You won’t be wrong if you think there is a “podcast boom” currently happening across the globe! With thousands of active podcasts and many budding podcasters investing in affordable podcasting equipment, the numbers can only keep increasing.
This creates plenty of listening opportunities for people to “tune into” what has been aptly described as “radio on the internet.” And if you use an iPhone, you can download and listen to countless episodes mostly for free.
This guide will quickly show you how to listen to a podcast on iPhone, ensuring you can seamlessly connect with topics and voices that resonate with your interests.
Key Takeaways
- 🔍 Use the search feature in your preferred podcast app to explore a wide range of topics.
- ⬇️ Easily download podcasts directly to your iPhone for offline listening.
- 🎧 Utilize the built-in Apple Podcasts app or other podcast apps to listen on the go.
- 🔄 Subscribe to your favorite podcasts to automatically receive new episodes.
How to Search for Podcasts on iPhone
With the vast number of podcasts available, figuring out where to start looking might seem challenging.
The easiest and most common way to find podcasts is to search your preferred podcast listening app on your phone.
Depending on the specific app on your iPhone, you can get hints in featured sections or charts to help you choose what you’d like to listen to.
However, even if your app is pretty basic, you can still cut through all the noise and narrow down your search by entering a few keywords into the app’s search bar.
For example, you may want to listen to the most effective way to lose weight. Type something along the lines of “how to lose weight” and the app will spit out several suggestions.
How to Download Podcasts on iPhone
Here’s how to download podcasts to your device using Apple’s default app and iTunes.
From the Apple Podcasts App on your iPhone
- Navigate to the Podcasts app icon and tap it.
- Head on the App Store to download the app for free if it is unavailable on your iPhone.
- Tap the “Top Stations” or “Catalog” option to browse for available podcasts.
- Tap the “Search” option if you know the name of a particular episode you want to download.
- Tap the name of the podcast.
- To download the episode, tap the download button or arrow next to the particular episode.
- Tap the “Subscribe” option to subscribe to the podcast on your iPhone. This option allows new episodes of the podcast to automatically download to your iPhone as soon as they are available.
- You will be prompted to enter your password. Type in your password and tap “Download” to start downloading the episode to your iPhone.
From iTunes App
- Start the iTunes app by tapping the icon on your phone
- Tap the “Search” option and enter the name of a podcast you want to download.
- Tap the “More” option to browse through all the available podcasts.
- Once the name shows up tap it to display the list of episodes.
- Next, tap the download button or arrow icon next to your desired episode to download it to your device.
- You will be prompted for your password. Enter your Apple account password and tap “Download” to download the episode to your iPhone.
How to Listen to a Podcast on iPhone
Now that we are done with the downloading aspect, let’s get into the crux of the matter: how to listen to a podcast on iPhone.
Typically, your iPhone is equipped with a built-in podcasts app. While this is pretty basic, it will do for average podcast listeners. It allows you to search Apple’s podcast library for shows and subscribe to them easily.
Your first task is to locate the app on your iPhone. Look for the Apple Podcasts app and tap it whenever you want to listen to your favorite podcast.
If, for some reason, the Apple Podcasts app is not on your iPhone, you can always download it from the App Store for free.
Here’s how to listen to a podcast on your iPhone:
- Tap the Apple Podcasts app to open it.
- Tap the “Search” icon (usually, it is a magnifying glass button at the bottom of the navigation) to open the search page.
- Enter the name of the podcast you want to listen to or a description of the podcast.
- Browse through the list of available podcasts and choose the one you want by tapping on the name. This will navigate to the podcast’s homepage.
- You can listen to any of the episodes listed on the podcast’s homepage by tapping the play button.
- You can access the playback controls from the Now Playing screen by tapping the player at the bottom of your phone’s screen. The playback controls allow you to do any of the following:
- Rewind or fast-forward through an episode. Tap the 30-second fast forward button or 15-second rewind button to move back and forth through the episode.
- You can also adjust the playback speed. Tap the speed button (1x) to choose normal, double, half, or one-and-a-half speed.
- You can set a time for the podcast to stop or start playing. Tap the Sleep Timer button from the Now Playing screen and set your preferred time.
- Tap “Subscribe” if you like the content and the app will automatically download new episodes straight to your podcast library whenever they become available.
As much as we all love a night in front of the TV, podcasts are becoming a fierce competitor for the traditional couch potato activity and the podcast world continues to boom with thousands, if not millions, of podcasts at our fingertips.
With not a single topic left uncovered, more of us are ditching the TV for an immersive listening experience.
However, not everyone wants to listen to their podcasts at their desks or in their homes.
If you want to enjoy your favorite podcasts on the go, we’re here to show you how to dive into the listening experience straight from home.
The Apple Podcasts App
If you don’t already have this app, you can download it from the app store on your iPhone.
The Apple Podcast App gives you instant access to some of the best podcasts on the market straight from your iPhone.
Once you’ve downloaded the Apple Podcast app, follow these steps to get started:
- Press ‘continue’ on the welcome screen
- Now, navigate to the ‘browse’ button at the bottom of the screen and search for any podcast you want to listen to. If you know the name of the podcast, you can search for it directly, or you can search for a genre you want to explore.
- Once you’ve completed your search, select the podcast you want to listen to
- To start a specific episode, scroll down until you find the episode you want, and tap it to play.
If you want to download your episode and listen to it later, you can hit the plus sign to the right of the screen.
This will store your podcast episode on your phone for later, so you can listen to it without the internet—great if you’re planning to travel with limited WiFi access.
If you’re enjoying your podcast, you can also subscribe to it.
When you do this, the app will automatically download new episodes for you, so you won’t have to do it yourself!
You’ll find your new episodes directly inside your library when this happens.
Spotify Podcast App
Spotify isn’t just good for streaming music on the go. You can also access a wide variety of podcasts, too!
To access Spotify’s podcast collection, follow these steps:
Spotify For Desktop
- Click on the ‘search’ option in the top left corner
- Find the podcasts tab in the ‘browse all’ section and click on it
- From here, you can explore featured podcasts on Spotify or search through them based on their categories
- Once you’ve found a podcast you click, click on the podcast art to start listening
If you know the name of the podcast you want to listen to, you can search for it in the search bar without navigating to the podcast section.
Spotify For Mobile
- Head over to the search option, and find ‘browse all’
- From here, scroll down until you see the podcast option, and click on it
- Once you’ve selected the podcast option, you can scroll through and find a podcast you want to listen to
- Click on your chosen podcast and scroll to explore the episodes
- Click play to start listening
Like the Apple Podcast App, you can also download episodes and save them for later, so you can listen without internet access.
Spotify has plenty of great podcasts to choose from. However, its library is not as extensive as the Apple Podcast App.
Pocket Casts
Pocket Casts offers a superb alternative for those looking for a powerful yet user-friendly podcast platform.
Known for its clean interface and excellent customization features, Pocket Casts is a favorite among podcast enthusiasts.
Features of Pocket Casts
- Discoverability: Pocket Casts provides an intuitive discovery system that includes curated lists and categories, making it easy to find podcasts that fit any interest.
- Playback and Organization: Customize playback speeds, skip silences, and boost voice volumes for a tailored listening experience. Organize your podcasts with filters and playlists to keep track of your favorite shows and episodes.
- Cross-Platform Syncing: Use Pocket Casts on your iPhone, iPad, and even via a web browser. Your listening progress syncs across all devices, so you can pick up where you left off, regardless of your device.
Why Consider Pocket Casts?
Pocket Casts is renowned for its commitment to the podcast community. It provides features that cater to both new listeners and seasoned podcast aficionados.
Whether you are at home or on the go, Pocket Casts makes it easy to enjoy the rich world of podcasts at your convenience.
Why Listen To Podcasts?
If you’re a committed TV fanatic, you may wonder… what can I gain from listening to a podcast? First of all, podcasts are usually offered for free.
You can also listen to them whenever and wherever you are. Sure, you can watch a TV show on your mobile, but it doesn’t quite live up to the real TV experience.
Unlike audiobooks, podcasts are more of a conversation than a story.
This is far more dynamic than the usual one-person narration in audiobooks, and it makes for a far more exciting and diverse listening experience.
FAQ
How to listen to podcasts on iPhone for free?
Open the pre-installed Apple Podcasts app on your iPhone. Use the ‘Search’ feature to find a podcast of interest. Once you’ve found a podcast, tap on it and hit the ‘Play’ button to start listening.
How to listen to podcasts on iPhone without using data?
To listen to podcasts on your iPhone without using data, you’ll need to download the episodes while you’re connected to Wi-Fi. Open the Apple Podcasts app, find the podcast episode you want, and tap the cloud icon with the downward arrow.
This will download the episode to your device, and you can listen to it later without using data.
Are Podcasts free on iPhone?
Yes, most podcasts are free to listen to on the Apple Podcasts app on the iPhone. However, some podcast creators offer premium content or ad-free listening for a fee. You can choose to subscribe to these paid services, but it’s optional and the majority of content remains free.
How do I get podcast on my iPhone?
You can get podcasts on your iPhone by using the built-in Apple Podcasts app. Open the app and use the ‘Search’ tab to find a podcast you’re interested in. Once you’ve found the podcast, tap on it and then tap the ‘+Follow’ button.
New episodes of this podcast will automatically appear in your ‘Library’ when they’re available.
The Bottom Line
With these convenient podcast apps, you can throw yourself into an immersive listening experience whenever and wherever you are.
So, ditch your favorite TV shows for a while and stick on a podcast today – we promise you, you won’t look back!
Other Great Podcast Apps
You are not limited to the Apple Podcasts app on your iPhone. You can download other great alternatives that offer better design and great customization. Some of the widely popular options include Castro, Fusebox, Spotify, and Overcast.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve seen how to listen to a podcast on iPhone, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying your favorite topics and themes.
Simply head on to App Store and download your preferred podcast app if you want something with more functionality than Apple’s default Podcasts app.
