Have you ever fallen asleep when listening to a podcast? This is more common than you think!
It’s very easy to nod off while playing one back, even if the podcast is fun and exciting. The drawback here is that you will miss out on a lot of the content, which will take more time out of your day to catch up on later.
One method of avoiding this problem is by using a sleep timer. The Apple Podcasts app has a timer that you can use whenever you suspect that you might fall asleep.
You’ll learn how to set a sleep timer on the Apple Podcast app in this post. We’ve also included some more information about the podcast sleep timer, like alternative timer options you can use if you don’t use an Apple device. If you are interested in the best sleep podcasts check out this guide.
Keep reading to learn how to use the sleep timer on your Apple Podcast app!
TLDR; Set a Sleep Timer in Apple Podcast App
Here are the steps needed to set a sleep time in Apple podcast app.
- Open the Apple Podcasts app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Start playing the podcast that you want to listen to.
- Tap on the “Now Playing” bar at the bottom of the screen.
- Swipe up on the “Now Playing” screen to reveal additional options.
- Here, you’ll find the sleep timer option represented by a moon icon. Tap on it.
- You’ll see different options like 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, or when the current episode ends. Select the one that suits your needs.
How To Use The Sleep Timer On The Apple Podcast App
All iPhones have the Apple Podcast app downloaded to them, which will give users access to a lot of well-known podcast shows.
If you like to listen to podcasts at night, you may have found yourself falling asleep a few times. Many people are looking for a way to listen to their podcasts without falling asleep and leaving their phones on all night.
Fortunately, the Podcast’s app has a sleep timer integrated into the app. This will make the podcast stop playing after a certain amount of time.
The Podcast app is relatively simple to use, but you may struggle working out how to use the sleep timer in the app.
If this is the case, follow the steps below to activate the sleep timer in the Apple Podcast application.
- Step 1: Open the ‘Podcasts’ application on your iPhone by tapping the Podcast’s icon.
- Step 2: Press the ‘Now Playing’ panel at the base of the screen. Press the bar that displays what podcast is playing.
- Step 3: Swipe upwards with your finger, then press the ‘Sleep Timer’ command.
- Step 4: Select your chosen amount of time for the timer.
That’s it!
Now you understand how to use the Apple Podcast sleep timer, you’ll be able to keep playing your podcasts at night without worrying about missing any content, or your phone losing battery life overnight.
The steps outlined above will work for older iPhones, as well as newer iOS versions like iOS 15.
The sleep timer can also be used on different Apple devices, like the iPod Touch or iPad, provided that they have downloaded the Podcasts app.
You can also move between your various devices and continue your podcasts from each one, as long as you are signed in with the same Apple ID.
More Information About The Apple Podcast Sleep Timer
The Apple Podcast sleep timer lets you choose between specific duration periods. These are:
- 5 minutes
- 10 minutes
- 15 minutes
- 30 minutes
- 45 minutes
- An hour
- When Present Episode Finishes
A drawback here is that you cannot set a custom duration period on the timer, so you aren’t able to set a two-hour timer or a 90-minute one, for instance.
You’ll know if the sleep timer is activated as it will be counting from your chosen duration. If you press on a timer that is counting down, you can select a different period, so it will then restart from that point.
You can also turn off the sleep timer whenever you want by pressing the countdown and selecting the ‘Off’ button.
The timer will pause if the podcast is paused, but it will continue when you press the Play option to resume the podcast.
A lot of other popular podcast apps have sleep timers, like Spotify and Google Podcasts. The sleep timers in these applications aren’t usually hidden, but some people may find it harder to locate them.
For instance, in Spotify, you need to find the three dots at the top right corner of the current playlist, tap them, scroll to the end of the menu, then select the Sleep Timer button.
If you need an alternative to the Podcast sleep timer, you can use your phone’s default Clock app.
- Simply open the Clock application, select the Timer button at the bottom of the screen, then select a time duration.
- Next, select the ‘When Timer Ends’ option, then move to the end of the menu and press the Stop Playing option instead of the alarm.
- Apply this new setting by pressing the Set option at the top right of the screen.
An advantage of this method is that it can stop both video and audio playback, acting as an effective sleep timer for different media playback on your smartphone or tablet.
The Bottom Line
Now you know how to use the Apple Podcast sleep timer! This is a handy feature that helps save battery life, avoid missing out on content, and save you catch-up time later on.
If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, a lot of popular podcast apps have sleep timers, but you can use your phone’s Clock app if your Podcast application doesn’t have a timer built in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Apple Music Have Sleep Timers?
Apple Music doesn’t currently have a sleep timer built into the app, but you can stop its audio playing your iPhone’s default Clock application.
Begin playing your music, press the Clock app, then select the Timer button at the base of the screen. Select ‘When Timer Ends’, then scroll to the end of the menu and select ‘Stop Playing’.
Press ‘Set’ at the top right-hand corner, then you can select a chosen duration for the timer.
Can You Access A Timer From The Control Center?
Yes, you can tap the clock icon on the iPhone Control Center to open the Clock application and set a timer. This can also be done from the lock screen.
Simply swipe your finger downwards from your iPhone’s top right corner to access the Control Center.
If you have an older iPhone with a Home button, simply swipe your finger upwards from the base of the screen.
Can I Use A Sleep Timer Through Siri?
At present, you cannot use the voice assistant Siri to stop your Podcasts after a particular duration. You can set a normal timer through Siri, but it will not stop playing media when the timer goes off.
