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swimfan

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 30, 2008
19
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Any apps that can store podcasts on the watch yet? Would love to go running with just my watch.
 
I was hoping for this too. I thought Apples Podcasts app was coming with Watch OS2. But I also thought Reminders was
 
Yeah that would be great. I dont always want to fuss with a playlist for running and such. would be great to just listen to a podcast and go out and have fun.
 
I'm just waiting for what Pocket Cast has in store... It should be coming by the end of the year.
 
So we're two weeks shy of the Apple Watch being a year old, and there is still no app that allows for Podcasts to be loaded directly onto the watch. How is this possible? How can there not be a single app that allows for this? How has Apple themselves not released a Podcast app for the watch that allows for this?

Am I missing something here?
 
So we're two weeks shy of the Apple Watch being a year old, and there is still no app that allows for Podcasts to be loaded directly onto the watch. How is this possible? How can there not be a single app that allows for this? How has Apple themselves not released a Podcast app for the watch that allows for this?

Am I missing something here?


Well, if you run with your phone, I highly recommend Downcast.
 
So we're two weeks shy of the Apple Watch being a year old, and there is still no app that allows for Podcasts to be loaded directly onto the watch. How is this possible? How can there not be a single app that allows for this? How has Apple themselves not released a Podcast app for the watch that allows for this?

Am I missing something here?

No, it's just typical Apple for you-- leave out important features and maybe work them in years later so they can call it an "upgrade" and make you buy another device. It's this sort of thing that makes me want to jump ship.

Maybe if enough people complain, we'll see some action, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html
 
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Well, if you run with your phone, I highly recommend Downcast.
I leave my phone in the locker and just have my watch in the Gym. Having to bring the phone with me would half-defeat the purpose of the watch; second to fitness tracking/monitoring, I want the watch to provide audio to my bluetooth headphones. Which it can obviously with music, but still no way to load podcasts directly on the watch, right?
 
Downcast and Overcast store on the watch no problems.
Personally I like the iOS podcast app more, especially as CarPlay works better with it.
 
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I tried Overcast because it was free, but alas, it is not a native app. That's kind of pointless if I wanted to workout without my phone.

Does anyone who has purchased the Downcast app know if it's native?
 
I tried Overcast because it was free, but alas, it is not a native app. That's kind of pointless if I wanted to workout without my phone.

Does anyone who has purchased the Downcast app know if it's native?

Nope, Downcast is not native either. Behaves the same as Overcast. Currently, there does not appear to be a podcasting app for the watch that doesn't ostensibly just operate as a remote for your iPhone. There is a work around to get you podcasts playing through the watch's built in music player, but it is a long winded process and not really worth the hassle.

I go for runs with my watch only and it would be sooooo handy to be able to play my podcasts from the watch only. Surely it can't be that difficult? Perhaps when Apple's enforced stipulation to have all Apple Watch apps as native (June 1st?) then we will get a native podcast app. Here's hoping.
 
I can only agree. The only thing that makes me bring my phone to the gym is that I listen to podcasts. It sucks that a year on we still don't have this functionality. Apple led the way with podcasting but have taken their eye off this (and many other) ball.
 
I tried Overcast because it was free, but alas, it is not a native app. That's kind of pointless if I wanted to workout without my phone.

Does anyone who has purchased the Downcast app know if it's native?
Hi bud,
What's the problem with it isn't a native app? I don't have my watch yet and I'm looking for a solution which allows me to listening my podcast and according to the comments, these two apps will do it, won't they? But it seems the problem is they aren't natives... I think I'm missing something ...
 
Hi bud,
What's the problem with it isn't a native app? I don't have my watch yet and I'm looking for a solution which allows me to listening my podcast and according to the comments, these two apps will do it, won't they? But it seems the problem is they aren't natives... I think I'm missing something ...

At this current point in time there are no native app solutions for podcast.

With Overcast & Downcast you can have them act a remote so you don't have to use your iPhone.. but that's all there is. I've tried both... and I although I like those apps, I prefer the design of Pocket Casts.

Only solution to have podcast on the go with the Apple Watch is to convert it to MP3 or some audio format that can be detected by iTunes and add it to a playlist to have it synced.
 
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At this current point in time there are no native app solutions for podcast.

With Overcast & Downcast you can have them act a remote so you don't have to use your iPhone.. but that's all there is. I've tried both... and I although I like those apps, I prefer the design of Pocket Casts.

Only solution to have podcast on the go with the Apple Watch is to convert it to MP3 or some audio format that can be detected by iTunes and add it to a playlist to have it synced.
That's what I'm afraid. Unfortunately this way won't work for me because on the contrary with the music, I don't like to listen the same podcast twice so it lets I to have to sync each one on iTunes every day and that's really annoying but if there isn't other solution...
Thanks bud!
 
I currently am using Pocket Casts, but I can't find a way to control it via the watch anymore. No Now Playing glance with Watch OS 3. The one feature I like, because Dodges stereo sucks so it helps in my car, is the Volume Boost feature.

Any ideas on controlling(Pause/Play) podcasts via the Apple Watch? Or do I need to purchase/use one of the Apps with a Watch App included? I don't even see a way to control Apples Podcast App via Apple Watch.

If I need to purchase one, do any of them include a Volume Boost feature?
 
Play music > hit side key (this should show the now playing screen in the dock) > keep in dock

You should be able to use now playing for podcasts from there.
 
Play music > hit side key (this should show the now playing screen in the dock) > keep in dock

You should be able to use now playing for podcasts from there.


Perfect, thank you. Didn't see this option. But this is great.
 
Only way I've found to do this is to use Get Info on the podcast within itunes, select the Options tab, and change the Media Kind to Music. Then add to whichever playlist you're syncing to the watch. If you have Match, you'll need to wait for the podcast to be checked for a match and then uploaded to iCloud before you can add it to a play list.

See http://apple.stackexchange.com/ques...-one-that-will-show-up-in-ios-music-not-podca

Rather a pain in the azz for podcasts that change frequently; mostly I use it for the Podrunner music mixes that I receive as podcasts. http://www.podrunner.com/
 
I was considering trying to write my own app that would do this when I came across Watch Kast ($2) recently.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/watch-kast/id1071703776?mt=8

Here's my review of it: It is fairly basic, and the interface is a bit odd, but it does actually work. It's not the optimal automated solution most people would want (including me) but good enough for now, until one of the proper podcast apps builds it in.

It isn't a podcast app itself (so doesn't have any RSS functions of its own), but rather just works on files. So I have been sharing downloaded files in Pocket Casts to Watch Kast via the share sheet. It copies that file over to its phone app storage (BTW if it comes from Pocket Casts its name will likely be not very human-friendly), then you hit transfer to watch, and after an indeterminate amount of time, this happens (a few minutes usually for 10-20Mb files, maybe 10+ mins for bigger ones?). It really, really needs a progress bar or something here as you have no idea how long it will take. But just leave it, it will happen eventually.

Then on the watch, put on your paired headphones, just select your file, it starts playing. The controls there are fairly basic but do the job. Leave for your walk/run without your phone. Yay!
 
I was considering trying to write my own app that would do this when I came across Watch Kast ($2) recently.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/watch-kast/id1071703776?mt=8

Here's my review of it: It is fairly basic, and the interface is a bit odd, but it does actually work. It's not the optimal automated solution most people would want (including me) but good enough for now, until one of the proper podcast apps builds it in.

It isn't a podcast app itself (so doesn't have any RSS functions of its own), but rather just works on files. So I have been sharing downloaded files in Pocket Casts to Watch Kast via the share sheet. It copies that file over to its phone app storage (BTW if it comes from Pocket Casts its name will likely be not very human-friendly), then you hit transfer to watch, and after an indeterminate amount of time, this happens (a few minutes usually for 10-20Mb files, maybe 10+ mins for bigger ones?). It really, really needs a progress bar or something here as you have no idea how long it will take. But just leave it, it will happen eventually.

Then on the watch, put on your paired headphones, just select your file, it starts playing. The controls there are fairly basic but do the job. Leave for your walk/run without your phone. Yay!

Thank you for positing this! I have been looking out for something like this, assuming there was nothing better. As you say, it is a bit crude and could be more user-friendly even within its limited feature set. But it's a start.
 
[QUOTE="cazlar, post: 23859792, member: 22231]It copies that file over to its phone app storage (BTW if it comes from Pocket Casts its name will likely be not very human-friendly), then you hit transfer to watch, and after an indeterminate amount of time, this happens (a few minutes usually for 10-20Mb files, maybe 10+ mins for bigger ones?). It really, really needs a progress bar or something here as you have no idea how long it will take. But just leave it, it will happen eventually.[/QUOTE]

Do you need to put the Watch on the charger in order to transfer?
 
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