Follow and play shows in Apple Podcasts on iPhone and iPad

Follow your favorite podcasts and control how you listen with playback speed, skip, and more.


How to follow podcasts on iPhone or iPad

When you follow a podcast, new episodes automatically download to your device. You can also get notified when new episodes are released.

  1. Open the Podcasts app.
  2. Browse or search for a show. Need help finding the shows that you like?
  3. Tap the show to see its information page.
  4. Tap the Follow button.

To find the podcasts that you follow or the ones that you've manually added through a URL, go to the Library tab. Then tap Shows and tap Followed.

Want to listen to premium podcast content? Learn how to purchase Apple Podcasts Subscriptions.


How to unfollow podcasts on iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the Podcasts app.
  2. On your iPhone, go to the Library tab and tap Shows. On your iPad, go to Library in the sidebar and tap Shows.
  3. Tap a show to see its information page.
  4. Tap the More button Icon of the More button.
  5. Tap Unfollow Show.
    Unfollow Show in a show's information page on iPhone

New episodes won't download, but episodes that are already in your Library won't delete. If you unfollow a show with premium content, your subscription is still active. Learn how to cancel a subscription.


How to choose the order that episodes play

When you follow a podcast, you can play episodes in order, beginning with the newest or oldest episode.

  1. Open the Podcasts app.
  2. On your iPhone, go to the Library tab, then tap Shows. On your iPad, go to Library in the sidebar and tap Shows.
  3. Tap the show to see its information page.
  4. Tap the More button Icon of the More button in the top-right corner, then tap Settings.
  5. Tap Oldest To Newest or Newest To Oldest.
    The Newest to Oldest Episode Order option in a show's Settings on iPhone

After an episode ends, the next episode of that podcast plays automatically. To turn this off, go to Settings > Podcasts, then turn off Continuous Playback.


How to filter seasons and episodes

For podcasts that have seasons, you can filter by season. If you follow a podcast, or have saved or downloaded episodes, you can also filter to see only your unplayed episodes, downloads, and more.

  1. Open the Podcasts app.
  2. On your iPhone, go to the Library tab, then tap Shows. On your iPad, go to Library in the sidebar and tap Shows.
  3. Tap the show to see its information page.
  4. Tap Seasons or Episodes, then choose a filter.
    The All Episodes filter in a show's information page on iPhone

How to speed up or slow down a podcast episode

  1. Open the Podcasts app and start listening to an episode.
  2. Tap the mini player at the bottom of the screen to expand the audio controls.
  3. Tap the Playback Speed button Icon of the Playback Speed button, then choose a speed from the menu that appears.
    The Playback Speed options in the mini player for a show on iPhone

How to set a sleep timer for a podcast episode

  1. Open the Podcasts app and start listening to an episode.
  2. Tap the mini player at the bottom of the screen to expand the audio controls.
  3. Tap the Sleep Timer button Icon of the Sleep Timer button to choose the amount of time that you want the episode to play.
    The Sleep Timer options in the mini player for a show on iPhone

If you still need help

Update your device to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Then open the Podcasts app and try these steps again.

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