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Google Podcasts could be the next big product of the Mountain View-based company to get the axe, as Google not only seems very committed to turning YouTube into the go-to podcast platform but has also started removing features from the app.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on what Google typically does, you probably know already that the search giant is known as a company that has turned killing off products into some sort of weird hobby. The recent demise of Stadia is living proof in this regard, as the announcement came as a big shock for everybody, especially after the investments the platform received in the last few years.
Google appears to be embracing a new strategy regarding podcasts as well. The company seems to try to improve the podcast experience on YouTube, something that would turn the platform into an all-in-one media service. At the same time, this change of focus also turns Google Podcasts into a second-class citizen of its product lineup and obviously brings it closer to a full demise.
Launched in 2018, the Podcasts app received several notable improvements throughout the years, but on Android, the app already feels abandoned. The last update for Google Podcasts was published on the Play Store back in August, and some of the bugs that were discovered and reported by users remained unfixed.
Ironically, the iOS version of the app is being updated much more frequently, with the most recent build going live earlier this month.
As far as the Android flavor of Google Podcasts goes, it now seems like it’s moving closer to its full demise. Google has removed the ability to play podcast episodes directly from the search UI, so right now, when you’re looking for content, the app only provides a link to reviews.
The change makes listening to podcasts less straightforward and convenient, but removing this feature could be just the beginning of what may eventually turn out to be a change of strategy for Google that would include the migration of podcast capabilities to YouTube.
The company says that right now, everything in Google Podcasts is working as intended. This means that even the search experience (which no longer allows users to listen to podcast episodes from the search interface) aligns with Google’s strategy, so it’s pretty clear that we’re not dealing with a bug here.
Furthermore, the company has explained in a statement that YouTube and Google Podcasts currently serve different purposes, and it’s not planning to change this. The two platforms will continue to be available separately, but as we learned the hard way, this can all change suddenly when Google eventually figures out that the Podcasts app no longer makes any sense.
Google appears to be embracing a new strategy regarding podcasts as well. The company seems to try to improve the podcast experience on YouTube, something that would turn the platform into an all-in-one media service. At the same time, this change of focus also turns Google Podcasts into a second-class citizen of its product lineup and obviously brings it closer to a full demise.
Launched in 2018, the Podcasts app received several notable improvements throughout the years, but on Android, the app already feels abandoned. The last update for Google Podcasts was published on the Play Store back in August, and some of the bugs that were discovered and reported by users remained unfixed.
Ironically, the iOS version of the app is being updated much more frequently, with the most recent build going live earlier this month.
As far as the Android flavor of Google Podcasts goes, it now seems like it’s moving closer to its full demise. Google has removed the ability to play podcast episodes directly from the search UI, so right now, when you’re looking for content, the app only provides a link to reviews.
The change makes listening to podcasts less straightforward and convenient, but removing this feature could be just the beginning of what may eventually turn out to be a change of strategy for Google that would include the migration of podcast capabilities to YouTube.
The company says that right now, everything in Google Podcasts is working as intended. This means that even the search experience (which no longer allows users to listen to podcast episodes from the search interface) aligns with Google’s strategy, so it’s pretty clear that we’re not dealing with a bug here.
Furthermore, the company has explained in a statement that YouTube and Google Podcasts currently serve different purposes, and it’s not planning to change this. The two platforms will continue to be available separately, but as we learned the hard way, this can all change suddenly when Google eventually figures out that the Podcasts app no longer makes any sense.
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