It’s certainly not uncommon to want to download torrents on your iPhone. Torrents are a popular form of file distribution, and the iPhone is one of the most popular devices in the world. The two should go hand-in-hand.
The truth isn’t really that simple, though. Torrents may be popular, but they’re highly controversial. The iPhone may be popular, but it’s also designed to block many services that Apple doesn’t approve of.
However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to download torrents for your iPhone using just your iPhone. It just means that the process isn’t as easy as downloading just about any other file out there.
Before we dive into how you pull this off, it’s important for you to understand more about torrents. They’re a fascinating piece of technology, but they carry complications that other file formats do not.
What Is an iPhone Torrent?
Explaining what a torrent is can be tricky. In reality, it’s not that different from any other file you download. The difference is that torrents don’t technically contain the information you’re downloading.
Instead, a torrent provides a kind of digital buffer between you and what you’re trying to access. Basically, downloading a torrent is like putting a knob on a door. It lets you get where you are trying to go.
What Happens When I Download A Torrent?
The answer to this question can depend on a few things, but the basic process tends to remain the same.
A torrent allows you to open a door to where you want to go, but you still won’t be able to find what you need on the other side. At least not by yourself. This is why most torrents are downloaded via a P2P network. They allow you to connect to other users who have what you’re downloading and download it from them.
This is where downloading a torrent is oddly similar to downloading a normal file. The biggest difference is that you’re getting it from a collective of users rather than a single host or source. This leads us to the next logical question:
What Are Good Torrent Downloading Services and Sites?
For the purposes of downloading on iOS, you really won’t need to know about popular services. We’ll talk more about that later. However, uTorrent is the most popular service for desktops and other platforms.
As far as sites go, here are some of the most popular ones out there:
ThePirateBay – The site’s URL may change, but their goal stays the same. This site is one of the largest, most important, and most controversial in the history of the internet. It’s the gold standard for torrenting.
RARBG – A fantastic source for movies and TV shows, but a bit lacking in other areas.
1337X – A popular and long-standing service that may be the best second look out there if other sites don’t have what you’re looking for.
YTS.AM – Here’s another site that really works best for simple entertainment files but is generally quite good. Check it out if you’re looking for such things.
What Are the Advantages/Disadvantages of Downloading a Torrent?
Torrents offer several practical advantages to traditional downloads.
+ Because torrents are downloaded from a collective, there is less chance of something going wrong with the file’s source.
+ Torrent files usually download faster because you’re only downloading pieces of it at a time from different sources.
+ There are tons of torrents out there and many people to download them from.
+ If your torrent download is interrupted, you can restart it from where you left off.
While Torrents offer quite a few advantages, they also suffer from some setbacks that anyone looking to download them needs to be aware of.
– Torrents can be difficult to verify. This increases the risk of downloading a virus.
– If people aren’t hosting the file you want, it’s going to make it much more difficult to download it.
– Downloading torrents exposes your IP address. This means that your private information can potentially be exposed through a torrent download.
– That’s the “back of the box” description of torrents. Now, let’s get to what you’re really wondering.
What are the Real Advantages of Torrents?
The biggest reason that people use torrents is because torrents allow you to download pretty much everything.
That means that you can download games, movies, expensive software, and pretty much anything else you can dream of through torrents. That probably sounds a little shady (more on that later), but torrents have their advantage. Not only do they help keep large software providers honest, but they help preserve media that is otherwise unavailable elsewhere.
Actually, one of the biggest advantages to torrents is that they’re community-driven. The torrent community is large, active, and typically adapts faster than even major technology providers. The torrent format is ideal in many ways for downloading even “legal” files.
What are the Real Disadvantages of Torrents? Are they Illegal?
Torrents themselves aren’t illegal. That is to say that it’s not illegal to have a torrent downloader and not every torrent is illegal to download.
However, it is illegal to download certain copyrighted software via torrents. Basically, it’s illegal to freely download anything that you’d usually have to pay for. That’s a gross oversimplification, but it give you an idea of what you’re dealing with.
So yes, it is possible that someone could catch you downloading a torrent and fine you or take you to court. Some internet providers even crack down on this. The odds aren’t great of that happening, but it’s not impossible.
There’s also the issue of viruses. Many people choose to spread viruses through torrents. Again, the P2P nature of downloads makes it that much easier to spread a virus. This often means that you’ll need to read the comments of files you’re about to download. It also means that you need to be wary of files that don’t have many users “seeding” the file. You’ll also have to be cautious regarding which sites you download torrents from.
How Do I Protect Myself While Downloading an iPhone Torrent?
The short answer is: get a VPN.
We’ve talked extensively about VPNs before, and have even recommended a few. In the case of torrents, VPNs allow you to disguise your IP address. When you download a torrent with a VPN, you can do so using a “fake” IP address that is difficult to trace back to you.
Many VPNs also offer additional torrent benefits. Along with antivirus features (which many modern VPNs have), they also allow you to access a greater variety of content. It’s gotten to the point where many torrent downloaders advise you to use a VPN before you ever download a torrent.
We’ll echo that advice. Download a VPN now (free or premium) even if you’re confident in the torrents that you’re going to be downloading.
Which VPNs are Best for Torrents?
As noted above, we’ve covered some of the best VPNs currently available. You should check that list out if you’re looking for the best options.
However, IP Vanish is really one of the best VPNs out there for torrentors. It’s built with advanced torrenting features that other services just don’t boast. It’s also a bit complicated and doesn’t feature the best interface.
If you’re looking for something a little easier to use, HideMe has been well-received by the torrenting community. Its advanced security features make it that much easier to hide your IP and protect your device.
Is it Possible to Download a Torrent on an iPhone? How Do I do it?
It is, but the process is tricky.
The problem is that Apple doesn’t let you download torrent apps on your iPhone. While this is certainly understandable, it does create a logistical problem. If you can’t find a torrent downloader, then you can’t be expected to download a torrent the traditional way.
This leaves you with one of two viable options: Jailbreak or Web Clients
Downloading a Torrent Through Jailbreaking
Officially, we’re not going to break down this method due to the nature of the process. It not only violates your warranty but can permanently brick your device.
For information’s sake, though, it must be mentioned that it is possible to jailbreak your iPhone in a way that allows you to download all kinds of apps and services. With a jailbroken iPhone, you can simply download torrent download programs and download torrents as you normally would.
While information on how to jailbreak your iPhone is out there, we recommend not pursuing it. That’s especially true if you’re only planning on downloading torrents. The risks just outweigh the rewards.
Using Web Clients With iDownloader
Some people argue over the validity of this method, but it offers some advantages.
Basically, you can download an app called iDownloader that allows you to (kind of) download torrents. From there, use the app to go to whichever torrent site you wish to download from and find the torrent you want. Copy the download link for that torrent, and go to zbigz.com using the app’s browser. Paste the link there, choose download on the link it spits out, and you should be able to access the file.
It’s also possible to use services like Seedr.cc, Filestream.me, or Torrentsafe in conjunction with iDownloader to accomplish relatively the same thing. The idea is the same: you’re using these sites as an alternative to traditional downloaders.
What’s the problem? Well, the app itself can be a bit hit and miss. This method also disregards some of the advantages of downloading torrents (namely the P2P benefits). There’s also the matter of VPN protection. Downloading torrents through this method makes it harder to utilize VPNs. Of course, it also subverts some of the pitfalls you might need a VPN for.
All things considered, this isn’t a bad way to go if you’re desperate.
iPhone Torrents, In Conclusion:
The fact of the matter is that torrents have many uses, but their most common uses are less than official. If you’re planning on using torrents for potentially illegal downloads, you need to protect yourself as well as understand exactly what you’re getting into.
However, it’s not a bad idea to know how to download them on your iPhone in general. The uses for torrents grows a little each day. Should there come a time when you find yourself in need of one, it certainly won’t hurt to have the right resources and knowledge.
