble for torrenting?

Everyone can see what you download including your internet service provider. iknowwhatyoudownload.com shows what files you and people who had the same IP as you downloaded

Service providers can send you a fine or a warning for downloading pirated content. Downloading illegal stuff like drug/bomb recipes will get you in trouble with authorities.

Most countries just don't care though. In Turkey, I knew people who torrented copyrighted content without a VPN and didn't get any fines. And in some countries, it's straight up legal! You should look it up for your own country

As long as you don't pirate anything you should be fine. However, it is always recommended to use a VPN while torrenting. You should bind your VPN to your torrent client if you don't want people to see what you download

See How to bind your VPN

Torrent Clients

Torrent client is the software that allows people to communicate using the BitTorrent protocol. Much like how a Web Browser will enable you to communicate using the HTTP protocol

Desktop (Windows, MacOS, Linux, BSD...) - 💻

iOS/iPadOS - 🍎

Android - 🤖

Popular torrent clients

qBittorrent 💻
Deluge 💻 (complicated VPN binding)
Transmission 💻 (no VPN binding support)
LibreTorrent 🤖 (no VPN binding support)
BiglyBT 🤖 💻
iTransmission 🍎 (requires sideloading or jailbreak)
iTorrent 🍎 (requires sideloading or jailbreak)

All these clients are open source. Avoid using proprietary BitTorrent clients.

What is Open Source and FOSS (free and open source)?

My choice is qBittorrent on desktop and BiglyBT on mobile. You can start your torrent client after downloading it.

Recommended VPNs

I recommend Mullvad (paid) or RiseUp VPN (free) both of them are extremely trustworthy and run by poeple who won't snitch on you

How to bind your VPN

After this process, your torrent client will refuse to make any connections if your VPN is not connected or when your VPN gets disconnected. This process is different for every client and I'll only be explaining some of them. Search on Google if your client is not included

qBittorrent source

Go to Preferences, and then Advanced tab.
Check for the differences on the "Network Interface" list when you connect/disconnect the VPN (you may have to restart qBittorrent for the list to refresh).
Select the one that shows up/disappears from the previous test.
Restart qBittorrent.

BiglyBT (Android) source

Connect to the VPN
Go to BiglyBT Settings, Scroll down, and go to "Full Settings > Mode"
Under Mode, select "Advanced" to show all settings, go back
Connection > Advanced Network Settings
Look at the gray text under "Bind to local IP address or interface". These are the available network adapters/IPs. Only when your VPN is enabled will you see its additional interfaces. In my case, it is "tun0". It should always be something like tun
YOU MUST DO THIS TOO: Scroll down, enable "Check bind ... on startup" and "Enforce IP bindings ..." and "Pause downloads on loss on binding" (this last one is mostly optional)

Deluge

Binding on deluge is a little complicated but I'm gonna drop the official guide here

What are .torrent files

You can think of them as a link to the file you want to download. A torrent file contains the data you'll need for the files to be downloaded, such as file names, sizes, and structure, as well as the servers you can contact to request a list of peers to connect to.

Where do I find .torrent files

You can find "Torrent Trackers" on Google and search for files on these websites. But using a metasearch engine (a search engine that searches every website you add) will be a better experience. Check out our [Advanced Search/Metasearch Guide]

Seeding

You should be encouraged to leave the torrent in the "seeding" state for a while after the download is completed. Remember, in BitTorrent people download files from other people's computers. By seeding, you are sharing the file you just downloaded with the others.

Downloading apps blindly can be dangerous

Don't run .exe files disguised as movies. If you are downloading an app, only download apps from trustworthy "distributors". Look for online posts about a distributor before downloading their torrents

High number of seeders usually indicate trustworthyness. Since if people got viruses from the torrent, they wouldn't be willing to help the said torrent

For example a torrent could be named Fun.Game.3.MULTi13-ElAesistril. In this case you should search "Is ElAesistril trustworthy?" before downloading and running it. You should seek real people's comments which is mostly on reddit and other forums