Why there is no progress bar while metadata is fetched

A magnet link contains a hash, not a file list. Before anything can be downloaded, gettor has to ask the swarm what the torrent actually contains — how many files, their names, and the total size. That is the Fetching metadata stage.

Why the bar is indeterminate

Until metadata arrives, the total size is unknown. The progress bar appears once gettor has a size to measure against.

The size check happens right here

As soon as the total is known it is compared against your plan’s largest-torrent limit and the storage you have left. A torrent that does not fit fails at this point — before any content is downloaded, and without counting anything against your allowances.

If it never leaves this stage

A torrent with no reachable peers has nobody to answer the question. After a time limit the transfer fails with “No metadata arrived in time”.

What happens during “Saving to library”

The download is finished; the files are being checked and copied into your library.

When the progress bar reaches the end, the torrent has finished downloading, but the files still need to be saved into your library. That copy takes time, roughly in proportion to the size of the transfer.

What happens in this stage

• Each file is checked for a safe path before it is stored.
• The files are uploaded to your library’s storage.
• The folder and file rows are created so the library can list them.
• The temporary copy is removed, freeing capacity for the next transfer.

Why a transfer can still fail here

If the finished content no longer fits because something else filled your storage, the transfer fails. If the files cannot be saved after several attempts, contact support.