TorrentLock is our BitTorrent app for Mac. It only works while PremierVPN is connected, so your torrent traffic can't go out over your normal connection. This guide covers installing it, adding torrents, its main features and common fixes.
What you need
- A Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or later, with Apple silicon or an Intel processor
- An active PremierVPN plan
- The PremierVPN app for macOS, installed and signed in. Get it from Downloads.
Step 1: Download TorrentLock
- In the portal, go to Downloads.
- Select the Companion Apps tab.
- On the TorrentLock card, click Download to get the DMG file.
Step 2: Install TorrentLock
- Open the downloaded DMG file.
- Drag TorrentLock into your Applications folder.
- Open TorrentLock from Applications. If macOS asks whether you're sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet, click Open.
Step 3: Connect PremierVPN first
- Open the PremierVPN app and connect to any location.
- Wait until it shows you're connected.
- Open TorrentLock. It detects the VPN automatically.
If PremierVPN isn't connected, TorrentLock shows a gate screen and won't let you start any torrents. This is deliberate: it stops your real IP address being exposed.
Step 4: Add your first torrent
- Click + in the toolbar, or use Add File or Magnet Link.
- For a magnet link, paste it and click Add.
- For a .torrent file, choose the file, or drag and drop it onto TorrentLock.
- Choose where to save the download and click Start.
Finding your way around
Sidebar
Filters for All Torrents, Downloading, Seeding, Completed and Paused. Below them are RSS Feeds, Privacy Check, Console and Labels.
Toolbar
Buttons to add torrents and magnet links, start, pause and remove, plus a search filter. On the right is your VPN status: a green dot with "PremierVPN" means you're protected.
Status bar
Shows overall download and upload speed, the number of active torrents, the VPN network interface in use (for example utun11) and the number of DHT nodes.
Key features
VPN kill switch
If PremierVPN disconnects, TorrentLock pauses all transfers straight away and saves their progress. When PremierVPN reconnects, transfers resume automatically.
Interface binding
All torrent traffic is tied to the VPN's network interface. Even in the moment before the kill switch reacts, torrent traffic can't fall back to your normal connection.
Privacy Check
Click Privacy Check in the sidebar to run eight tests: External IP, VPN Connection, Interface Binding, IP Leak, Protocol Encryption, Kill Switch, DHT Exposure and Active Peers. Run it before you start downloading.
RSS auto-download
Click RSS Feeds to download new items from RSS or Atom feeds automatically. You can set keyword and regex rules, a save folder for each feed and how often feeds are checked.
Web portal
TorrentLock has a built-in web dashboard at http://localhost:9092. Turn it on in Settings › Web Portal. For security it only listens on your Mac itself, so open it in a browser on the same Mac.
Command line
You can also manage TorrentLock from Terminal:
torrentlock status
torrentlock list
torrentlock add "<magnet link>"
torrentlock pause
torrentlock resume
torrentlock watchtorrentlock watch shows a live dashboard.
Settings
- General: default download folder, moving completed downloads, starting torrents when the app opens, sequential downloading, queue limits, and seed ratio and time targets.
- Speed: overall download and upload limits in KB/s, and uTP on or off.
- Connection: listening port (random by default), maximum connections overall and per torrent, DHT, PEX, LPD, and protocol encryption (enabled or required).
- VPN: kill switch (on by default), interface binding, and an option to turn off the VPN requirement. We strongly recommend leaving the VPN requirement on: the app explains the privacy risks if you turn it off.
Troubleshooting
TorrentLock says "No VPN detected"
Make sure the PremierVPN app is open and connected. TorrentLock checks for PremierVPN every few seconds, by the app and by its VPN network interface. Disconnect and reconnect PremierVPN, then reopen TorrentLock.
Downloads are slow
Try a different location in PremierVPN, as the one you're on may be busy. Check Settings › Speed to make sure you haven't set a download limit. Torrents with few seeders will be slow whatever you do.
DHT shows 0 nodes
DHT can take a minute or two to start after the app opens. If it stays at 0, check that DHT is on in Settings › Connection, and that no firewall on your Mac is blocking UDP traffic.
Web portal won't load
Check that it's turned on in Settings › Web Portal, and that you're opening http://localhost:9092 on the same Mac. It isn't reachable from other devices.
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and tell us your device, app version and what you've tried.