Apple's Podcasts app: What's coming in iOS 18
Apple's application for audio broadcasts dominates the market. Podcasts is set to receive a whole range of new functions in iOS 18.
The Apple Podcats app is one of the most popular audio clients around.
(Image: Apple)
Apple Podcasts may not be the best app for consuming Internet broadcasts, but it is by far the most popular on the iPhone. As a result, Apple's plans for new features attract a lot of attention. With iOS 17, for example, the company changed the download behavior of the application, which led to a drop in reach for various podcast companies. It is unclear whether further changes will be made in iOS 18, but numerous details on changes to the user interface have already been leaked as they are already in the public beta.
Better searching, faster navigation
The new Podcasts app will be faster to search on all platforms. Instead of waiting until a search term has been entered, it spits out new results with every character. Easier navigation is possible via new chapter markers in the description of an episode, as known from YouTube. This allows you to quickly switch from topic to topic when podcasters set corresponding markers.
Better navigation can also be found in the playback bar, also known as the "playback scrubber". Chapters are now also displayed directly here. Why Apple is only introducing this now is surprising. When a new chapter is reached, there is even haptic feedback on the iPhone.
Sharing podcast locations
Also useful: If you have discovered an area in a podcast that you find particularly interesting, you can share it directly with other people. The new sharing window (Share Sheet) now allows you to link to the current position or the beginning of the podcast. This is also not revolutionary, but has long been hoped for in Apple podcasts.
Apple last implemented a transcript function in podcasts with iOS 17.4 last spring. It also supports German - in addition to English, French and Spanish. According to Apple, it worked on the function for a good six years. Among other things, Apple podcast transcripts adopt the time-synchronized word-for-word highlighting from Apple Music's lyrics function and use special fonts that are easy to read.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
