Apple offers more than two million podcasts that cover a wide array of subjects. If you own an iPhone, iPad, or Mac with macOS Catalina or higher, you can use Apple’s Podcasts app. Those who run Windows, or use an older version of macOS, can turn to iTunes. You can also listen to podcasts on the web from any device. Here’s how to set up and manage Apple Podcasts so you can easily follow and access your favorite audio content.
How to Use Apple’s Podcasts Mobile App
Let’s first check out some podcasts via the Apple Podcasts app built into your iPhone, iPad, and even Apple Watch. Open the Podcasts app on your device and tap the Browse button at the bottom of the screen to browse “new and noteworthy” podcasts, top shows, and podcasts based on different categories.
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To find a particular podcast by name or topic, tap the Search button and type a keyword to best describe the podcast you seek. As soon as you start typing a word, the Apple Podcasts app tries to predict what you want. Select the right one from the list or tap the See All Link to view all podcasts associated with your search term.
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Select a podcast to view a description and list of episodes. Tap an episode to start listening. If you like a podcast and want to listen to it regularly, tap the Follow icon in the upper right. Alternatively, tap the ellipsis icon in the upper right and select Follow Show.
Following means that each new episode is downloaded to your device as it becomes available and appears in your list of podcasts so that you can listen to it offline.
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You can listen to or watch any episode of a podcast online by tapping the Play button. To download an older episode of a podcast, tap the ellipsis icon next to it and select Download Episode. Once the episode has been downloaded, tap the Play icon to play it, even without an internet connection.
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After you’ve followed some podcasts that interest you, tap Library > Shows to see them all. Tap the ellipsis icon at the upper right, and you can sort your podcasts by title, date followed, or date updated. You can also manually move them around. To do this, tap the ellipsis icon again and select Edit Shows. Press down on and then drag each podcast to reorder them.
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To manage a specific podcast from your library, long-press on it to open a popup menu. You can unfollow it, play the next episode, play the last episode, share a link to the show with someone else, copy a link to the show, or report a concern.
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Tap the Settings icon to follow or unfollow the show, enable or disable notifications about each new episode, change the order of the episodes from oldest to newest or vice versa, opt to hide played episodes, automatically get downloads of each new episode, limit downloads by most recent or date, and choose to remove downloaded episodes after you play them.
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Select a podcast, then tap the ellipsis icon next to a specific episode to download the episode, report a concern, copy a link to the episode, share a link to the episode, mark it as played or unplayed, save it to the Saved section, play the last episode, play the next episode, or remove the download.
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At the left pane of the Library window, tap Shows to display all your subscribed podcasts or Saved to see the episodes you’ve saved. Tap Downloaded to see all the downloaded episodes and select Latest Episodes to display the latest episodes of each podcast. At this screen, tap the ellipsis icon to control how far back to go for the latest episodes.
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You can play a specific episode of any podcast from your library. Tap the episode name at the bottom of the screen to view it full screen. From the Play window, you can scrub forward or back, skip ahead 30 seconds, go back 15 seconds, change the speed, and pipe the sound to an external source.
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How to Use the Podcasts App on a Mac
If you have a Mac running macOS Catalina or higher, you can use the Podcasts app on your desktop. Click Browse and Top Charts to view available podcasts. To find a specific podcast, type a keyword in the Search field in the left pane.
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Select the podcast you want, if it appears in the list of predictions, and play a specific episode. Click the ellipsis icon on the podcast’s thumbnail image and select Follow Show if you like the podcast and want to subscribe to it.
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After you’ve followed a few podcasts, click the Shows in the Library section of the left pane. Select a podcast you want to manage and click the ellipsis icon to unfollow it, hide played episodes, and perform other actions.
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From the popup menu, click Settings to change the episode order, limit the number of downloads, or remove played downloads.
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Right-click an individual episode or click its ellipsis icon to download or remove it, save it, mark it as played, and run other commands.
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You may have all your favorite podcasts saved on your computer, but you’ll have to sync your device to get them on your iPhone or iPad. Open the Finder app and click your device as listed in the Location section. The first time you do this, you’ll need to click the Trust button to sync your computer with your device. Click the header for Podcasts and check the box next to Sync podcasts onto [name of your device].
Check the box next to Automatically copy. Click the dropdown menu and select which podcast episodes you want to sync based on the most recent ones and any that are unplayed. Otherwise, leave that box unchecked and then click the names of the podcasts you want to include and select the individual episodes you wish to sync. When done, click Apply.
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How to Access Podcasts on iTunes
If you use Windows or still haven’t upgraded to macOS Catalina or higher on your Mac, you’ll have to access podcasts through iTunes. Launch iTunes on your computer and click Store. Click the dropdown menu that lists the different types of content and select the Podcasts entry.
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You can now browse available podcasts and search by name or topic. Click a podcast that interests you and tap the Subscribe button to follow it. You can then view all the podcasts you follow by clicking Library > Podcasts on the side panel.
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To control a specific podcast, select it and then click the ellipsis icon in the upper right. From the menu, you can remove it as a download, add it to a playlist, play it, love or dislike it, unsubscribe from it, and delete it from your library.
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For additional settings, click the Gear icon in the upper right. From this menu, you can sort the episodes and control downloaded and played episodes.
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To control an episode of a podcast, right-click on it or click its ellipsis icon. From the menu, you can download or remove the episode, mark it as played, add it to a playlist or device, get info on the podcast, love it or dislike it, see it in the iTunes store, save the episode, copy details about it, view the downloaded file on your computer, copy its URL, or delete it from your library.
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To sync iTunes with your mobile device, connect your iPhone or iPad and click the small icon in the top left corner. Click Podcasts in the Settings section. Check the podcasts and individual episodes that you want to sync to your device and then click Sync or Apply.
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How to Access Apple Podcasts on the Web
You can also access your podcasts on the web. Launch your favorite browser and head to the Apple Podcasts website. Click Sign in and log in with your Apple account. The website works similarly to the Podcasts app, though it lacks certain features.
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Click Browse or Top Charts on the left to view popular podcasts. Select any podcast that interests you to view a description and list of episodes. Click any episode to listen to it.
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If you like a podcast and want to listen to it regularly, follow it by clicking the Follow icon in the upper right. Alternatively, tap the ellipsis icon in the upper right and select Follow Show.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
After you’ve followed some podcasts that interest you, tap the Library icon and select Shows to see them all.
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To manage a specific podcast from your library, click its ellipsis icon. From the popup menu, you can go to the show, unfollow it, or share a link to the show with someone else.
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Click the icon for any podcast. At the window for that podcast, tap the ellipsis icon next to a specific episode. Besides playing the episode, you can unfollow the show, save the episode to the Saved section, mark it as played or unplayed, or share it.
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At the left pane of the Library window, tap Shows to see all your subscribed podcasts. Tap Saved to see the episodes you’ve saved or Downloaded to see all the episodes you’ve downloaded. Tap Latest Episodes to see the latest episodes of each podcast. At this screen, tap the ellipsis icon to control how far back to go for the latest episodes.
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To listen to a specific episode of any podcast, play it from your library. From the Play window, you can scrub forward or back, skip ahead 30 seconds, go back 15 seconds, change the speed, and pipe the sound to an external source.
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About Lance Whitney
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