If Chrome asks for permission but nothing happens when you click "Open," the link between Chrome and your torrent client (like qBittorrent or uTorrent) is likely broken.
Copy the Magnet Link: Right-click the link, select "Copy link address," and manually paste it into your torrent client using the "Add Link" or "Add Torrent from URL" feature.
Navigate to the following path:Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome 3. If you see a folder named URLAllowlist, check if there is a value that includes magnet:*. 4. If the registry keys look corrupted, or if you want a fresh start, navigate to: Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Magnet 5. Ensure the (Default) value is set to Magnet URI. chrome not opening magnet links
Add a named URL Protocol (leave the value empty).
What are you on (Windows 10, 11, or macOS)? If Chrome asks for permission but nothing happens
| Cause | Description | |-------|-------------| | | The magnet protocol is not correctly registered to a torrent client in the Windows Registry. | | Chrome’s external protocol blocking | Chrome may have previously blocked the site or the protocol, requiring a reset of site settings. | | Corrupted Chrome user profile | A corrupted Preferences file can break custom protocol handlers. | | Torrent client not installed or misconfigured | The client is missing, uninstalled, or not set as the default handler for magnet links. | | Linux missing desktop entry | On Linux, Chrome relies on .desktop files; missing or invalid entries break protocol launching. | | Group policy / managed environment | In corporate settings, administrators may block external protocols for security. |
: Open your torrent app (like qBittorrent or uTorrent) and look for a button in its Settings or Preferences that says "Associate with magnet links" or "Set as default" . Reset Windows Defaults : Open Windows Settings > Apps > Default apps . If you see a folder named URLAllowlist, check
Which are you using (uTorrent, qBittorrent, etc.)?
Users report that clicking a magnet link in Google Chrome results in no action, an error message (“This site is trying to open an external application”), or the browser silently failing to hand off the link to the desired torrent client. This issue is typically caused by incorrect protocol handling, missing registry associations (Windows), or Chrome’s security features blocking external applications.
Sometimes Chrome needs a specific internal flag enabled to pass the link to an external application.
If the basic steps fail, try these more technical solutions: Edit the Preferences File Chrome sometimes gets "stuck" ignoring certain links. Close Chrome completely.