Fathom

Torrent on any device

Torrents need a program that can open direct connections to other people. Computers and Android phones can. iPhones, iPads and web browsers mostly cannot. So the honest best answer depends on what you have. Tap yours:

🍎 iPhone or iPad

Apple does not allow normal torrent apps, so something else has to do the downloading. Your options, best first:

  1. A computer running Fathom (free, any torrent, any size). See "Use a computer as your private downloader" below. Your phone only starts it and picks up the file.
  2. Download inside this page (see "In your browser" below). It works for torrents that browser-style peers also share. Many ordinary torrents will not.
  3. iTorrent is a free, open-source torrent app for iPhone and iPad. It is not on the normal App Store, needs iOS 16 or newer, and can only be installed in some regions or by sideloading. About iTorrent.
  4. A service run by someone else, such as a rented "seedbox" or a web service like Webtor, whose servers download for you. These are separate companies: Fathom does not run them, cannot vouch for them and is not responsible for their content or prices.
🤖 Android phone or tablet

You do not need a computer. Install a free torrent app, open your magnet link with it and pick a folder. LibreTorrent is free and open source (also on F-Droid). It downloads straight to the phone and works with any torrent.

You can also use the in-browser downloader below, or a computer running Fathom.

💻 Windows, Mac or Linux computer

Install Fathom (free). It has a full torrent client: Torrent → Downloads, paste the magnet link, pick a folder. It handles any torrent, any size, in the background.

Use a computer as your private downloader (best for iPhone and iPad)

There is no cloud server and no account: your own computer does the downloading and your phone gets the file.

  1. On the computer: open a Command Prompt in the Fathom folder and run Fathom.bat serve --https. On Mac or Linux: ./fathom.sh --serve --https. Leave that window open.
  2. It prints a private link ending in ?token=…. Open it on the phone (same Wi-Fi). The browser warns about the certificate because Fathom makes it itself: that is expected on your own network.
  3. Choose Torrent → Downloads, paste the magnet link and pick a folder on the computer.
  4. When it finishes, open the file from the folder list and tap Show/Open. It downloads to the phone.

Away from home? Put the computer and the phone on a private network app such as Tailscale (it has a free personal plan) and open the same link through it. Do not open the port to the public internet: anyone with the link can see the folders Fathom can see.

No spare computer? A Raspberry Pi or any PC that stays on works as a shared download box for family and friends. Fathom runs on Docker too: docker compose up -d.

In your browser

Paste a magnet link or open a .torrent file. The download runs inside this page, on your device, and nothing passes through Fathom.

Honest limit: a browser can only talk to other browser-style (WebRTC) peers, not to ordinary torrent programs. Torrents that also have web-friendly peers or web seeds work well. Many ordinary torrents will find nobody. If yours stays at "0 peers", use one of the options above.

Fathom does not search for or point at any content. Only download and share files you have the right to. Your IP address is visible to the peers you connect to, as with any torrent.

The file is kept in your browser's memory until you save it, so very large files can fail on a phone.