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Apple Podcasts App Updated With Enhanced Search Functionality

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple today announced it has enhanced the search functionality of its Podcasts app across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV by adding nine additional subcategories to the Search tab. This makes it easier to discover new shows across various genres and topics.

Podcasts-Feature.jpg

The new subcategories:
  • Mental Health
  • Relationships
  • Self-Improvement
  • Personal Journals
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Documentary
  • Parenting
  • Books
  • Language Learning
The new subcategories are available now, with no software update required.

"Each subcategory has its own charts, which display the Top Shows and Top Episodes available in a listener's market," says Apple. "For example, a listener in the U.S. can browse the charts for Mental Health, which display the top 200 shows and top 200 episodes available in the U.S. based on a mix of listening, follows, and completion rate."

Apple-Podcasts-Subcategories.jpeg

Apple has also added a new "Podcasts by Language" section to the app in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia that allows users to more easily find podcasts in their native language. This feature includes support for over 20 languages to begin with, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.

Article Link: Apple Podcasts App Updated With Enhanced Search Functionality
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/20/apple-podcasts-enhanced-search/
Built-in/Default Apple iOS/iPadOS apps usually get updated with a new release... Are updates to those apps no longer bundled with the new OS release like in android? Or is this just the backend/server side?

iOS 16.5 has been released for a few days/weeks now... Am I missing something?
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: 75Batt
Very welcome improvement! I always found the few categories available to be surprisingly generic and limited.
 
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Reactions: orbital~debris
winxmac said:
Built-in/Default Apple iOS/iPadOS apps usually get updated with a new release... Are updates to those apps no longer bundled with the new OS release like in android? Or is this just the backend/server side?

iOS 16.5 has been released for a few days/weeks now... Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like this is limited to an update to the server-side search algorithms, along with Apple providing extra categories in the Search tab (which, if anything like Music, seems to be a 'live' web-like page that can be updated by Apple separately from the app itself).
 
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Reactions: TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
It's solid update for a solid app. I'm just never entirely sure if I tap on something, if it will play the episode or take me to its summary page.

I'd like to see Episode ratings in lieu of/in addition to overall Show ratings. Seems like something podcasters and consumers would find helpful.
 
Last edited:
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Be nice if they’d fix the “continuous play keeps turning back on in Settings” bug. Which has been around since I can’t remember when. On 16.5 and it still does it.
 
I'd rather them have fixed the annoying issue where the Podcast that was playing ok on my phone stops playing at all or plays without sound when I connect the phone to my car.
 
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Reactions: SB1500
winxmac said:
Built-in/Default Apple iOS/iPadOS apps usually get updated with a new release... Are updates to those apps no longer bundled with the new OS release like in android? Or is this just the backend/server side?

iOS 16.5 has been released for a few days/weeks now... Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Server-side update.
 
  • Like
Reactions: winxmac
Apple Podcasts app obliterates my battery. I thought they had fixed it but nope. Never using that again. Spotify is much better with battery, and has a far better UI.
 
Sorinut said:
I prefer separate apps, but I would like to be able to share a playlist between the two..at least now playing.
Click to expand...
I agree... Apple has the iTunes features divided into 3 separate apps... Hopefully Spotify will do the same... A dedicated podcast app and the Spotify app for listening music...
 
Born Again said:
Jesus Christ will they just merge this with Apple Music? What a pia to have separate apps
Click to expand...
I can't recall but at least on the desktop this used to be merged -- Music and Podcast. It was called iTunes.

I actually kinda like having the music library and podcast apps separated.
 
Adding more categories really doesn’t make up for the fact that the basic functionality of the app is subpar. I use it regularly mostly because it would be too much of a pain in the rear to export all of my usage / listening history to another app (and also I’m fully invested in the Apple ecosystem).

Something I’ve wanted to see for a long time (and which is available in most other podcast apps out there) is the ability to play podcasts in oldest to newest order, while showing them in newest to oldest order.
 
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still no OPML import/export, so I'm not going to take the time to try it again.
 
I'm looking forward to having a way to reorder my podcast playlist. One day the technology will make this possible.
 
MacRumors said:


Apple today announced it has enhanced the search functionality of its Podcasts app across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV by adding nine additional subcategories to the Search tab. This makes it easier to discover new shows across various genres and topics.

Podcasts-Feature.jpg

The new subcategories:
  • Mental Health
  • Relationships
  • Self-Improvement
  • Personal Journals
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Documentary
  • Parenting
  • Books
  • Language Learning
The new subcategories are available now, with no software update required.

"Each subcategory has its own charts, which display the Top Shows and Top Episodes available in a listener's market," says Apple. "For example, a listener in the U.S. can browse the charts for Mental Health, which display the top 200 shows and top 200 episodes available in the U.S. based on a mix of listening, follows, and completion rate."

Apple-Podcasts-Subcategories.jpeg

Apple has also added a new "Podcasts by Language" section to the app in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia that allows users to more easily find podcasts in their native language. This feature includes support for over 20 languages to begin with, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.

Article Link: Apple Podcasts App Updated With Enhanced Search Functionality
Click to expand...
The search categories on Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, and Apple TV would be much, much more useful if the categories you watch/listen to the most dynamically sorted to the top.
 
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