When it comes to torrents, you often have the option to choose between magnet links or torrent files. However, there may come a time when you have a magnet link and you need to convert it to a torrent, or vice versa. This guide will show you how to do both.
Tip: Other than using torrent client, you can also open magnet links directly in your browser.
How to Convert Magnet Links to Torrent Files
Torrent files provide all the metadata, such as file name, size, and structure, ensuring faster downloads since no metadata is needed to be retrieved. If you have magnet links but prefer torrent files, you can convert magnet links to torrent files using an online converter tool or a torrent client that supports magnet-to-torrent conversion.
Using a Torrent Client
Since you need a torrent client to download torrents, we recommend that you use a torrent client that lets you convert magnet to torrent. qBittorrent is the most reliable for this purpose. It’s free, powerful, and available on all popular platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.
In qBittorrent, click on the Add Torrent Link button and paste the magnet link to start the download process.
The client will take a few seconds to retrieve the metadata and then let you configure the download. No need to initiate the download, just click on the Save as .torrent file button at the bottom left corner and it will convert the magnet link to a torrent file.
Using a Web Tool
If you just want to quickly convert a magnet link to a torrent file, then using a web service will be the easiest. You just need to provide the magnet link and it will convert it to a torrent file for you to download.
I recommend Magnet2Torrent for this purpose as it’s simple and fast to use. All you have to do is paste the magnet link in the Paste Magnet Link Here field and it will automatically convert it to a torrent file.
If you want a bit more options and control, then Magnet to Torrent converter by Webtor.io might be a better choice. You can paste the full magnet link or just the info hash here. It will let you download the full file (without a torrent client), share it with someone, or download the converted .torrent file.
Which Torrent Clients Let You Convert Magnet to Torrent?
If magnet-to-torrent conversion is a necessary feature for you, then you need a torrent client that supports this functionality. Unfortunately, most of the torrent clients don’t support this feature. Other than qBittorrent, here are your other options:
1. Tixati
Similar to qBittorrent, Tixati is a free torrent client that is both easy to use and offers high customizability. Its main strength is the advanced bandwidth management and tracking features to ensure faster downloads.
To convert a magnet link to a torrent file, you’ll have to start the download process first using the magnet link. Once in the queue, right-click on the torrent and select Share -> Save .torrent to get the torrent file.
2. Deluge
Deluge is another powerful torrent client available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It doesn’t offer a dedicated feature to convert magnet links to torrent links. However, you can configure it to save torrent files it creates during the download process to your preferred location. Here’s how:
In Deluge, Click on Edit at the top and select Preferences.
Move to the Download tab in the left panel and enable the Copy of .torrent files to: option. You can now choose your preferred location to save the converted torrent files.
Whenever you use a magnet link to download a torrent, it will create a torrent file in the selected location.
Tip: You can do the same for uTorrent or BitTorrent as well if you prefer using them. Just go to Preferences -> Directories and select a location for torrent files.
Convert Torrent Files to Magnet Links
Yes, you can convert torrent files to magnet links. The info hash is a unique identifier that allows peers to locate and download the torrent. Both magnet links and torrent files include this info hash. This means you can extract the info hash from a torrent file and create a magnet link.
There are multiple ways to do this, below I am listing the 3 easiest methods:
Using a Torrent Client
Most of the torrent clients allow you to convert torrent files to magnet links, so you can use any popular torrent client for this. From my testing, qBittorrent, Deluge, Tixati, uTorrent, BitTorrent, Vuze, BiglyBT, and FrostWire all had this functionality.
To convert, start the torrent download process in the client using a torrent file. In the queue, right-click on the torrent and select Copy Magnet URI or a similar option to copy the magnet link to your clipboard.
Using a Web Tool
There aren’t many web tools for this purpose, but nutbread t2m is all you’ll need to get the job done. It’s a free torrent-to-magnet converter where you can drop your torrent file to get a magnet link.
When you upload the torrent file, it will automatically convert it and show a clickable link. There is also an Options section below where you can further edit the link to include/exclude info like name, data size, and trackers.
Using an Android App
If you manage your torrents on your phone, then you can use an app to convert torrent files into magnet links on the go. Torrent Magnet Converter is a free app that can convert torrent files to magnet links and vice versa.
Just launch the app and tap on the Torrent File -> Magnet button. Choose your torrent file and it will immediately show you the magnet link. It also offers buttons to easily copy, share, or open the link in your Android torrent client.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a magnet link?
A magnet link is a hyperlink that contains a unique hash code that identifies the content of a file on a peer-to-peer network. The torrent client can use this hash code to gain information about the file and then download it from peers.
What is a torrent file?
A torrent file contains metadata about files on a peer-to-peer network, including its name, size, structure, info hash, and tracker servers. The torrent client uses the information inside the torrent file to initiate the download process using the provided trackers.
What are the benefits of converting magnet to torrent?
Torrent files already contain the required metadata, so they are faster to initiate the download process as no data is needed to be fetched. Since they can also include tracker URLs, it makes finding peers easier. They are also great for archiving purposes as they contain all the info without depending on an online connection.
Image credit: All screenshots by Karrar Haider
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