Apple has updated their Podcasts app to version 2.1 today, adding several enhancements to browsing and playback, along with CarPlay support. Many of the changes are focused on making it easier to find something to listen to.
Browsing is the major focus of Podcasts 2.1. The app now includes an Unplayed tab that lets you quickly find episodes you haven't listened to yet. You can also find new episodes to download and stream in the new Feed feature. You can save your favorite episodes to play later, offline, and you can choose to delete episodes automatically after you've played them. Podcasts also lets you tap links found in episode notes and descriptions and open them in Safari.
The new version of Podcasts adds support for Siri. You can now play podcasts using Siri, with support for a couple of different commands. You could simply say "Play podcasts," and an episode from one of your subscibed shows will start playing. However, you can also ask Siri to play a specific show. You can say, for instance, "Play podcast iMore show," or "Play iMore show" to get the latest episode of the iMore show to play.
Smaller improvements have also been made to the app. You can now start playing a station right from the stations list by tapping the Play button next to the station's name. Additionally, you can now share links for podcasts with others via AirDrop. Podcasts 2.1 also contains a fix for a playback issue when syncing with iTunes, as well as a improved stability when downloading episodes.
You can download Podcasts for free from the App Store right now. What do you think of the update, and what features would you like Apple to add in the future? Let us know in the comments.
- Free - Download Now
