Ask Different (Apple)
Q&A for power users of Apple hardware and software
Latest Questions
2
votes
1
answers
748
views
CarPlay starts playing music after activating Siri even if no music was playing before
This issue has been driving me nuts: if I listen to music or a podcast, pause it, and then activate Siri using “Hey Siri,” the moment the Siri interaction ends it resumes playing the music/podcast, even though it has been paused before. This is natural behavior for when I interrupt playing audio, bu...
This issue has been driving me nuts: if I listen to music or a podcast, pause it, and then activate Siri using “Hey Siri,” the moment the Siri interaction ends it resumes playing the music/podcast, even though it has been paused before. This is natural behavior for when I interrupt playing audio, but very annoying when I’m driving with no music on.
I’ve tested this and it happens with Spotify and the Apple Podcasts app, suggesting it’s a system-level issue. It doesn’t happen if there’s nothing playing in the “now playing” drop down in control center. It also doesn’t happen is I force quit the audio app before activating Siri.
Is there some setting I can tweak to change this behavior, or is this just a bug?
alexgolec
(183 rep)
Jun 27, 2021, 01:37 PM
• Last activity: Jul 18, 2025, 09:03 AM
3
votes
1
answers
951
views
iOS 14.5 - Podcast app does not show previously played episodes
I updated my iPhone 7 to iOS 14.5. In the Apple podcast app, I am no longer able to find certain shows previously played episodes grouped together. Is there a way to see all the episodes of the show that I have listened to all grouped together even if I’ve deleted them from the downloads? Before I u...
I updated my iPhone 7 to iOS 14.5. In the Apple podcast app, I am no longer able to find certain shows previously played episodes grouped together. Is there a way to see all the episodes of the show that I have listened to all grouped together even if I’ve deleted them from the downloads?
Before I updated iOS, I could see this information.
Kathy Saylor
(31 rep)
May 4, 2021, 03:08 PM
• Last activity: May 14, 2025, 12:02 PM
2
votes
1
answers
996
views
A shortcut to switch audio output and play podcast for 15min
I use to listen to podcast before sleep. But that actually means: 1. On iPhone 12, open overcast app and start playing 2. Switch audio output to homepod 3. Set it to stop playing after 15min (I expect to be sleeping at this time) Is it possible to automate that? Today I spend some noticed the shortc...
I use to listen to podcast before sleep. But that actually means:
1. On iPhone 12, open overcast app and start playing
2. Switch audio output to homepod
3. Set it to stop playing after 15min (I expect to be sleeping at this time)
Is it possible to automate that?
Today I spend some noticed the shortcuts app and managed to create a shortcut to start a 40min timer when I say "Hey Siri, Laundry timer". But automate my sleep routine seems much more complex.
KcFnMi
(751 rep)
Dec 15, 2021, 12:00 PM
• Last activity: May 7, 2025, 03:02 AM
1
votes
0
answers
133
views
Why won’t the iOS (18.3.1 ) podcast app not let me unfollow one specific podcast?
What I’ve tried so far to unfollow one specific podcast show, unsuccessfully: 1. When I tap on the 3 dots on the upper right corner->unfollow show, nothing happens. 2. I’ve also tried to force-touch the show to bring up the contextual menu. I then press “Settings” and try to slide “Following” off, b...
What I’ve tried so far to unfollow one specific podcast show, unsuccessfully:
1. When I tap on the 3 dots on the upper right corner->unfollow show, nothing happens.
2. I’ve also tried to force-touch the show to bring up the contextual menu. I then press “Settings” and try to slide “Following” off, but it won’t move. It stays green and locked in place.
3. On macOS (15.3.1), I can freely follow and unfollow this exact podcast show. In both macOS and iOS versions of the Podcast app, I’ve activated “Sync Library” in Settings.
Yet repeatedly following and unfollowing the show on macOS does not sync over onto iOS. After successfully unfollowing the show on macOS, the podcast no longer appears in my library there. But the show stubbornly continues to appear in my iOS podcast library.
How can I get rid of it?
Han Ding
(21 rep)
Mar 7, 2025, 10:06 AM
• Last activity: Mar 8, 2025, 01:18 AM
1
votes
1
answers
3130
views
How do I copy the generated transcript from an Apple Podcast?
The new Transcript functionality is awesome on iOS and MacOS, but I want to be able to save excerpts from it. The selection is limited though, is there any way to export a larger chunk of the transcript?
The new Transcript functionality is awesome on iOS and MacOS, but I want to be able to save excerpts from it. The selection is limited though, is there any way to export a larger chunk of the transcript?
Alex Beals
(770 rep)
Jan 31, 2025, 08:16 AM
• Last activity: Feb 27, 2025, 03:07 PM
3
votes
1
answers
117
views
Are Podcasts on iOS and Podcasts on macOS supposed to sync?
Is progress in listening to podcasts on iOS and macOS intentionally out of sync? My bookmarks are (mostly) synced across devices, but my play history never is. Is that intentional? **Observed behavior** 1. Progress doesn't sync or syncs partially, or occasionally does sync. 2. Saved episodes mostly...
Is progress in listening to podcasts on iOS and macOS intentionally out of sync? My bookmarks are (mostly) synced across devices, but my play history never is. Is that intentional?
**Observed behavior**
1. Progress doesn't sync or syncs partially, or occasionally does sync.
2. Saved episodes mostly sync (but not always).
For example, on iOS I'll bookmark a podcast, listen to it, pause, then resume and finish, and then check on macOS a few hours later and it will have bookmarked there but will show as only partially completed
**What I've tried**
1. Logging out/in from the Podcasts app.
orome
(12163 rep)
Feb 20, 2024, 08:24 PM
• Last activity: Sep 13, 2024, 06:01 AM
2
votes
0
answers
90
views
Is there a way to listen to an apple podcast show, one episode after another continuously , newest to oldest?
I recently subscribed to an a podcast on my iPhone 15 pro using the native Apple Podcast App. The podcast is one from the Apple supplied shows. Im trying to figure out how to listen to the episodes of the show, continuously , newest to oldest. There is a sort order option in settings, newest to olde...
I recently subscribed to an a podcast on my iPhone 15 pro using the native Apple Podcast App. The podcast is one from the Apple supplied shows. Im trying to figure out how to listen to the episodes of the show, continuously , newest to oldest. There is a sort order option in settings, newest to oldest / oldest to newest - but - the app will only play oldest to newest NOT newest to oldest. Is there a way to accomplish newest to oldest? iOS 17.6.1
Stumped
(819 rep)
Aug 31, 2024, 06:16 PM
1
votes
1
answers
151
views
Control Podcasts in MacOS using Apple Watch
Is it possible to control the Podcasts app, running in MacOS, using Apple Watch? I tried using the watch's Now Playing app, also to use the watch's Podcasts app, and the built-in Remote app, without any success. It seems to me this feature of controlling audio with Apple Watch, is working only for t...
Is it possible to control the Podcasts app, running in MacOS, using Apple Watch?
I tried using the watch's Now Playing app, also to use the watch's Podcasts app, and the built-in Remote app, without any success.
It seems to me this feature of controlling audio with Apple Watch, is working only for the Music library, but this Apple Discussions' issue points out that also Spotify tracks are working, so it's not limited to Apple Music.
Cocktail
(199 rep)
Feb 5, 2023, 11:46 PM
• Last activity: Mar 2, 2024, 02:09 AM
1
votes
1
answers
309
views
Is there a way to "clear" Apple podcasts locally on iOS?
I regularly connect my iPhone 11 pro to my car via bluetooth to mostly play audio via Apple podcasts. The screen in my car has a "libraries" pane, and on there is a section for podcasts, and that one contains the list of _downloaded_ podcast episodes I have on my iPhone. That works quite nice; but a...
I regularly connect my iPhone 11 pro to my car via bluetooth to mostly play audio via Apple podcasts.
The screen in my car has a "libraries" pane, and on there is a section for podcasts, and that one contains the list of _downloaded_ podcast episodes I have on my iPhone.
That works quite nice; but after some time, things seem to "pile up".
What I mean is:
- when I turn to "downloaded" page of the podcast app on my iPhone, I see one channel and two episodes
- but when I turn to that pane in the car screen, it shows me 5, 8 different channels with episodes that I may have listened to two weeks ago, but that I have long deleted from phone.
I told the car to forget the iPhone, and then paired again; but that doesn't help: it still shows all the channels/episodes I have long since deleted. I am wondering if maybe the iPhone "keeps" such information somewhere?
Any suggestions what could be done here?
GhostCat
(1027 rep)
Jan 23, 2024, 10:34 AM
• Last activity: Jan 23, 2024, 03:24 PM
1
votes
1
answers
333
views
Change podcast show using Siri
I'd like to tell Siri change a show while listening to podcasts, while already playing. Tried many queries like "Change podcast show", "Skip this episode", "Next" and many more, some of them leads to google search, some search the apple music library for some reason and some of them are answered by...
I'd like to tell Siri change a show while listening to podcasts, while already playing.
Tried many queries like "Change podcast show", "Skip this episode", "Next" and many more, some of them leads to google search, some search the apple music library for some reason and some of them are answered by "Sorry, I couldn't skip this".
Any ideas what command could help me achieveing this functionality?
A. Maman
(137 rep)
Nov 19, 2020, 12:13 PM
• Last activity: Dec 5, 2023, 06:08 AM
1
votes
2
answers
1561
views
Want iTunes to stop synching podcasts FROM my iPhone
Basically, I don't know how to delete podcasts that I downloaded from my iPhone. I can delete them in iTunes obviously, but then when I sync, iTunes just takes them from my iPhone. Is there anyway that I can delete podcasts (audio) DIRECTLY from my iPhone? Or some way I can prevent iTunes from downl...
Basically, I don't know how to delete podcasts that I downloaded from my iPhone. I can delete them in iTunes obviously, but then when I sync, iTunes just takes them from my iPhone. Is there anyway that I can delete podcasts (audio) DIRECTLY from my iPhone? Or some way I can prevent iTunes from downloading them FROM my iPhone?
Amias Maldonado
(11 rep)
Mar 2, 2012, 10:37 PM
• Last activity: Nov 28, 2023, 02:05 AM
4
votes
1
answers
1491
views
Why is the symlink I created inside an application container to allow for external storage not working?
I was trying to get around Vemedio's Instacast limitation on storage location by symlinking (`ln -s`) the Episodes folder in `~Library/Containers/com.vemedio.osx.Instacast/Data/Documents/Instacast` to another location on another drive (which is actually internal in my Mac Pro for what it is worth......
I was trying to get around Vemedio's Instacast limitation on storage location by symlinking (
ln -s) the Episodes folder in ~Library/Containers/com.vemedio.osx.Instacast/Data/Documents/Instacast to another location on another drive (which is actually internal in my Mac Pro for what it is worth...). I am wondering if Apple's sandboxing is preventing this to work... Once I open Instacast, none of the previously downloaded episodes are marked as available locally and if I try to redownload one, it seems to download the file in the background but never makes it available... Any idea?
FrenchKheldar
(679 rep)
Aug 17, 2013, 03:52 AM
• Last activity: May 23, 2023, 05:20 AM
1
votes
1
answers
348
views
How do I activate Apple ID on iTunes Store via Web?
I want to publish a podcast show on Apple Podcast. Apple requires an Apple ID that is activated on the iTunes Store for this process. I am running Linux on my computers and Android on mobile devices. I don't have any Apple device at all. Nor do I have access to a Windows PC running iTunes for Window...
I want to publish a podcast show on Apple Podcast. Apple requires an Apple ID that is activated on the iTunes Store for this process.
I am running Linux on my computers and Android on mobile devices. I don't have any Apple device at all. Nor do I have access to a Windows PC running iTunes for Windows.
Now, how can I activate my Apple ID on iTunes? Is there an iTunes web frontend available? Can the iTunes Store be accessed without Apple OSes or Windows at all?
Bunjip
(111 rep)
Jul 1, 2020, 07:04 AM
• Last activity: May 11, 2023, 04:09 AM
1
votes
2
answers
6267
views
When I search on Podcasts on iPad Pro, found podcasts are in German not English
I bought the iPad in German and I made my country Germany back then. Now when I search on Podcasts, all podcasts shown are in German language. How to fix that? I want to see Podcasts that are in English too. I have iPadOS 15.0.2 betta. I bought my iPad in Austria. At first I put my language German,...
I bought the iPad in German and I made my country Germany back then. Now when I search on Podcasts, all podcasts shown are in German language. How to fix that? I want to see Podcasts that are in English too.
I have iPadOS 15.0.2 betta.
I bought my iPad in Austria. At first I put my language German, and my country Austria. But now I have changed my default language to English, and my country to United States. I also changed the preferred language in podcast settings.
Sasan
(33 rep)
Mar 2, 2021, 09:47 PM
• Last activity: Nov 6, 2022, 03:52 AM
2
votes
2
answers
2922
views
How do I import my old downloaded podcasts into either Apple Music or Podcasts app (in Monterey)?
Many years ago (like, pre-2017) I downloaded several dozen lectures (plain .mp3 files) and imported them all into iTunes. Then I changed the "Media Kind" for all of those files to "Podcast", which had a number of useful features for me, chief among them: 1. I could configure iTunes to sync only unpl...
Many years ago (like, pre-2017) I downloaded several dozen lectures (plain .mp3 files) and imported them all into iTunes. Then I changed the "Media Kind" for all of those files to "Podcast", which had a number of useful features for me, chief among them:
1. I could configure iTunes to sync only unplayed "episodes" to my iPod
2. My iPod would remember my playback position if I stopped in the middle (useful when listening to 90+ minute lectures!)
When iTunes was split into separate Music and Podcasts apps, those files seem to have become inaccessible via either app. To be clear: I can still see the files, located in the same directory they always were (/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Podcasts). But when running either the Music or Podcasts app in OS X 12.5 (Monterey), they are nowhere to be seen in those respective app's libraries.
- How do I get these files to show up in Podcasts? There doesn't seem to be a way to manually import already-downloaded files.
- Failing that, how can I change the Media Kind back to "Music" and re-import them into the Music app?
mweiss
(1168 rep)
Aug 4, 2022, 08:51 PM
• Last activity: Aug 29, 2022, 07:36 PM
2
votes
2
answers
386
views
How do I see unplayed podcasts?
On Catalina, I have a station set up to show unplayed podcasts. Right now it shows a podcast from yesterday "Science Friday Part 2", but not "Science Friday Part 1", which I had to find by looking in "episodes". It also doesn't show several other podcasts which I found in "Recently Updated", but whi...
On Catalina, I have a station set up to show unplayed podcasts. Right now it shows a podcast from yesterday "Science Friday Part 2", but not "Science Friday Part 1", which I had to find by looking in "episodes".
It also doesn't show several other podcasts which I found in "Recently Updated", but which I haven't listened to (I'm tracking which episodes I listen to).
I have given up trying to listen to podcasts on my phone and watch because they won't synchronize with my Mac.
user119018
(175 rep)
Jan 11, 2020, 03:20 PM
• Last activity: Aug 20, 2022, 05:52 PM
2
votes
1
answers
4318
views
How to hear just Maps' spoken directions, without triggering music/podcasts?
I have my iPhone 13 Pro connected via Bluetooth to my car stereo. Normally, I listen to podcasts or music while navigating via Maps. The spoken directions momentarily pause the music or podcast. Sometimes glitchy, but mostly seems to work as designed/expected. The other day I was with a passenger an...
I have my iPhone 13 Pro connected via Bluetooth to my car stereo. Normally, I listen to podcasts or music while navigating via Maps. The spoken directions momentarily pause the music or podcast. Sometimes glitchy, but mostly seems to work as designed/expected.
The other day I was with a passenger and just wanted spoken directions. I was having a conversation and did not want to hear the podcast. **I just wanted spoken directions and silence.** Except for Apple Maps spoken directions, I do not want anything else playing during my trip.
This simple thing seems to be impossible to do. After each spoken direction, my podcast resumes, forcing me to manually hit the stop button on the car stereo.
Force-quitting the Podcast app made no difference. After the next spoken direction, my last podcast just resumes playing.
What is going on here? Why is it impossible to just hear spoken directions and nothing else??
My issue is very similar to this, but "solution" here does not seem to work:
https://apple.stackexchange.com/q/423172/6943
------
Like the answer below and other online sources, it's suggested to disable cellular data for the Music and Podcast apps. I tried that. It makes no difference. The Podcast is already saved on my phone and it just resumes playing. So far, no viable workarounds or solutions.
Sparky
(396 rep)
Jul 25, 2022, 05:52 PM
• Last activity: Jul 31, 2022, 09:58 PM
0
votes
1
answers
2126
views
Overcast app: Do Smart Playlists have a limit on the number of episodes they can contain?
I use Overcast on my iPhone and have several Smart Playlists set up. I was using one of them to play back the entire back catalogs of 4 podcasts that I wanted to catch up on. This is roughly 500 episodes altogether. I had no trouble creating the playlist but when I look at the list of included episo...
I use Overcast on my iPhone and have several Smart Playlists set up. I was using one of them to play back the entire back catalogs of 4 podcasts that I wanted to catch up on. This is roughly 500 episodes altogether. I had no trouble creating the playlist but when I look at the list of included episodes it leaves out several hundred of the oldest episodes and seems to start the list at an arbitrary point in time and go from there to the present.
If I look at each of the podcasts individually I've marked all of the episodes in each one unplayed and can see all episodes in each one. If I play from the individual podcast then it starts with the oldest episode and automatically moves to the next newer one when finished. It's only in the Smart Playlist that I can't see the oldest episodes.
If I create a new Smart Playlist and only include one of the podcasts then I see all of the episodes for that podcast. When I add another one it to the playlist I suddenly can't see the oldest episodes from either one any more.
Is there a limit on the number of episodes that can be in a playlist?
Thanks in advance!
Silverlock
(3 rep)
Apr 4, 2018, 07:48 PM
• Last activity: Mar 26, 2022, 04:30 AM
0
votes
1
answers
56
views
How do I subscribe to a postcast by its URL iPhone Podcasts app?
I have a podcast RSS URL (copied in the clipboard) that I want to listen to in the Apple Podcasts app. On the "Listen Now" screen there's a link for "Add a show by URL" but when I tap it, nothing happens. I can't see another option to add a Podcast URL. Brand new iPhone 12 on iOS on iOS 15.1.
I have a podcast RSS URL (copied in the clipboard) that I want to listen to in the Apple Podcasts app. On the "Listen Now" screen there's a link for "Add a show by URL" but when I tap it, nothing happens. I can't see another option to add a Podcast URL.
Brand new iPhone 12 on iOS on iOS 15.1.
Joe
(310 rep)
Mar 21, 2022, 09:24 PM
• Last activity: Mar 22, 2022, 07:16 AM
10
votes
1
answers
5847
views
Exporting podcasts from iOS app as OPML
I have finally decided to switch from the Apple Podcast app to Overcast, but I cannot find a way to move my subscriptions. A ([similar question][1]) was asked a while ago, but iTunes has changed since then, and the new MacOS app doesn't have those menus. So, I was wondering if anyone knows another w...
I have finally decided to switch from the Apple Podcast app to Overcast, but I cannot find a way to move my subscriptions. A (similar question ) was asked a while ago, but iTunes has changed since then, and the new MacOS app doesn't have those menus. So, I was wondering if anyone knows another way to get an OPML file.
AbliusKarfax
(103 rep)
Nov 8, 2019, 08:30 PM
• Last activity: Jan 16, 2022, 02:43 PM
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