Apple Offers New Dedicated Podcast App for iOS

[TrackZ]

What iCloud account does it use to sync play state? Does it use the store account set on the device or the primary iCloud account in settings?

If it uses the store account, that's terrible as my wife and I share a store account. We wouldn't want play state and subscriptions being shared across our devices.

Also, people are reporting conflicting data about whether you can add feeds via direct address. I have a paid podcast feed I get via URL in downcast I must have to be able to transition to this new app.

 

[charlituna]

Apple couldn’t have possibly coded this trash. No push notifications? No settings? Only podcasts from within the walled garden of iTunes? Is this the post-Jobs Apple everyone is talking about?

Not only did Apple code it, Steve did it and left in to them in his will.

it's a version 1 app, chill out a bit. push etc will come in time. It's easier to debug something when you have reduced factors.

As for the walled garden crack, that's only in the catalog. You can sync over any podcasts that are on your computer and, as others have already noted, if you hit a RSS feed link for a podcast in safari it pushes to the app just fine for many and will likely be a better supported features in a later round of the game

 

[rwilliams]

I went to Settings to see if the app is using iCloud to sync between devices, and I've seen no evidence to support that.

 

[BaldiMac]

What iCloud account does it use to sync play state? Does it use the store account set on the device or the primary iCloud account in settings?

If it uses the store account, that's terrible as my wife and I share a store account. We wouldn't want play state and subscriptions being shared across our devices.

I'm not sure why you would suspect that it would use anything other than iCloud to sync.

 

[applefanDrew]

I'm not sure why you would suspect that it would use anything other than iCloud to sync.

Mines not syncing at all.

 

[TrackZ]

I'm not sure why you would suspect that it would use anything other than iCloud to sync.

Because podcast are an iTunes store item.

 

[RabidMacFan]

I'm going to have to compare this to the Downcast app that I purchased a while back. The number one reason I bought Downcast is because it would automatically download the latest episodes without needing to sync with iTunes.

 

[blastair]

The app description says the latest version of iTunes is required for device syncing, which makes me worried.

 

[Zcott]

Mines not syncing at all.

Mine isn't syncing either. Sticking to Instacast until it does :-(

 

[yegon]

I'm going to have to compare this to the Downcast app that I purchased a while back. The number one reason I bought Downcast is because it would automatically download the latest episodes without needing to sync with iTunes.

Don't worry, your money was well spent, Downcast is much better imo. Still, good to see Apple are rectifying the ghastly changes to podcast playback that came with ios5, the main reason I made the jump to Downcast in the first place.

 

[applefanDrew]

Mine isn't syncing either. Sticking to Instacast until it does :-(

Same. I like the app better overall than Downcast but the iCloud sync for playback is a must have.

 

[Blakjack]

I like this app. I think it's nicely done.

 

[xlost6]

They are either going to pre-install this app in iOS 6 official release or just let it be a user download. I like how when you opened the App Store for the first time on the iPhone it asks you you can download iBooks for free right now.

Now I installed iBooks because it's a useful app.

 

[ZepFloyd]

just read about the features in the OP...interesting. they're going to have to push an update out soon. first, i see no where to get to settings, so how could i set a timer on my podcasts? am i just missing it?

EDIT: i should mention i havent tried listening to a podcast yet, not near my phone at this moment. maybe you can set a time once you start playing a podcast? i'll try it out later

 

[BaldiMac]

Mines not syncing at all.

I wonder if it's a bug or if it currently only syncs playback state. Maybe you are supposed to subscribe and download podcasts on each device (or sync with iTunes), but the actual playback information is supposed to sync. Seems very unclear.

Because podcast are an iTunes store item.

So are iBooks and apps. I can't imagine anything other than iCloud would be used for syncing.

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

Terrible UI and it has the usual artificial 50MB download limit over cellular networks.

yea, I dont like the UI at all. The whole "reel player" thing is unnecessary (and probably adds bulk to the app file size) and some of the controls are hidden unless you tape the artwork.

 

[Makmohan]

Help me my iPhone 3GS battery drain very fast.ios 5.1.1

 

[Westside guy]

I downloaded it onto my iPhone just a bit ago. It automatically grabbed all my existing podcasts from the Music app - a nice touch.

 

[topmounter]

Other than just hiving podcasts out of the Music App, I don't really see the point.... especially since podcasts are still showing up in my phone's Music App.

It's not syncing progress from the Podcast app back to iTunes (the Music App still syncs progress just fine with desktop iTunes).

There is apparently no way to selectively download individual episodes. I haven't tested it yet, but hopefully it is clever enough not to store two copies of a particular podcast on the phone if you're still sync'ing with desktop iTunes and subscribe to the podcast in the Podcasts app.

It seems silly that they didn't migrate audiobooks over to the new app, but it is called "Podcasts" and not "Podcasts & Audio Books". I guess that means we're going to get another app called "Audiobooks" at some point.

I also wish there was a way to configure the jump-back and jump-ahead buttons. I prefer the jump-back to be 30-seconds rather than 10-seconds.

 

[salesguy]

It also removes podcasts from the music app

Thanks for the heads up, I won't be installing this app.....ever.

 

[topmounter]

Thanks for the heads up, I won't be installing this app.....ever.

It didn't remove podcasts from mine... they are still showing up in both places.

 

[Pennine]

Mines not syncing at all.

Mine isn't syncing between iPad and iPhone

 

[ballsop]

ipad 3 ios 6

the app isn't downloading any podcasts i choose. video or audio. hit download and i see the press animation but nothing downloads.

 

[throys]

Other than just hiving podcasts out of the Music App, I don't really see the point.... especially since podcasts are still showing up in my phone's Music App.

It's not syncing progress from the Podcast app back to iTunes (the Music App still syncs progress just fine with desktop iTunes).

There is apparently no way to selectively download individual episodes. I haven't tested it yet, but hopefully it is clever enough not to store two copies of a particular podcast on the phone if you're still sync'ing with desktop iTunes and subscribe to the podcast in the Podcasts app.

It seems silly that they didn't migrate audiobooks over to the new app, but it is called "Podcasts" and not "Podcasts & Audio Books". I guess that means we're going to get another app called "Audiobooks" at some point.

I also wish there was a way to configure the jump-back and jump-ahead buttons. I prefer the jump-back to be 30-seconds rather than 10-seconds.

it works good for version 1, you can select the on the right button beside the podast and that will open the podcast and there you can download individual episodes

 

[ZepFloyd]

the app isn't downloading any podcasts i choose. video or audio. hit download and i see the press animation but nothing downloads.

think they have some bugs to work out. i was able to subscribe to some, but some others i couldnt. for instance, sklarbro country the "subscribe" button would appear for a second then disappear. about 5 min later i went back and was able to finally do so.

still havent been able to subscribe to the nerdist. hoping that gets worked out later when i check