How to download torrents

New to torrents? The RarBg only indexes torrent and magnet links; the files themselves come from other people running a torrent client, so you need a client installed first.

How torrents work

Instead of one server sending you a file, a torrent splits the file into small pieces that you download from many people at once. People who have the whole file are seeders; people still downloading are leechers. More seeders usually means a faster, more reliable download. Once you finish, your client shares the pieces back, which keeps the swarm alive, so please seed for a while.

Download in 5 steps

1. Install a torrent client from the list for your system below (qBittorrent is a good default).
2. Find a torrent on The RarBg with the search box and open its page. Check the seeders count and the file list.
3. Click Magnet download (opens your client directly) or .torrent file (saves a small .torrent file).
4. Pick a folder when your client asks where to save, then press OK.
5. Wait for 100%. The files appear in that folder. Leave the client running a little longer to seed back.

Windows

Recommended: qBittorrent

1. Download the installer from qbittorrent.org (always use the official site).
2. Run the installer. When asked, tick Associate with magnet links so the Magnet download button works.
3. Open qBittorrent, then click a magnet link on The RarBg. Confirm the save location and click OK.

Other good Windows clients: BiglyBT, Tixati, Deluge, Vuze, WebTorrent Desktop. See the comparison table.

macOS

Recommended: Transmission or qBittorrent

1. Download Transmission (lightweight, native) or qBittorrent. Homebrew users: brew install --cask transmission or brew install --cask qbittorrent.
2. Drag the app into Applications and open it. If macOS says it is from an unidentified developer, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway.
3. To make magnet links open the client by default, set it as the handler for magnet: links (Transmission: Preferences → General → Default for magnet links).

Linux

Desktop

• Ubuntu / Debian / Mint: sudo apt install qbittorrent or sudo apt install transmission-gtk
• Fedora: sudo dnf install qbittorrent or sudo dnf install transmission
• Arch / Manjaro: sudo pacman -S qbittorrent or sudo pacman -S transmission-gtk
• Any distro (Flatpak): flatpak install flathub org.qbittorrent.qBittorrent

Servers, NAS and the command line

• transmission-daemon: sudo apt install transmission-daemon, then control it from a browser or with transmission-remote.
• qbittorrent-nox: headless qBittorrent with a web interface: sudo apt install qbittorrent-nox.
• aria2: aria2c "magnet:?xt=urn:btih:..." downloads straight from a magnet link.
• rTorrent (terminal UI) and Deluge (daemon + thin client) are popular on seedboxes.

Android

1. Install a client from Google Play or F-Droid: LibreTorrent (open source), Flud, or BiglyBT Android.
2. Open a magnet link in your browser. Android asks which app should handle it; choose your torrent app and tap Always.
3. Choose a download folder. Large downloads are best on Wi-Fi with battery optimisation turned off for the app.

iPhone & iPad

Apple does not allow full BitTorrent clients on iOS and iPadOS, so no app downloads torrents directly on the device. Workable options:

• Remote control: run qBittorrent, Transmission or Deluge on a PC, Mac, NAS or Raspberry Pi and add magnet links from your phone through its web interface or a remote app.
• Cloud / seedbox services: paid services download the torrent on their servers and let you fetch the finished file over normal HTTPS.
• On iPad with a Mac: send the magnet link to your Mac with AirDrop or Universal Clipboard and let the Mac client handle it.

Torrent client comparison

Magnet links vs .torrent files

• Magnet link (magnet:?xt=urn:btih:...): a short link that identifies the torrent by its info hash. Your client fetches the details from other peers, so there is no file to save. Best for speed and convenience.
• .torrent file: a small file holding the file list and trackers. Useful if your client has no magnet support or a magnet is slow to resolve.
• Both lead to the same download. Use Copy magnet on any torrent page to share the link or paste it into a remote client.

Make downloads faster

• Choose torrents with many seeders. A torrent with 0 seeders may never finish.
• Open a port. Enable UPnP/NAT-PMP in your client, or forward its listening port on your router so more peers can reach you.
• Don't cap your upload to zero. Many peers prioritise people who share back.
• Limit active downloads to 3–5 at once so each gets full bandwidth.
• Use a wired connection or 5 GHz Wi-Fi when you can.
• Add trackers. If a magnet has few peers, a public tracker list helps your client find more.

Troubleshooting

Stuck at 0% or "Downloading metadata"

Few or no peers are reachable. Wait a few minutes, check that the torrent has seeders, make sure a firewall isn't blocking your client, and try the .torrent file instead of the magnet.

Stuck at 99%

The remaining pieces are rare. Leave it running, or force a Recheck from the right-click menu.

The magnet button does nothing

No program is registered for magnet: links. Install a client, set it as the default for magnet links, or use Copy magnet and paste it into your client.

Download is slow

See Make downloads faster. Also check that your ISP isn't throttling BitTorrent; some clients offer protocol encryption that may help.

"Disk full" or write errors

Free space on the destination drive, avoid saving to a network share, and make sure your user can write to the folder.

Stay safe

Need more help? Visit the FAQ or contact us.