How to Download from Pirate Bay

Written by Gonzalo Martinez | Edited by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: July 13, 2023 Fact Checked

Pirate Bay is ranked as one of the top torrent sites on the web. The site allows users to search, download, and upload magnet links and torrent files using BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer file-sharing protocol. To download files from Pirate Bay, you must first install a BitTorrent client, then visit Pirate Bay to search for and download the files of your choice, such as movies, television shows, music, video games, software, and more. Warning: Much of the content on Pirate Bay is copyrighted material which may be illegal and/or against your internet service provider's policy. Additionally, files downloaded through torrent may contain viruses and malware that can damage your computer. Pirate Bay often contains advertisements that contain adult content. Use Pirate Bay at your own risk.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Downloading a BitTorrent Client

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Navigate to the website for the BitTorrent client. A BitTorrent client is an application that uses a BitTorrent peer-to-peer file-sharing protocol. It is required for you to download content from Pirate Bay. Examples of BitTorrent clients you can use are μTorrent, qBittorrent, Vuze, Deluge, BitComet, and BitLord.^{[1]
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- Some BitTorrent clients (such as μTorrent) are known to sell your private data, as well as other unwanted things. It's recommended you look into what some more experienced users think about certain applications.
Click the Download button. After you navigate to a website for a Bit Torrent client, click the button to download the install file.

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Double-click the Bit Torrent Client install file. By default, files you download can be found in your Downloads folder in Windows and Mac. You can also open an install file you downloaded from within your web browser. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the install process.
- Thoroughly read through all terms and conditions, and opt out of any additional third-party services you may not want to be installed on your computer. These include browser toolbars and extensions. In many cases, these types of programs are installed as add-ons at the same time you download and install BitTorrent clients.
When the installation is complete, double-click the Bit Torrent client icon to open Bit Torrent.
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Review the current preferences and settings. The settings icon usually has an icon that resembles a gear, or they are in the Options menu. Make any changes to the settings and preferences you need.^{[2]
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- Things you may want to change include determining whether you want the client launched upon startup, indicating whether you want items to begin downloading automatically when added to the client, and choosing where you want torrent files are saved after downloading the files using the BitTorrent client, and where the downloaded files are saved to.
You can now start downloading files from Pirate Bay.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Downloading From Pirate Bay

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1
Navigate to https://thepiratebay.org/ in a web browser. You can use any web browser on PC or Mac. This is the website for Pirate Bay.
- Pirate Bay often changes its URL frequently to avoid being penalized by countries in which downloading torrents is considered illegal. If the Pirate Bay link provided fails to work, go to Google or your preferred search engine and search for “pirate bay” to find the new, updated URL for the site.
- If Pirate Bay is blocked and you cannot access the website, [[Use a VPN|use a VPN[[, a Tor browser, or a proxy website.
- There are also proxy sites that allow access to the Pirate Bay when the main website is blocked. Some proxy sites include: https://www.proxysite.com/, https://www.vpnbook.com/webproxy, and https://www.filterbypass.me/.
- It's always a good idea to use a VPN while downloading torrent files from Pirate Bay. This will help protect you from people who may try to track your activity. This includes your internet service provider and the authorities.
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Type the name of something you want to download in the search bar. You can enter the name of a movie, television show, music album, video game, ebook, or any other type of content as desired. A list of torrent files matching your search criteria will display on-screen.
- Place a checkmark next to the category of the items you want downloaded to narrow your search results. For example, to search for music videos featuring Lady Gaga, place a checkmark next to “Video” to confirm you want to view results for videos, and not audio music files.
- Alternately, click on the categories displayed above the search box to view torrents arranged by recently uploaded, top 100 torrents, TV shows, and music.
Browse the list of torrent files. You can search for your ideal file based on its file type, file size, and the number of seeders it has. Seeders are users who share files using a BitTorrent client so the files can be downloaded by other users. In most cases, the more seeders a file has, the faster that file will be downloaded to your computer.
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Click on the torrent file you want downloaded. A page featuring more details about the torrent file will display on-screen. It contains information such as the language of the file, file format, audio specs, magnet link, and comments from other users about the torrent file.
- Avoid clicking on banners and rogue “download” links when using Pirate Bay, since the site commonly hosts ads that attempt to trick users into visiting third-party websites and downloading unwanted software and programs. When downloading torrent files from Pirate Bay, stick to clicking on magnet links to have the torrent file moved to your BitTorrent client.
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Check the number of seeders. Seeders are the number of people that contain the file you want to download. A high number of seeders will ensure that you have a steady download. If there is a low number of seeders, your download may be interrupted. If there is more Leechers than Seeders, the download may be slow.
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Click on the magnet link displayed on the torrent page. It's the icon labeled as “Get This Torrent.” The torrent will be added to the BitTorrent client you installed earlier.
- When downloading torrent files, try to download files uploaded by users with skulls displayed next to their usernames. Pirate Bay assigns skulls next to trusted and active users known to upload quality files to the site.
Scan the downloaded file for viruses. Install and run antivirus or anti-malware software to your computer prior to downloading torrent files from Pirate Bay, especially if using a Windows-based computer. Sometimes, Pirate Bay users will maliciously upload viruses and malware, and disguise them as torrent files. Scan files for viruses prior to opening them by right-clicking on the file, and selecting “Scan with [antivirus software]” to determine whether a file is infected by a virus.^{[3]
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Open the torrent file in your BitTorrent client. Usually, this is done automatically. To verify this, click over to your BitTorrent client. Then click on the torrent file to highlight the torrent. If the torrent file is not added automatically, locate the torrent file on your computer and double-click it to open the file in your BitTorrent client.
- You may be asked if you want to open the BitTorrent file using your Bit Torrent client. Click the button in the pop-up to confirm you want to use your BitTorrent client.
The torrent file will begin downloading to your computer.
In most cases, your BitTorrent client will label the file as “Seeding” or “100%” to indicate the file has finished downloading. The amount of time it takes for the file to download will vary based on the file size, the number of seeders, and the speed of your Internet connection.
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Remove the torrent file from your Bit Torrent client. To do this, click on the torrent file within the BitTorrent client, then select the option to stop or remove the torrent file from the client.^{[4]
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- If you want to become a “seeder” so other users (known as leechers), can download the file from you using the BitTorrent protocol, leave the file as ”Seeding” in your BitTorrent client.
This is usually your "Downloads" folder on PC and Mac, or to the location you specified in your Bit Torrent client's settings or preferences. The torrent file you downloaded will now be displayed in the downloads folder.
This opens the file on you downloaded from Pirate Bay. You can also move the file to a USB flash drive or another device for playback and use.

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Should I use a VPN if I download from Pirate Bay?

Community Answer

Yes, you should. Find a VPN that also allows you to remain anonymous while torrenting.

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How will I know if it is illegal in my country or not?

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Basically, anything that is copyrighted and sold for money is illegal to download for free. But the exact laws may vary from country to country. In the US, there normally are not any consequences for downloading illegally; if someone gets in trouble, it's the people who put the content up for free download in the first place. If you aren't able to use a search engine to find out how things work in your country, then you can ask here, but you need to specify what your country is.

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What does the little green/red skull and crossbones mean?

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If it's next to a person's username, it means they are trusted by the site.

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Warnings

Avoid using Pirate Bay at work, around children, and around other audiences who may be sensitive to pornography and pornographic images. Pirate Bay frequently hosts adult-themed ads on its website, which may not be appropriate for certain audiences.

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Use Pirate Bay and BitTorrent clients at your own risk, since some jurisdictions and regions may consider the act of downloading torrent files illegal or unlawful. Thoroughly read through all terms and conditions when using Pirate Bay, and understand that policies and rules may change at any time.

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