How Safe Is Utorrent
What is Torrenting? Is it Safe? Is it illegal? Will you be caught?
Looking to find out more about torrenting? We explain exactly what torrenting is, how to torrent safely, and what to do if you get caught.
@pabischoff UPDATED: April 8, 2021
Three questions I’m often asked are: Is torrenting safe, is torrenting legal, and what happens if I get caught? This post answers those questions and looks at the methods torrenters use to stay safe and anonymous.
What is Torrenting?
Torrenting is the act of downloading and uploading files through the BitTorrent network. Instead of downloading files to a central server, torrenting involves downloading files from other users’ devices on the network. Conversely, users upload files from their own devices for other users to download.
Torrenting is the most popular form of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing, and it requires torrent management software to connect to the BitTorrent network. Such software can be downloaded for free for a number of different devices.
Everyone downloading or uploading the same file is called a peer, and collectively they are known as a swarm. Because of how BitTorrent works, a peer can download a file from several other users at once, or upload a file to multiple other users simultaneously.
Torrenting is often associated with piracy because it’s frequently used to share files that are protected by copyright, including movies, games, music, and software. However, torrenting has many legitimate uses as well, such as lessening the load on centralized servers by distributing the hosting burden among users.
Torrenting safety and legality: In short
Is torrenting legal or illegal? Torrenting itself isn’t illegal, but downloading unsanctioned copyrighted material is. It’s not always immediately apparent which content is legal to torrent and which isn’t. Some fall in a gray area, so you may find yourself unwittingly on the wrong side of the law.
Your internet service provider (ISP) and copyright trolls monitoring the BitTorrent network can take action if they catch you illegally torrenting. This can range from a warning letter and throttling (slowing down) of your internet connection speeds to legal action – although the latter is increasingly rare.
Digital privacy-conscious torrenters will use VPN services, or virtual private networks, to keep their internet activity hidden from their ISP. With a wide range of applications, some VPNs are better suited for torrenting than others. If you want to keep your ISP from snooping on your activity, choose a VPN connection that: a) doesn’t keep a log of your activity, b) isn’t based in a country where the legal system can be used to demand customer records, and c) is fast enough that it won’t slow entire downloads. We’ve rounded up the providers that fit these criteria and others in our list of the best torrenting VPN services.
How to torrent safely
It is relatively simple to torrent safely and keep your online activity private. Note that while a VPN for torrenting will keep your activity private and safe from prying eyes you may still be susceptible to malware from some public torrent sites. Follow these 5 steps to torrent privately with a VPN.
Here’s how to torrent safely:
Download and install a VPN matching the criteria mentioned above. We recommend NordVPN.
Enable your VPN’s kill switch, if it has one.
Connect to a VPN server, preferably in a P2P-friendly country
Once the connection is established, open your torrent client and start downloading as usual
Your online activity is now encrypted by your VPN
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Torrenting without a VPN
Torrenting without a VPN means your internet service provider (ISP) can see your online activity including the sites you visit and the content you view. In certain countries, including the US, ISPs are allowed to share this information with third parties including intellectual property owners. A VPN will keep your online activity private from your ISP.
Is uTorrent safe?
uTorrent is the official torrent client from the creators of the BitTorrent protocol. It is proprietary—not open source—software maintained by a legal US company. Like BitTorrent, the uTorrent software itself is legal, although it can be used for digital piracy. The official uTorrent is free of malware and can be used safely and privately in combination with a VPN. It does not, however, prevent users from downloading malicious files that can infect their device.
In detail
The BitTorrent protocol rose to become the most popular medium for peer-to-peer file sharing in the world after the demise of centralized services like Napster and Limewire. Unlike those services, torrenting is almost completely decentralized save for the trackers that allow users to search and download torrent files and magnet links. Torrent files and magnet links are used to find other users on the network who host the desired file or files but do not actually host those files for downloading.
Is BitTorrent safe and legal?
The BitTorrent protocol is not in itself illegal or unsafe. It is just the means to share any type of file, and plenty of legal torrenting services do exist. The most popular torrent trackers, such as ThePirateBay and KickassTorrents, however, operate in a legal grey area, offering users free access to copyrighted content. Sharing and downloading copyrighted content by BitTorrent, or other means, is illegal in many countries and can be unsafe since sites including KickassTorrents have been shown to host malware.
These trackers would argue that they simply find and organize information that is already out there, and they do not illegally host any copyrighted content on their own servers. Just like the BitTorrent protocol itself, they are the means to an end. Not everyone is convinced. Major trackers have come under heavy legal scrutiny from content creators and distributors who argue the trackers enable and encourage theft.
The blame ultimately shifts to the users, the millions of individuals who host files on their personal computers, downloading and uploading movies, games, software, music, ebooks, and more. Users connected to the same tracker are called peers, and they fall into two categories. A leech uses a torrent file or magnet link to download the file from other users on the network who already have the file. These users who already have the file are called seeds. When a leech is finished downloading a file (or even just part of a file), he or she becomes a seed, allowing other leeches to download the file from his or her computer. As a general rule, it’s considered proper pirate etiquette to seed as much as you leech.
Comparitech does not condone or encourage any violation of copyright law or restrictions. Please consider the law, victims, and risks of copyright piracy before downloading copyrighted material without permission.
Legally speaking, seeding and leeching copyrighted material fall into different criminal categories. Think of it like buying illegal drugs: purchasing the drugs for personal use is definitely a crime, but a relatively minor one. Turning around and selling those drugs to others is a much more serious offense. Finding the original source of the drugs, or in this case the HD rip of the new Avengers movie, would be the best case scenario for law enforcement, but that isn’t always possible. The trackers act as the shady back alley marketplaces where all of these transactions go down, but they don’t personally handle any of the drugs.
What happens if you are caught torrenting?
The prosecution of torrent users has been sporadic. The chances of actually going to court or having to pay a settlement are pretty slim, but the penalties can be extremely high. The frequency of copyright holders suing torrenters for copyright infringement peaked in the late 2000s. Copyright pirates were sued for wildly disproportionate amounts of money, and most settled out of court.
These public scare tactics shone poorly on the recording and movie industries because they were portrayed as petty millionaires bullying poor college students. Direct lawsuits are much less common these days, but the campaign against torrenters is far from over.
Copyright trolls
Now the job of going after individual copyright pirates has been outsourced to a growing number of small businesses known as copyright trolls. These companies locate torrenters who illegally download copyrighted content through their real IP addresses. They then approach the copyright owners and sign a deal that lets them take legal action on their behalf. Others are hired directly by Hollywood production companies to sniff out pirates.
With legal leverage and a list of names, the copyright trolls then go after torrenters via mail, email, or even by going door to door and handing out settlement letters. These letters are not legally binding documents or injunctions. Copyright trolls use intimidation, fear, and shame to make torrenters pay without ever going to court. A common tactic is to threaten to sue for over $100, 000 but only ask for $3, 000 or so in the settlement. That makes the $3, 000 look like a good deal, but going to court is costly and risky for them, so don’t give in if you receive such a letter.
What to do if you receive a settlement letter
The most common way to receive a settlement letter is through your internet provider. A copyright troll will go through the court system to subpoena your ISP and force it to email customers with a legal threat and hand over personal details.
According to US law, an IP address is not a person. If you were contacted through your ISP, chances are that’s because the copyright troll doesn’t know your actual identity yet. If the letter doesn’t contain any identifying information on you, keep it that way and do nothing. Your case could be dismissed before the date that your ISP is set to reveal your personal details to the troll. If you respond and identify yourself, that gives the troll a more direct means of targeting you.
This is a game of probability for copyright trolls. If they send out 1, 000 threatening emails and 50 people reply, they only need a handful to actually cough up money to make it worth their time. Chances are it’s more cost effective for them to move on to the next swarm of torrenters than pursue the remaining 950 people.
If things escalate and you decide to take action, lawyer up. Here’s a list of attorneys compiled by the Electronic Frontier Foundation that specialize in these sorts of cases.
ISP penalties
Depending on your ISP, it may take actions against you on its own behalf. That could mean throttling your internet connection or threatening to hand over personal details to a copyright troll. Why does your ISP even care? Because torrenting takes up a lot of bandwidth, and that bandwidth costs ISPs money. On top of that, an ISP could be receiving kickbacks from content owners and their associates.
How to protect yourself
To avoid any legal ramifications, it’s best to simply not torrent. However, if you insist on torrenting, take the time to protect your online privacy and keep copyright trolls at bay.
Use a VPN when torrenting
The best way to torrent safely is by using a VPN. A VPN accomplishes two things: first, it re-routes all your internet traffic through a server in a location of your choosing, which changes your real IP address to one used by hundreds or thousands of other people (assuming your VPN uses shared IP addresses, which most do). This adds a significant layer of anonymity and makes it much more difficult for anyone to track you. Second, a VPN encrypts all your torrent traffic before it leaves your computer. That means your ISP cannot monitor your internet activity, nor can anyone else. And because all your traffic heads to the VPN server first, ISPs can’t even tell where it’s going.
Using a quality VPN is key; don’t settle for a “free” service or VPNs that log your activity, cap your bandwidth and data, or don’t provide sufficient DNS leak protection. Not all VPNs tolerate torrenting. You can check out our list of the best VPNs for torrenting here, which are services with fast download speeds and a focus on online privacy, security and anonymity like NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN among others.
Other alternatives
If you don’t want to pay for a VPN, you might be considering Tor. Tor is similar to a VPN in that it routes your traffic through several volunteer “nodes” while encrypting traffic. We recommend a VPN over Tor for a couple reasons. First, Tor is slow, and usually best for simple browsing and other low-bandwidth activity. Second, connecting to Tor could actually draw more attention from your ISP and law enforcement, as it’s a well-known tool for hackers and criminals.
Another popular app among torrenters is Peerblock. Peerblock is a desktop firewall with a regularly updated blacklist of IP addresses. These IP addresses belong to entities that try to track your activity online, especially on peer-to-peer networks. Unfortunately, the blacklist is only updated once upon installation. After that, users must pay to keep them updated. Even if you’re willing to pay, it’s unlikely that the blacklist could contain every possible IP address for copyright trolls, universities, and law enforcement. A copyright troll just needs to connect to the swarm–all the devices connected to a single torrent–with an IP that isn’t on that blacklist to get your IP address.
Usenet
Instead of torrenting, another alternative is Usenet. Usenet is a paid service-usually between $10 and $20 per month–where you download files from centralized servers instead of a network of peers. Usenet downloads are much, much faster; often as fast as your ISP can handle. Usenet is more private as well. The connections take place between you and the provider’s network of servers, and the best providers offer an SSL-encrypted connection. Some even throw in VPNs for good measure. Torrents, on the other hand, require that you share at least some identifying information to connect to the tracker and peers.
Finally, downloading a Usenet file doesn’t mean you have to seed it for other internet users afterward. Legally, this makes you less of a target because you’re not supplying strangers with copyrighted content, at the same time consuming fewer computer resources and internet bandwidth.
Usenet providers make files available for a certain number of days. How many depends on the provider, but the standard is 1, 200 days after the original posting. Until that time is up, users have full access to that file. Torrents only stay up as long as people seed the file.
We’ve rounded up some of the best Usenet providers here.
Public vs private trackers
A “tracker” is like a search engine that indexes files on the BitTorrent network. Trackers can be private or public, and the former usually requires an invitation from an existing member.
ThePirateBay, KickassTorrents, and Demonoid are all examples of public trackers. Anyone can just go to their respective websites and search without logging in or requiring any sort of authentication. Likewise, anyone can upload files for others to download. These uploads are not moderated, so users must judge whether a download is safe and accurate based on comments and the reputation of the uploader.
Private trackers are more exclusive both in terms of who can upload and who can download within a group. They vary wildly in terms of content and quality, but many members of private trackers attest that they have higher quality files, faster downloads, longer retention, and an overall more consistent and safe experience.
The law views private trackers the same as public trackers. Internet piracy is piracy whether you do it in public or within a private group.
Streaming vs torrenting
Many people have moved away from downloading entire files through BitTorrent and opt instead to stream video content either on their web browsers or through customized programs like Kodi. When it comes to safety and the law, what’s the difference?
Legally speaking, you’re probably still breaking the law when you stream illegal content from a pirated source. However, this depends largely on your country. In the UK, it’s outright illegal. In India, a court ruled that it is absolutely not illegal. In the US, it’s still a grey area, as there’s been no precedent of anyone being convicted for copyright piracy after streaming copyrighted video content from an unsanctioned source.
Those who upload the videos without compensating or asking permission from the copyright holder do so illegally. That’s pretty much standard no matter where you are.
Not only do laws tend to be more lenient toward streaming content, but it’s also more difficult for copyright trolls and law enforcement to catch users in the act. When you download a torrent, you can see the IP addresses of everyone else you’re uploading to or downloading from. But streaming transmits a video directly from a website to your device, with no third parties involved.
Don’t get too comfortable, however, as there are still risks. The website could be logging IP addresses or other information about its users, which it could then hand over to law enforcement or a copyright troll. Your ISP could monitor your activity and see that you are watching pirated content. These are risks that can be mitigated by connecting to a reputable VPN.
When it comes to security, streaming video carries just as many risks as torrenting. Websites that stream pirated content tend to be chock full of intrusive ads, malware, and phishing threats. Kodi users are subject to man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks and other threats from the add-ons they download.
More tips
As a rule of thumb, avoid downloading movies that were released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the past 60 days, especially big-hit blockbusters. That’s when movies make the vast majority of their post-box office money, after which their income significantly drops off. Copyright holders will put most of their anti-piracy resources into going after torrenters of new releases to minimize the financial damage. The same goes for TV series, shows and video games.
Users of Popcorn Time, the free movie-streaming app, should tread just as carefully as torrenters. Many Popcorn Time users don’t realize that the app actually streams directly from torrents and will even seed a file so it is uploaded to other users. All the risks associated with Popcorn Time apply in equal measure to torrenting.
Choose your torrents wisely. The most popular torrents on ThePirateBay and KickassTorrents are probably the ones being most closely monitored by copyright trolls. However, don’t pick totally unpopular ones either. Read through the comments section, where users often run virus scans on torrent downloads and post the results. They will also give you a general review of the quality.
Even if the comments are positive, run your own virus scans as well. Ideally, use multiple antivirus programs to run an array of scans, as each of their virus libraries can differ. Not all antivirus programs play nice with each other, however, so mixing two or more must be done with care. We recommend Bitdefender to scan all downloads before opening. This is especially important when downloading games and software, which are often “cracked” by the uploader. Cracks make it easier to bypass DRM schemes that validate content with the publisher, but they also make it easier to distribute hidden malware, spyware, and viruses. Check out Comparitech’s antivirus reviews section here.
Torrenting FAQ
Why did BitTorrent install adware on my computer? BitTorrent is a network and protocol used to share files, so BitTorrent itself cannot install adware on your computer.
However, the programs used to connect to the BitTorrent network and download files, called torrent managers or torrent clients, can and often do come with adware. The files you download can also contain malware and adware.
Stick to reputable torrent managers and, if prompted, refuse any offers to install additional software alongside them. These additional programs are often adware.
Likewise, be sure to only download and upload torrents you downloading a shared torrent from Google drive illegal? If you’re downloading something from Google Drive, then it’s not a torrent. It’s just a download. The file might have originally been downloaded through BitTorrent, then uploaded to Google Drive where others can download it.
Semantics aside, if the content of the file is protected by copyright, then yes, it is illegal to download pirated files from Google I just download a torrent from a public place? Most torrenters use public trackers to find and download files through BitTorrent. So in that sense, yes, you can download a torrent from a public place provided you have a torrent client installed on your device.
The files themselves are downloaded from other BitTorrent users who have downloaded the file and are now uploading it to fellow users.
Private trackers are also available and are often safer, but typically require an invitation from an existing I go to jail for torrenting? It depends on the circumstances, but no, it’s highly doubtful you would go to jail for torrenting. Most lawsuits regarding torrenting are civil suits, not criminal ones, so if a penalty is levied, it’s usually a fine or some other monetary compensation.
That being said, it also depends on what country you’re in, what you torrent, and whether you also seeded the file so it could be downloaded by other users. Check your local laws and are the risks of torrenting music? The music recording industry has, on occasion, aggressively targeted torrenters who engaged in music piracy. These days, litigation is mostly done by copyright trolls who target torrenters on behalf of recording studios. They’ll send out settlement letters demanding hundreds or even thousands of dollars to torrenters whom they can identify. They usually go through internet service providers to contact torrenters. Your ISP could throw you under the bus, and that’s not a gamble we recommend taking. By using a VPN, you can greatly reduce the risk of being identified by a copyright troll.
How Can My ISP Tell I’m Using BitTorrent? – HowToGeek
Pixabay
Many people have reported getting notices from their internet service providers after downloading files using torrents. How does your ISP know? It’s all in how BitTorrent works. BitTorrent is a lot less anonymous than it might seem at a glance.
How Do Torrents Work?
An internet download involves receiving data from a remote server. Aside from the initial request you send out to get the file, most downloads are a one-way street. You receive the data from a central server, and you don’t have to send out something from your server. Loading up web pages, watching videos online, and downloading games on Steam all work in this way.
However, if too many IP addresses download from the same server at the same time, it may get clogged and cause a dip in download speed.
Torrents differ from typical internet downloads because they follow a peer-to-peer protocol. A torrent “swarm” is a group of IP addresses simultaneously downloading and uploading a file. Instead of just downloading a file from a server somewhere, you also upload parts of it to other people. Because of this constant process of exchange, a file associated with a torrent often downloads significantly faster than a standard download.
BitTorrent is frequently used for piracy. However, there are many legitimate uses for torrenting. Because they can be paused, resumed, and split up into smaller parts, they’re ideal for downloading large files such as games, software, plugin packs, and updates. They’re also a common distribution method for free music and videos.
RELATED: How Does BitTorrent Work?
What Your ISP Can See
Malte Lu/Pexels
Your internet service provider can’t instantly tell if you’re using BitTorrent, nor can they tell what you’re downloading on it. Most torrent clients have some form of encryption, which makes it harder for ISPs (and your home router) to pin down that BitTorrent traffic. However, there are some ways they can tell that you’re using BitTorrent to download something.
Downloading torrents exhibits some very obvious usage patterns, such as multiple concurrent upload streams and many different TCP (transmission control protocol) connections, because you’re communicating with many IPs at the same time. If your ISP is actively trying to detect torrent use, they will most likely be able to tell.
Another way they can do it is by contracting third-parties to monitor groups of torrents, and check if an IP address under them shows up on the list of users on that swarm.
However, most ISPs don’t have a direct interest in stopping you from using torrents. The main reason they would pay attention is that torrents consume a lot of bandwidth, but with the rise of high-speed wired connections, this is less of a problem than it used to be. However, some providers such as WiFi ISPs and mobile networks may throttle (slow) your connection if you download large files using torrents.
Media Companies and Copyrighted Files
So if ISPs don’t care that you’re using their service to download files using BitTorrent, why do people get letters telling them to stop using it?
If you’re downloading a torrent, you can see every IP address you’re connected to. That’s why many media companies and large copyright holders join the swarm of popular torrents of their content that’s been pirated. They then extract lists of IP addresses that they know are downloading the file, and sort these lists by ISP.
They can then send notices to internet service providers that these IP addresses under them are downloading pirated material. Your ISP then sends a notification to you, telling you that they know you’re using BitTorrent and asking you to stop pirating. If you repeatedly do it, your internet may get cut off or worse; the copyright owner may sue you. This is especially true if a media conglomerate owns your ISP.
There is little to no risk of getting one of these letters if all of the content you download using torrents is legal. Many legitimate software launchers use a torrent protocol to make downloading their software updates faster.
Do VPNs Hide My Torrent Use?
VPNs or Virtual Private Networks allow you to connect to another network online remotely. When you connect to a VPN, your IP address and location are obfuscated behind the network you’re connected to. Many people use VPNs to browse the internet more securely or to access region-locked content.
When you download a torrent via a VPN, it appears as if the new IP address is the peer. However, not all VPNs are created equal. Free VPNs usually are extremely slow and have inconsistent connections, making them unreliable for downloading large files. A paid VPN offers much better security, and speeds are often close to your actual internet connection plan.
You should also note that for most BitTorrent clients, torrents continue to upload or “seed” even after you’re done downloading the file. If you disconnect from your VPN before you stop the torrent from seeding, your actual IP address may appear on the list of peers.
RELATED: What Is a VPN, and Why Would I Need One?
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How to Safely Download Torrents (with Pictures) – wikiHow
Download Article
Downloading torrents is one of the easiest ways to get any file you want. Unfortunately, the nature of torrent transfers means it’s very easy to get viruses, or to get caught transferring illegal content. If you take some precautions, you can significantly decrease your risk of virus infection and mitigate the risk of getting caught
1
Ensure that you have an antivirus installed. A good antivirus will help protect against malicious torrents. Windows comes with Windows Defender, which is perfectly sufficient for catching most viruses. You can enable Windows Defender from the Control Panel as long as you don’t have any other antivirus program installed. If you’d prefer, you can install a third-party antivirus instead, such as BitDefender or Kaspersky. Regardless of what you choose, you should only have one antivirus program installed at a time.
See How to Install an Antivirus for instructions on picking and installing an antivirus program.
2Look for torrents with lots of seeders. Lots of seeders generally means that the torrent is free from viruses. This is because others have checked and found no viruses, and then start sharing it. While this certainly is not a guarantee, it can help you whittle down the list. A lot of seeders will also result in a faster transfer.
3Check the comments before downloading. This isn’t a bullet-proof solution, but the comments section of the torrent can help you determine if it contains any viruses. If there are a lot of comments but nothing about a potential virus, then chances are better that it doesn’t have one. If lots of comments talk about viruses, you probably want to avoid that torrent.
4Avoid file types that are prone to viruses. Try not to download torrents for programs, as executable files (EXE, BAT) are the most common way of transmitting viruses. Cracked programs are the most dangerous files you can download through torrents.
5Join a private torrent community. If you can get an invite to a private torrent community, you’re much less likely to get a torrent with a virus. This is because the torrents are all created and shared by members of that community, so they should be much more trustworthy. It can be difficult to get into a private community, as you usually need to know someone who can give you an invite. The best way to do this is to be active in various online communities and befriend someone that has access to a torrent community.
1Understand how torrents connect. When you download a torrent file, your IP address is public to anyone else sharing that torrent. This is essential in order for the torrent client to connect to other users, but makes you vulnerable to organizations that track torrent traffic. These include your internet service provider (ISP) and copyright enforcement agencies. There are several steps you can take to minimize your risk or prevent your ISP from throttling your speed. [1]
2
Install PeerBlock. PeerBlock is a program that blocks the IP addresses of known torrent trackers. It prevents your computer from being able to connect to these IP addresses, essentially blocking them from taking part in your torrent traffic. This isn’t a surefire way to avoid getting caught, and your ISP will still be able to tell that you’re transferring torrents. Still, it is a quick and easy way to minimize a lot of the risk of getting a threatening letter from the RIAA or MPAA.
You can download PeerBlock for free from Follow the prompts to install PeerBlock and launch it. It will automatically work in the background and prevent connections to known bad IP addresses. Use the “P2P” list from Bluetack for basic torrent protection when prompted during initial setup.
3
Consider a VPN service. To truly anonymize your torrent traffic, you’ll want to sign up for a VPN (Virtual Private Network). This will set you back a few dollars a month, but will hide your traffic from any prying eyes. Your ISP will not be able to tell that you’re transferring torrent data, and will not throttle your connection. Organizations that track IP addresses will not be able to see your real IP, and will not be able to send you cease and desist letters. [2]
There are a few drawbacks to VPN services. Obviously, they aren’t free, so you’ll need to balance the cost versus the benefits. Your speed will decrease, as traffic will be sent to the VPN server first and then to you. Since you’ll likely be connecting to a VPN in another country, you could see significant decreases in speed. Finally, VPN services may still keep records that they can give to enforcement agencies, but you can find services that don’t keep logs.
4
Pick and sign up for a VPN service. There are a variety of different VPN services out there, all with different pricing structures and privacy policies. Make sure to read the fine print of the VPNs that you’re interested. You’ll want to look out for VPN services that keep detailed logs. Also, not all VPN services allow torrent traffic. Some of the more popular VPN services are listed below, but there are countless more that can be found with a quick Google search. Avoid free VPNs and proxies, as they may be unsafe. Many paid VPNs operate out of the US due to the lax data retention laws. [3]
ExpressVPN
NordVPN
CyberGhost
Surf Shark
Private Internet Access
TorGuard
IPVanish
IVPN
5Find your VPN connection information. When you sign up for a VPN service, you’ll be given information you need in order to connect. This includes the VPN server address, as well as your username and password. You may need to log into the VPN website in order to find this information.
6Open your torrent client. Once you’ve signed up for a VPN service, you’ll need to configure your torrent client to connect to it.
7Open the Options or Preferences menu. You’ll usually find this in the Tools or Options menu at the top of the torrent client.
8Click the “Connection” tab. This will allow you to adjust your connection settings, including adding your VPN connection information.
9Select the VPN type in the “Type” menu, in the “Proxy Server” section. Most VPNs will use SOCKS5. Double-check your VPN connection information if you aren’t sure.
10
Enter in the VPN address and port. You’ll find this connection information when you log into your VPN’s website. Many VPNs offer different servers that you can connect to, which can increase your connection speed.
Make sure “Use proxy for peer connections” is checked.
11Start downloading torrents. Once your VPN service is configured, you’ll be able to start downloading torrents more anonymously. No VPN can be 100% anonymous, but you’ll significantly decrease the risks you face by using one. [4]
Add New Question
Question
I’m downloading a. torrent file for a hackintosh. Is this legal or safe? I don’t know the number of seeders or peers.
Blake Foster
Community Answer
Most torrenting clients should show you the number of seeders that are in that torrent. Before you download the torrent, check the files that you are downloading. If any of them have a or file extension, then it’s probably not safe. But that is up to you to decide.
Can you recommend any other clients if my antivirus software removes Utorrent as malware?
I’ve never had that problem, but I’ve never used anything other than version 2. 2. 1. A tracker site I use has blacklisted anything newer than 3. 3. If you have anything released after that, you might want to switch. Google “older versions of uTorrent” and you should be able to pull something up. If you still have that problem, you’ll probably have it for all torrent clients. Either add the client to your exceptions list, or switch to Avira (which is an excellent antivirus software).
How do I search for a torrent file?
If you are trying to search for a torrent on a torrent website, there will most likely be a search bar in which you can type what you would like to download. If you can’t find your torrent that you download in your file explorer, just type the title of the torrent in the search bar in your file explorer. If you are still haveing a problem, I suggest you use Utorrent. With Utorrent you can choose where you would like the file to be placed once it’s downloaded. First, right click on the torrent and then hover over Advanced. There should be a option where you can choose the location of where you would like your torrent to be downloaded.
I can’t find my VPN proxy. What should I do?
RandomAir BGM
Search the taskbar for your open VPN software. If you are using an extension on a browser, then it is located on the top right corner of your browser.
Should I use TOR to hide what I’m downloading?
Most free software offering VPNs do not offer great quality or many features. But you can use it if you insist.
What torrents are safe? Can I down load torrents with games on them?
Sadly, there isn’t a list of torrents which are 100% safe, but using the methods above, you should probably be safe. You can download torrents with games on them legally if for example the game is free or it is open source. However, it is best to download games from a server.
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Downloading copyrighted files without permission from the copyright owners is against the law (unless it is protected by fair use).
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Frequently Asked Questions about how safe is utorrent
Can you be tracked through uTorrent?
Your internet service provider can’t instantly tell if you’re using BitTorrent, nor can they tell what you’re downloading on it. Most torrent clients have some form of encryption, which makes it harder for ISPs (and your home router) to pin down that BitTorrent traffic.Nov 18, 2019
How do I know if uTorrent is safe?
Most torrenting clients should show you the number of seeders that are in that torrent. Before you download the torrent, check the files that you are downloading. If any of them have a .exe or . bat file extension, then it’s probably not safe.
