In a world where sharing large files has become the norm, uTorrent has emerged as a powerhouse in the realm of torrenting, making the seemingly impossible task of downloading big files a breeze. But how safe is uTorrent? Learn everything you need to know about using uTorrent safely and how to keep yourself safe when torrenting.
If you're someone who loves the convenience and flexibility of torrenting, chances are you've used uTorrent at some point. But with so many shady sites out there, it's natural to wonder: is uTorrent safe? Could it be secretly infecting your device with malware? If these questions have been keeping you up at night, fear not! We've got your back.
In this post, we'll be your tech support, diving deep into the world of uTorrent to uncover the truth about its safety and security. Don't take any chances when it comes to protecting your precious files and personal information – join us as we uncover the dark secrets of uTorrent and separate fact from fiction.
What Is uTorrent?
uTorrent is one of the most influential and popular BitTorrent clients. While uTorrent's freemium model allows for free download and use, there's a catch: brace yourself for a bombardment of ads, one of the main drawbacks of the app. uTorrent has supported apps for all major platforms, including Android, IOS, and Windows, meaning you can access torrents from virtually any device.
Is uTorrent Safe?
One of the main questions new users have about uTorrent is about its safety. Exactly how safe is uTorrent? Is it malware? Can anyone track your downloads? Well, for the majority of these questions, you have nothing to worry about; firstly uTorrent in itself is not malware—uTorrent is a proprietary software developed by BitTorrent, Inc.
Worried about being tracked? If you're engaging in illegal downloads, such as copyrighted material, rest assured that authorities can trace the source of your downloads. To avoid this, you must use a VPN to mask your IP address so the downloads can't be traced back to you.
Is It Safe To Download uTorrent From an UnOfficial Site?
The easiest way to download malware is by downloading apps from non-official sources. This can be any site other than the official uTorrent website. If you were to download uTorrent from an unofficial source, you could be exposing yourself to the following risks.
- Viruses: Viruses are malicious programs that can cause serious damage to your computer. If you download uTorrent from a non-official source, you risk downloading a virus that could corrupt your system.
- Malware: The downloaded file may contain malicious code that can damage your computer or steal your data.
- Adware: It is also possible that the file you downloaded has adware embedded. This type of software can be annoying and intrusive, as it will bombard you with ads and popups.
How To Use a VPN With uTorrent
A VPN is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to protect their online privacy, but it’s also useful for those who want to use the popular torrenting client uTorrent. If you were to torrent files without using a VPN, everything could be traced back to you! This is a major concern, especially if you are downloading copyrighted material. However, with a VPN, all this can be avoided. The following are some popular VPN Services you can use with uTorrent.
- NordVPN
- ExpressVPN
- Surfshark
- CyberGhost
- Private Internet Access (PIA)
Pro Tip(s):
- If you're using a VPN for torrenting, keep in mind that some services only permit it on specific servers. For instance, Avast Secureline has a limited number of P2P-optimized servers. If you're having issues with uTorrent, try disconnecting from your current VPN server and connecting to a different one.
- Although uTorrent's highest subscription tier offers CyberGhost VPN, we don't recommend it for torrenting. While CyberGhost is a secure VPN, our tests revealed that its torrent speeds were too slow, with an average bitrate of 3.9MiB/s, significantly lower than ExpressVPN's 9.4MiB/s.
How to Encrypt Your Traffic in uTorrent
Some ISP may throttle your download speeds if they notice you are torrenting files. One of the prementioned ways to avoid this is by using a VPN. This is, however, not necessary if speed throttling is your only concern. This is because uTorrent can encrypt your traffic in such as way that it disguises torrenting as normal browser activity.
In a nutshell, while uTorrent's encryption can help you bypass ISP throttling, it's not a foolproof way to remain anonymous.
Follow the steps below to turn on uTorrent’s encryption.
Step 1: Use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+P to access the “Preferences” menu.
Step 2: In the window on the left, click on “BitTorrent”.
Step 3: Scroll down to “Protocol Encryption” and choose “Enabled” for outgoing connections.
Step 4: Check the box next to “allow incoming legacy connections”.
Step 5: Click on “OK”.
Step 6: Restart uTorrent to ensure that the changes take effect.
Note:
- The BitTorrent protocol isn't very secure, and your ISP may be able to detect your torrenting activity by analyzing the patterns in the data.
qBittorrent vs uTorrent
One way you know that a piece of software is safe is if it is open source. This means that anyone can look at the source code and make sure that there are no malicious files or backdoors. That's the case for qBitTorrent; the app's developers have open-sourced the code and made it available to anyone who wants to take a look.
Additionally, the app does not have any ads or malware bundled, making it a great alternative to uTorrent for those concerned about their safety. As opposed to qBitTorrent, uTorrent is proprietary, meaning that no one can look at the source code to make sure that it's secure.
The app also included many ads making it more bloated. All in all, if you are looking for the safest option, we recommend qBitTorrent over uTorrent.
Bottom Line
It's no doubt that uTorrent is a safe app to use as your torrenting client. Provided that you downloaded the app from the official site, you can be sure that you are safe from malware and other malicious software.
The only thing you have to do when using uTorrent is used a VPN. With a VPN, you will be able to protect your online identity so that you can't be tracked by law enforcement. If you are looking for an alternative, we recommend qBitTorrent as it offers more features and is open source meaning that it is generally a safer option.
