iOS 16.4 Includes New Apple Podcasts App Features Across iPhone and CarPlay

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iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS 13.3 were released today with several new features for Apple's Podcasts app across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and CarPlay.

Apple Podcasts iOS 16 4
First, a new Channels menu in the Podcasts app provides a list of podcast channels all in one place on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A channel allows a creator or brand to list all of their podcasts in one place for listeners to easily discover.

Second, the Up Next queue now includes episodes listeners have saved to their Library and episodes that they play from shows they do not follow:

For example, when a listener plays an episode of a show before deciding to follow it, that episode will now remain in Up Next until the listener finishes it, marks it as played, or removes it. New episodes from followed shows and recently saved episodes will appear at the top of the Up Next queue while episodes that listeners have started and older saved episodes will appear toward the end. The latest episodes from recently followed shows appear at the start of Up Next. Also, episodes categorized with a "bonus" episode type will appear in Up Next.

Users also have more tools to manage Up Next. For example, they can touch and hold a show's artwork to remove it from the queue.

Third, users are now able to view how many unplayed episodes are available for them at the top of each show page, identify "early access" subscriber episodes that are made available to them as part of their Apple Podcasts subscriptions, and more.

Apple Podcasts CarPlay iOS 16 4
Fourth, iOS 16.4 includes Podcasts app improvements for CarPlay, including access to the Up Next and Recently Played queues from Listen Now in CarPlay. And in the Browse tab, there are now editorially curated podcast recommendations.

More details can be found in the "What's new for Apple Podcasts" post on Apple's website.

Related Roundup: CarPlay
Tag: Apple Podcasts
Related Forums: iOS 16, HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology

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Top Rated Comments

cmartinez Avatar
cmartinez
19 months ago

Always great to have improvements. There’s one simple improvement I wish Apple’s Podcasts app had that Spotify has. When you go to a show that you’re following’s list of episodes, I wish it would take you to the episode you last were listening to.

For podcasts that have had hundreds of episodes and that still have hundreds of episodes before I’m caught up, I have to go scrolling, scrolling, scrolling just to find the last episode I just listened to so I can find the next episode that was released to either play it now or save it to my saved podcasts list.

It’s so inefficient, cumbersome, and not user friendly. This feels like a perfect example of it seeming like Apple designers/developers don’t actually use their services apps.
Yes, we should be able to follow the podcasts in sequence and not simply have the newest one listed first.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxray Avatar
xxray
19 months ago
Always great to have improvements. There’s one simple improvement I wish Apple’s Podcasts app had that Spotify has. When you go to a show that you’re following’s list of episodes, I wish it would take you to the episode you last were listening to.

For podcasts that have had hundreds of episodes and that still have hundreds of episodes before I’m caught up, I have to go scrolling, scrolling, scrolling just to find the last episode I just listened to so I can find the next episode that was released to either play it now or save it to my saved podcasts list.

It’s so inefficient, cumbersome, and not user friendly. This feels like a perfect example of it seeming like Apple designers/developers don’t actually use their services apps.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
msackey Avatar
msackey
19 months ago
I have not liked how Podcast syncs across the Apple platform. I cannot easily start listening on my iPhone and then finish listening on my iPad or Mac. Yes, I can use handoff, but that's not what I want. Often when I'm using the iPhone Podcast, I may put it down after I've arrived in my office, then a few hours later, open up Podcast app on my iPad to continue listening to the episode wherever I left off. Can't do that easily because this doesn't sync. To have this do it more automatically, I have to return to the episode on my iPhone, play the episode, and while the screen is still on, go to my iPad to click on the continuity icon for the Podcast. Dumb.

Just sync the darn thing totally across all devices, from timepoints to episodes played and playing.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sammo123321 Avatar
sammo123321
19 months ago
Thank goodness. The Podcast app really needs some love.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tagbert Avatar
Tagbert
19 months ago

It would be nice if it could integrate with the existing Tesla Apple music app
Music and Podcasts, while both audio, are very different media and listening experiences. A music apps UI and management are a poor mix for podcasts. Spotify is the poster child for that problem.

It would be better if Teslas would just allow CarPlay like most other auto manufacturers so that users could control and manage the apps themselves.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
msackey Avatar
msackey
17 months ago

Same here, I would've long ditched it if it wasn't a common app.
Apple seems to truly hate the concept of a regular playlist.
Right? And what the hell is the "Play Next" and "Play Last" command? Ok, I know what they are but it is an asinine way to add items to your queue.

Take for an example a podcast that has 4 episodes that are meant to be listened to in chronological order. In order for me to add each item in a way that enters the queue in the right fashion, I'll first go to the last episode, then click "Play Next" and do that for the next one. So essentially I'm adding in reverse chronological order in order to get them to play in chronological order. There are other ways to add these episodes, but none that I know of in which the order you add them is the order they would play without having to do some tricks with Play Next or Play Last. It's crazy.

Yes, I know you can visually resort them once added to the list, but that's doing double work. Once you add them you have to go in again to re-order them? Nah. There's got to be a better way to do this with a better User Interface.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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