Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Apple
Apple wants to turn services into a money-making machine, so the company’s commitment to evolving platforms like Apple Music and Apple Podcasts is gaining traction.
Living proof is a batch of improvements announced by the iPhone maker for Apple Podcasts, as the company wants to provide users with new capabilities on iPhone, iPad, macOS, and CarPlay.
First of all, the Library will get a refresh with the addition of a new section. Channels will show up in the Library, as Apple wants to make it easier for subscribers to discover new content. When one user follows a specific show that is already included in a channel, the Library will show the full channel as well. This approach allows users to find the content they are looking for more conveniently.
Up Next is also getting an overhaul. I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite feature in Apple Podcasts, especially because it allows me to manage the content I typically want to listen to in a more convenient way.
Now Apple wants to improve the feature particularly on this front, so Up Next will display episodes of the show that you played, but didn’t finish. This change only concerns episodes of podcasts that you didn’t follow. In addition, Up Next will start showing new episodes from the followed shows and recently saved content.
Because managing content in the Up Next queue needs to be more straightforward, Apple is adding new gestures. Users can now touch and hold the show artwork to dismiss an episode from the queue. The same option is available when swiping left on an episode.
Apple Podcasts users on CarPlay are provided with their own pack of improvements, some of which are aimed at CarPlay. The Listen Now section is getting an overhaul with the addition of Up Next and Recently Played queues. The Browse tab at the top of the screen will display podcast recommendations picked by Apple staff based on the content that you’ve listened to before.
Last but not least, Apple Podcasts gets a visual update for the way episodes are displayed within the app. New information, including the number of unplayed episodes, is now available at the top of each show page. The Recently Updated section integrated into the Library also displays additional details, including when a specific episode was released.
All these enhancements will be part of iOS 16.4, which is projected to launch to supported devices next month. The parent company hasn’t shared the release date just yet, but the first developer beta is already live for testing. A public beta is also expected to launch soon, so if you want to try out the refreshed Apple Podcasts experience, you can download these testing builds.
First of all, the Library will get a refresh with the addition of a new section. Channels will show up in the Library, as Apple wants to make it easier for subscribers to discover new content. When one user follows a specific show that is already included in a channel, the Library will show the full channel as well. This approach allows users to find the content they are looking for more conveniently.
Up Next is also getting an overhaul. I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite feature in Apple Podcasts, especially because it allows me to manage the content I typically want to listen to in a more convenient way.
Now Apple wants to improve the feature particularly on this front, so Up Next will display episodes of the show that you played, but didn’t finish. This change only concerns episodes of podcasts that you didn’t follow. In addition, Up Next will start showing new episodes from the followed shows and recently saved content.
Because managing content in the Up Next queue needs to be more straightforward, Apple is adding new gestures. Users can now touch and hold the show artwork to dismiss an episode from the queue. The same option is available when swiping left on an episode.
Apple Podcasts users on CarPlay are provided with their own pack of improvements, some of which are aimed at CarPlay. The Listen Now section is getting an overhaul with the addition of Up Next and Recently Played queues. The Browse tab at the top of the screen will display podcast recommendations picked by Apple staff based on the content that you’ve listened to before.
Last but not least, Apple Podcasts gets a visual update for the way episodes are displayed within the app. New information, including the number of unplayed episodes, is now available at the top of each show page. The Recently Updated section integrated into the Library also displays additional details, including when a specific episode was released.
All these enhancements will be part of iOS 16.4, which is projected to launch to supported devices next month. The parent company hasn’t shared the release date just yet, but the first developer beta is already live for testing. A public beta is also expected to launch soon, so if you want to try out the refreshed Apple Podcasts experience, you can download these testing builds.
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