Use Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad

Discover audio stories that entertain, inform and inspire in the Apple Podcasts app.

  • How to listen to podcast shows on iPhone or iPad
  • Use the playback controls
  • Follow or unfollow podcast shows
  • Play episodes in order or play the newest episode first
  • Download podcast episodes
  • Delete podcast episodes
  • Mark a podcast episode as played

Listen to podcast shows on iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the Apple Podcasts app.
  2. Choose a podcast episode and tap the play button.
  3. Tap the player at the bottom of the screen to open the Now Playing screen and access the playback controls.

Use the playback controls

Follow or unfollow podcast shows

To find out when new episodes are released, find and follow the shows you love. You can also purchase Apple Podcasts Subscriptions to listen to premium content in the Apple Podcasts app.

Follow a podcast show

  1. Browse or search for a show in the Apple Podcasts app.
  2. Tap the show to see its information page.
  3. Tap the add button the add icon. New episodes will automatically be downloaded for free, and you'll get notifications as they become available.

If you stop listening to a show for a while, Apple Podcasts may pause your follow. The shows and downloaded episodes stay in your library, but new episodes may not be updated. To continue getting new episodes, follow again.

Unfollow a podcast show

  1. Tap a show to see its information page.
  2. Tap the more buttonthe more icon.
  3. Choose Unfollow Show.

If you unfollow a podcast show, it doesn't cancel your paid subscription.

New episodes won't be downloaded to your device, but episodes that are already in your library won't be deleted.

Play episodes in order or play the newest episode first

Download podcast episodes

  1. Find an episode in your library, or you can browse or search for an episode.
  2. Touch and hold on the episode.
    the Download Episode button in the Apple Podcasts app on iPhone
  3. Tap Download Episode.

If you see the downloaded iconthe downloaded icon, the episode has already been downloaded to your device.

When you aren't connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data, you can listen to podcast episodes that you have downloaded. Episodes are deleted automatically 24 hours after you play them, or you can delete them manually.

Save podcast episodes

  1. Find the podcast episode you want to save.
  2. Tap the More options button the more icon.
  3. Tap Save Episode.

When you save an episode, it will be downloaded to your device automatically and will not be deleted after you've listened to it. To see the episodes that you marked as saved, tap the Library tab, then tap Saved.

Find podcast episodes in your library

  1. Tap the Library tab, then tap Shows.
  2. Tap the Followed tab to see the podcasts that you follow in the Apple Podcasts app and the ones that you manually add through a URL. To also see any shows that you saved or downloaded episodes from, tap the All tab.
  3. Tap the podcast show that you want to listen to.
  4. Tap See All or See Full Show to see all episodes from that show.

Turn off automatic downloads for one podcast show

  1. Find the podcast that you want to turn off automatic downloads for.
  2. Tap the More button the more icon, then tap Settings.
    the Settings button in the Apple Podcasts app on iPhone
  3. Turn off Automatic Downloads.

If you turn off automatic downloads in the Apple Podcasts app, it isn't turned off for all podcast shows.

Turn off automatic download for all podcasts

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap Podcasts.
  3. Under Automatic Downloads, turn off Enable When Following.

If you turn off automatic downloads in the Settings app, it turns them off for all podcast shows.

Delete podcast episodes

Mark a podcast episode as played

  1. Go to the Listen Now tab and tap the name of the podcast.
  2. Under Episodes, find the episode you want to mark as played.
  3. Touch and hold on the episode, then tap Mark as Played.
    the Mark as Played button in the Apple Podcasts app on iPhone

When you mark an episode as played, the episode will be removed from your queue.

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