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swimfan

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 30, 2008
19
0
Any apps that can store podcasts on the watch yet? Would love to go running with just my watch.
 

jjk454ss

macrumors 601
Jul 10, 2008
4,472
500
I was hoping for this too. I thought Apples Podcasts app was coming with Watch OS2. But I also thought Reminders was
 

menace3

macrumors 6502a
Aug 13, 2008
604
185
Seattle, WA
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.
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 601
May 27, 2012
4,936
3,753
Texas
I'm just waiting for what Pocket Cast has in store... It should be coming by the end of the year.
 

Cory Bauer

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2003
615
233
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?
 

perezr10

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2014
1,967
1,431
Monroe, Louisiana
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.
 

ftlum

macrumors regular
Oct 24, 2011
168
37
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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Cory Bauer

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2003
615
233
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?
 

dave2010

macrumors regular
Jul 23, 2014
225
199
Canberra
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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SilverDove

macrumors newbie
May 2, 2016
23
8
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?
 

William Tobey

macrumors newbie
Jan 22, 2011
5
1
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.
 

rasputin1969

macrumors 6502
Mar 4, 2010
416
257
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.
 

Ruja

macrumors regular
Sep 11, 2016
132
23
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 ...
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 601
May 27, 2012
4,936
3,753
Texas
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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Ruja

macrumors regular
Sep 11, 2016
132
23
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!
 

jjk454ss

macrumors 601
Jul 10, 2008
4,472
500
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?
 

LouisLoh

macrumors regular
Sep 26, 2010
222
1,126
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.
 

jjk454ss

macrumors 601
Jul 10, 2008
4,472
500
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.
 

deeddawg

macrumors G5
Jun 14, 2010
12,150
6,280
US
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/
 

cazlar

macrumors 6502
Oct 2, 2003
492
11
Sydney, Australia
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!
 

pedregosa

macrumors regular
Mar 31, 2010
230
214
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.
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 601
May 27, 2012
4,936
3,753
Texas
[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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