Why Are Apple Podcasts So Slow & Bad? (Explained)

Apple Podcasts has a long way to go before it reaches the might and majesty of Spotify. But where podcast listening is concerned, Apple is still the name to beat.

Apple Podcasts remain one of the best ways to listen to podcasts on an iPhone or iPad.

It can be buggy and frustrating — we’ve all had our fair share of problems — but Apple Podcasts are still the most popular way for people to listen to podcasts.

Here Is Why Apple Podcasts Are So Slow & Bad:

Apple hosts all podcasts in its iTunes catalog, so you can’t simply stream them from wherever you are. You have to download them into your library first. And that means waiting for iTunes to sync your library with iCloud — which takes about 30 seconds per podcast.

 

Can You Make the iPhone Podcasts App Load Faster?

The Podcasts app on an iPhone can be a bit slow. Sometimes, Podcast stop playing completely on iPhones and iPads.

The good news is that you can make the podcast app load faster.

The first thing you need to do is close the podcasts app. The easiest way to do this is by double-pressing your home button and swiping up on the podcasts app.

Next, go into your settings and select “general” then “background app refresh.” Scroll down until you see the podcasts app and turn off background refresh.

Applications that use background refresh can update when not in use, so they will be ready when you launch them. Podcast episodes don’t change frequently, so background refreshing is not necessary.

Now open up the podcast app again and see if that helped.

You can also learn more here if your podcasts say “unavailable”.

Why Are My Podcasts Playing at Slow Speed?

If a podcast you’re listening to seems to be playing slowly, it might be because:

• The podcast was recorded at a lower sample rate than your default.
• Instead of stereo, the podcast is recorded in mono.
• Your playback settings

To adjust the playback speed caused by playback settings, follow these simple steps:

1. On your iPhone, open the podcast app
2. Select any podcast title and start playing
3. On the podcast playing screen, select 1X
4. Tap that number to adjust the playback speed

 Here you’ll find the following options:

• 1x: its the default playback speed
• 5x: accelerates playback by 50%. This allows you to keep the speed and pitch at the same level while maintaining proper sound quality.
• 2x: doubles the podcast’s speed

For podcasts with many speakers, 1.5x speed works best since you can skip the boring parts.

However, a 2x speed will make it hard to understand most speakers, and it can negatively impact music and other sounds within the podcast.

Why Are Apple Podcasts Draining My Battery So Fast?

Apple Podcasts are draining your battery quickly because of how they handle background downloading and playing.

Whenever you browse through available podcasts, any new episodes will automatically begin playing, so you can decide whether or not you want to listen to them.

If you don’t stop the podcast from playing, it will continue in the background while you browse other apps on your phone or iPad.

Once the episode finishes, it will begin pre-loading any subsequent episodes.

Why Is the Apple Podcast App So Large?

Apple’s Podcasts app is deceptively tiny in the App Store — just 34.6 MB. But once you download it, the actual app requires a ton of space: 330.7 MB, to be exact.

The Podcasts app relies on a large cache to store all your podcasts, both downloaded and streamed. It also stores artwork for each podcast, which can add up if you listen to many podcasts with extensive artwork.

Luckily, there’s an easy way to get that space back: Delete and reinstall the Podcasts app. That will wipe out your entire podcast library, so you’ll have to redownload everything after reinstalling it.

However, if you know how much storage space each podcast takes up, this is an excellent way to free up some gigabytes in a hurry.

Apple seems aware of this issue and has been working on ways to shrink the size of its apps without removing critical features. In iOS 10, Apple Music took up 1 GB of space on your iPhone; in iOS 11, that same app is just 550 MB.

Why Does My iPhone Podcast App Keep Shutting Down?

Podcasting apps are notorious for crashing, especially when they’re trying to update many episodes at once.

Here are a few simple things you can try to fix this problem:

1. Make sure your iPhone is up to date. If an update is available, click Settings > General > Software Update. Download and install the update.
2. Restart your iPhone by pressing and holding the Power button until you see Slide to Power Off appear on display, then slide the switch right. Press and hold the Power button again until you see the Apple logo appear on display.
3. Reinstall the Podcasts app by tapping and holding its icon on the Home screen until all icons start to jiggle; tap x in its upper-left corner, then tap Delete when prompted how to proceed.
4. Press the Home button once to stop them from wiggling. Then go to Settings > App Store, scroll down to Automatic Downloads, and make sure that Apps is turned on (it should be green).

Then open the App Store app, search for Podcasts, tap GET next to it, and install it again (you won’t be charged for it since you’ve already purchased it).

1. Delete all settings by selecting Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.This resets all settings to their factory defaults but doesn’t affect any of your data or media files

Can You Improve the Quality of Apple’s Podcast App?

Apple’s podcast app is a perfect tool for consuming podcasts. However, we can also improve the best tools with a little bit of work.

Below are a few features that would make the Apple Podcast app more efficient:

Download Episodes Ahead Of Time

It would be best to decide which episodes you want to download ahead of time.

You should also be able to select all episodes at once instead of manually downloading each one individually.

Download While Using Other Apps

When you’re on the go and listening to your favorite podcast, there’s nothing worse than getting cut off and waiting for your next episode to download!

The Apple Podcast app should allow users to download episodes while using other apps on their phone or tablet.

Ability To Set Download Times

The Apple Podcast app should also allow users to set specific times when they wish to automatically download their favorite podcasts every day or every week. When you wake up tomorrow morning, there’s already new content ready for listening.

This way, even if someone doesn’t have service in their area, they can still listen when they get coverage later that day.

What Is the Best Podcast App for iPhones?

You’ve got an iPhone, and maybe you’re trying to figure out the best way to listen to your favorite podcasts.

You want simplicity, a user experience that flows, and you don’t want to have to deal with advertisements every 10 minutes.

Here are the two best podcast apps you should go for:

Overcast

Overcast is one of the best podcast apps for iPhone. It has a simple, minimalist design and is packed with features that improve its functionality.

For starters, it offers Smart Speed, which trims the silent bits in podcasts to make them play faster without removing any actual content.

What’s more, Overcast allows you to download episodes for offline playback and even skip ahead podcast segments with a 3D Touch gesture. You can also search for specific text within a podcast episode and share your favorite episodes via social networks or email.

Spotify

Spotify has been expanding its reach beyond music. The company has plans to bring more video content to the service, and recently it started offering podcasts on its app.

Spotify’s podcast directory has a decent collection of offerings, but what makes the company stand out is how it integrates podcasts into the app.

Spotify uses algorithms and data to find similar podcasts that you might like.

It also allows you to browse through new releases or popular ones among your friends or users with similar tastes as you.

You can subscribe to any podcast on Spotify, so you never miss an episode, and each episode comes with a chapter list, so you can skip if you don’t want to listen to the entire thing.

Sources

Apple’s podcast app is only getting worse, and I will never stop using it