Magnet link how does it work

When magnet links first came out, not all torrent clients supported them, but now you can use magnet links with just about any semi-popular torrent client out there—including our favorites uTorrent , Transmission , and Deluge , among others, so you shouldn't notice a problem with that.

The main reason torrent sites are moving toward magnet links—apart from convenience to the user—is that these links probably free torrent sites like The Pirate Bay from legal trouble. Since The Pirate Bay won't be hosting files that link to copyrighted content—that is, the torrent files—it's more difficult to claim the site is directly enabling the downloading of copyrighted material. Whether this semantic leap actually protects torrent sites remains to be seen, but for now, you can sleep soundly knowing that the sites will stick around for awhile longer and that your torrents will take one less click to get started.

If you want to read more about magnet links, check out the Wikipedia page on the subject. So, for the galleywho of people commenting on this article - and yes, I made that word up - here are the pros and cons. Using magnet links makes it nearly impossible for a government read: SOPA to stop the distribution of files.

As it stands now,. By clicking sign up, you agree to receive emails from Techopedia and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. A magnet link is a type of hyperlink that enables the downloading of files and data from P2P sharing networks, particularly torrent networks.

It works in a server-less environment and contains all the information a torrent client requires to download a specific file. It is preferable to a. A magnet link replaces a. Once the user clicks a magnet link, its data is sent to the desktop torrent client software, which automatically starts the download. A magnet link is also important in safely facilitating the compliance of online file sharing services, including copyright regulation, as the link does not actually provide the file but points to its location.

And with broader support from BitTorrent clients and indexers, magnet links will eventually replace. Update : As of January , The Pirate Bay has switched to magnet links as the default option and may use magnet links exclusively eventually. Most BitTorrent clients also support magnet links now. On February 28, , The Pirate Bay started using magnet links exclusively. Softpedia Homepage. BitTorrent Magnet Links Explained. Magnet links are slowly replacing. Magnet links Magnet links though are just links, they have no files associated with them just data.

Current limitations In practice, since the technology is still being actively developed, some kinks still creep up. BitTorrent file sharing magnet links uTorrent Pirate Bay. This is what you should try to use. The magnet link can be copied for further use with a Torrent client any torrent downloader software.

It can also be copied into browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or any other custom browser. Here the magnet link info hash has been copy-pasted into qBittorent, a desktop torrent client. But we will see the same examples with different browsers. Before downloading a magnet link using a desktop client, you have to take care of this feature in the installation summary. Whether you install your torrent client on Windows, Mac, or Linux, ensure that you have enabled access to magnet links.

In this section we will learn how to download magnet links on any browser of your choice. The essential techniques are the same, but the procedure slightly differs according to the browser. Such examples are particularly useful if your torrent client is not supported by Windows To download magnet links on Chrome and Edge, you can alternatively use an extension called JSTorrent.

To open magnet links in Firefox, you again find a torrent file you want to download, and a pop-up should appear asking you which program usually your Bittorrent client you want to open the file with. To reset the association and get the dialog to appear again, do the following. In the Firefox address bar, enter about:config , then search for network.