Updated 3-3-2016 by Brendan Hesse: This article received a massive overhaul to provide clearer, more detailed information regarding torrent files, how to download them, and how the process works. What is a torrent file? How do you use it? Is it safe? Is it legal? Torrenting can be a complicated process, so before we get into the meat of how to download and use torrent files safely and legally, let’s cover some important terminology. Likely, if you’re new to the concept, you have a few questions, and probably some misconceptions on what exactly torrenting is. Spend enough time on the Internet or around tech-savvy types, and you’re bound to hear about BitTorrent.