Peers are the other users connected to the same torrent as you in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
In simple terms, peers are the people who already have the file (or parts of it) and are sharing it with others.
Here’s how it works:
→ When you open a torrent, you don’t download the file from one central server
→ Instead, you download small pieces of the file from many different users at the same time
→ Each of those users is a peer
Why peers matter:
→ More peers = faster downloads
Many users sharing the file means more sources to pull data from at once.
→ Fewer peers = slower or broken playback
If only a few people are sharing, the stream may buffer or fail completely.
→ Zero peers = no download
If no one is seeding the file, there’s nothing to download.
Key terms you’ll often see:
→ Seeders: Peers who have the full file and are sharing it
→ Leechers: Peers who are still downloading the file
→ Peers: Seeders + leechers combined
So when a torrent shows a healthy number of peers, it usually means:
✔ smoother streaming
✔ faster transfers
✔ higher reliability
When peers are low, the experience suffers.