Podcast.app sync issues

Tech Support
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1

Anyone else seeing sync issues between Podcasts.app on iOS and iTunes on MacOS?

I use it for video podcasts as Overcast doesn’t allow for video support. I don’t find it completely reliable in terms of sync

2

Yes, the sync’ing seems really flaky. I only tend to listen to podcasts on my iPhone, with one exception, there’s a podcast with embedded images that I use the MBP/iTunes to listen to / watch. If I view that on the MBP then it seems to update the phone ok that I’ve watched it. Anything I’ve listened to on the phone though seems to update very erratically back into iTunes.
I don’t have any saved podcasts, but if I ever actually click the sync button on iTunes with the phone plugged in then I usually have to click through loads of podcasts to mark them as played and remove them from ‘saved’. Quite why it suddenly decides I’ve got lots of saved podcasts I’m not quite sure.
I once made the mistake of trying to open the podcasts app on the appleTV and it went nuts, most of my subscriptions disappears, loads of things got marked as unplayed. It took ages to sort out that mess.
I try to drive everything from the phone now with the occasional ‘clear down’ session in iTunes to flag podcasts as played. Got the hang of it now though it’s not the graceful, smooth experience I’d like it to be.

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3

Thanks for your input. I just started using the Podcasts app and iTunes for this video podcasts I want to watch. Never opened the app on my Apple TV. Thanks for the warning

4

To be fair, part of the problem with the appleTV may have been that it normally runs with my girlfriends accounts, I went into settings/account & changed the iTunes & App Store account to be my own however I guess there must have been some cross over. You might not get the same issues if the appleTV is exclusively running from your own account. It might just be a glitch around the change account functionality.

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5

I strongly recommend the $3.99 Pocket Casts for audio and video podcasts.

The app has been around for a decade, and is currently available on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and on the web, and it offers the same volume boost, silence trimming, dark mode, filters, and playback speed options as Overcast, and if you pay a one-time $7 (I think) you’ll get synced access to your account on the web player.

This past May, NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ Chicago, and This American Life joined up together to purchase Pocket Casts, so it should have a long life ahead of it.

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6

Thanks. I used Pocket Casts in the past, back when Overcast did not support streaming… and I loved it. I prefer Overcast for audio and the reason why I prefer Podcasts.app for video is the AppleTV app :blush:
There is no Pocket Casts Apple TV app right?

7

Never thought about that question, as I don’t (yet) own an Apple TV. Good point, though.

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8

I don’t have the new yet either but I will at some point. So I will find out then I guess :blush:

9

FYI I just downloaded the Pocket Casts 7.0 update which just came out. All the new shiny:

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10

Perfectly happy with Overcast although Pocket Casts probably would be better for me because it does video and maybe Apple TV

11

Glad to see they added Airplay 2 support. I just ordered a ($249 on sale) HomePod minutes before seeing the app update! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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12

You’re gonna love that HomePod

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13

In my experience, syncing with the stock Podcast app is absolutely terrible, and throwing iTunes into the mix makes it terrible-er.

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