error messages "podcast ... cannot be played on this iPhone"

This is a pretty clear bug in iOS4, and I hope they will fix it. If you try to download a podcast over wi-fi, then you lose the wifi connection, the message "Could not play [name] on this iPhone."

Then when you go into iTunes, it will not allow you to download it again. The database is corrupted somehow. You can listen to it through Quicktime, which is not a very good alternative.

I know the resolution is to sync through iTunes to my Macbook, but I can't do this when I'm at work. Really frustrating. Please gives us a way to at least correct the problem when we don't have sync ability.

I too have this problem on a 3GS. I upgraded to iOS 4 and started having the same problem. I hoped the 4.0.1 update would resolve it but no luck. I was having some issues with Safari being unstable too so I thought I'd do a restore and try to download again but no luck. Of course I can download them on the computer and sync and they play fine but that doesn't solve the bug in iOS 4. Hope it's fixed in 4.1!!

Did you ever resolve your issue, I am having the same issue but only on some podcasts? Thanks

I having the same problem!!! Yes you can download it from within iTunes and sync it to your iPhone but that defeats the purpose of downloading the podcasts on the go.

I have noticed that on my iPad my podcasts download fine that would have otherwise fail on my iPhone... So maybe it is ios4??

Apple please fix!!!

It's great the iOS 4, My 3GS runs so much slower than before. I first discover my compass not longer works and now can't listen to my favorite monthly podcast. Come on Apple, please!

Same problem on an iPhone 4.

What with antenna-gate and now this, there's some pretty fundamental things that seem to have got past Apple's testing department!

Yep exact same problem on Iphone 4

Some problem here. iPhone 3G. When I try to download the podcast straight to my phone, I get the error message. Sometimes I can immediately try again and it will work. The same podcasts ALWAYS work if I download them on the MacBook and then sync them to the phone. Never had this problem before iOS 4.

I have this problem too, inconsistently. Usually restarting the phone will allow podcast to download but the next one may not. The podcasts play fine if I download them via iTunes then transfer them to the phone, but this isn't always convenient or possible.

Same problem. I just upgraded to os4 and already have multiple problems. This is the most frustrating. I backed up everything before the upgrade but it's was all gone. I can't re-download certain podcasts that I downloaded 1 hour before the upgrade. FIX THIS PLEASE.

I had this same problem, but tried changing to a different WiFi network which then allowed me to download the podcast.
The difference between the networks is one is shared from my macbook and doesn't require any http proxy and the other (which didn't work), is a corporate wifi with ssl authentication and proxy required.

I have a few students getting this in my school on their iPod Touches (behind proxy server) - I started getting it today on my iPhone 3GS. It will be nice when it gets sorted.

Have noticed that if I turn off the WiFi network and START downloading over the cellular network, I can finish the downloading by turning the WiFi network back on again.

ALSO - check that you are signed into the Store under "Settings/General" - I have fixed one or two of these by signing people in!

Still suffering here though, because I cannot START a download on our work network any more.

I think I'll add my name to the list of people suffering from this bug.

It'd be really nice to get an official response from Apple. Or is that desperately naive of me?

Actually, with only 2 pages of people discussing this problem, I'd say Apple will NEVER address it. Completely restored my iPhone last night and still the problem remains 😟

Support.apple.com/feedback or similar people!