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How to download Torrents in iOS without Jailbreak?

Hi Guys,

Today, we are gonna learn how to get a BitTorrent client in an iOS device, namely iTransmission.

Why a separate post on Downloading torrents in iOS?

We are doing a separate post on this specific topic mainly because due to some privacy related concerns, Apple Inc. has not allowed any apps which acts or may potentially act a Torrent Client to the App Store.

But I would like to say to Apple Inc. that torrents aren’t always illegal to download. For e.g. Many free softwares (freeware and shareware) can be downloaded via torrents. Also many open source projects and software applications are downloaded via this method. The foremost example is Ubuntu.com, it allows its users to download Ubuntu OS via torrents.

Still, instead of waiting for Apple Inc. to include a Torrent Client, I found myself an app out of App Store.

How does the app works?

iTransmission 4 is a free, open-source native BitTorrent client for iOS that uses libtransmission as its backend, the same backend used in the Transmission client for Mac. iTransmission is a fully featured torrent application that will work on your iPhone and iPod Touch. The app has been updated, now it also supports iPad.

Who is the developer?

iTransmission, the first version, was originally created by Changping Chen, but version 2 and 3 were updated by iOShomebrew. The current version (that is iTransmission4) is an extension from version 3 which is being handled and updated by Andrew Wiik, a jailbreak developer.

Will it support my device?

Well, the app developers say it will support all iOS devices including 64 bit devices like iPhone 5S and iPad Air too but it doesn’t says anything about the iOS version support. I personally tested it on an iPhone 4s (iOS 8.1.1) and it worked awesome.

How to get it?

i) Open Safari in the iOS device. This only works on Safari.

ii) Go to iEmulators.com.

iii) Tap on Apps. You will find a large range of apps.

iv) Tap on iTransmission > Install.

v) A box will appear asking dl.boxcloud.com would like to install “iTransmission”. Tap on Install.

vi) Except some downloading issues, everything was perfect. By downloading issues I mean, an error may occur saying Can’t download App with 2 options Retry and Done. Just hit Done and forget about it for about half a day or so.
I found that it was successfully downloaded and installed.

How to use it?

Using iTransmission is a very easy job.
Simply get any torrent in any app, let’s say Dropbox, Google Drive, Safari, or any 3rd party browser. It also supports magnet URLs.
You will automatically see an 2 options of “Open in…” and “Open in “abc”, where abc can be any installed app.
If abc is not iTransmission, then tap on “Open in…” and select iTransmission.
It will automatically start downloading the torrent.

Important steps –

It will download the torrent files in a storage where you can’t reach, unless you jailbreak. So, basically you can’t just simply delete it.
What I do is after the downloading gets completed, I tap on the Torrent > Files > File > Open in > SHAREit.
Then I open iTransmission again, swipe the torrent to left to reveal Delete button.
On tapping Delete, it shows 2 options “Yes and Delete Data” and “Yes but Keep Data”. Always choose the first option. If you choose the second option, you simply can’t get rid of that downloaded data unless you jailbreak.
After jailbreak, you will have to get a file manager to find and delete that data.
Once the data is transferred to Shareit, it can be easily transferred to any other device.

Note for Jailbroken users

Jailbroken users can simply install iTransmission from Cydia.
You can read our article on How to install apps using Cydia?
For those who prefer a video version of installing apps using Cydia.

Screenshots Gallery

That’s all folks.

Note – To eliminate risks, I personally don’t download torrents on my iPhone because of complicated file manager. This is my personal view. I have told you all possible risks.
Image source – youtube.com, Swapnil’s iPhone 4 iOS 7.1.2 for screenshots.
Author – Swapnil Jha

10 Comments

  1. Which torrent is the best for Download Torrents on iPad..like movies, music. //edited due to excessive links

  2. hi i am using iPhone 6 Plus running iOS 9, this process is not working on my iPhone. any new method to download torrents on iPad without jailbreak?

    • John, what problem are experiencing with the current method?
      No, I haven’t yet found any new way; I never needed to.

  3. I’m on 5S, Shall I leave it for a day or half? Does it work?

    • The first time, I tried installing it, it happened with me too. There’s no cure of this. Try deleting and reinstalling.

  4. iTransmission got infected by some encryption virus if I’m not mistaken. I’d much rather go for something like Bitport.io. You don’t have to download a thing and it is safer.

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