Podcast App Crashing

I just started having the same issues.

the only thing I’ve found to work is to switch off WiFi and cellular or go to airplane mode. It seems to work ok (playing downloaded content) when I disable the network.

Just started having this issue as well. The workaround mentioned doesn’t work for me either. Oddly, my app doesn’t crash if I’m on airplane mode with WiFi turned off. Definitely not a long-term fix, but have been able to continue listening to my downloaded podcasts that way

I have had a problem for the last week or so, where the app crashes whenever I click on the "now playing" podcast or try to view the queue of episodes coming after the current one. My solution was to click on any available podcast to play it now, and choose the option to clear all "up next" podcasts when prompted, rather than keep them. Problem solved (except that, annoyingly, the queue of upcoming episodes which I had painstakingly built up is now gone).

Having the exact same issue. Have to shut down phone and restart to get access to podcasts back again - zero issues prior to iOS 13.

after restarting the phone it happens again after a while.

I am having this problem on BOTH my iPad and iPhone. It resolves for a while if I delete the app and reload it, but then it begins to manifest again. VERY frustrating. Where is Apple?

As previously stated above the issue continues. One of the work around work. As with other posters App crashes on opening or during operation. App fails to respond when operating with volume and other controls lost. Phone just continues to heat up alarmingly so. When a podcast plays it does so it stutters and a word is skipped. Weird behaviour occurs within the app itself like just randomly returning to main library screen when trying to navigate downloaded section. I could go on and on but I think we get the gist. Apple used to have a reputation for flawless design and extremely robust resilient product and software. Not any more every time an update to IOS occurs I shudder as to what functionality will be lost with the update. Sadly the pod app is the latest in the half baked product releases.

I've also started experiencing this this morning. One of the podcasts I'm subscribed to appears to have messed up its dates and the podcast app went ahead and listed the few hundred episodes since 2013 and I register ~620 unplayed episodes. On top of that, the app keeps crashing so I can't play anything for more than 30s or delete any of the new/old episodes.

Yep, I've been having this same issue, amongst others. Today (12/9/2019) was the first day it has crashed repeatedly (5 times and counting). Other than the crashing, the two biggest issues I've had with the app since iOS 13:

1. The app routinely "forgets" all the episodes that have already been downloaded (it shows the "cloud"/download icon by the episode) and takes a minute to remember that they have already been downloaded.
2. Handoff to HomePod has become shambolic. Half the time, it doesn't keep track of where in the episode I stopped playback on HomePod, but instead resumes on the iPhone from the point I initially handed off to the HomePod.

I suspect it is a memory issue; I think the app is using too much memory, forcing it to page data, or perhaps it is suffering from a buffer overflow bug. Perhaps both.

@Apple, this really shouldn't be a hard fix. Given that it seems to be a widespread problem, why has it not been addressed yet? Wasn't iOS 12+ supposed to be all about stability? Given all the other issues with iOS 13, the company really needs to take a hard look at its QA operations.

Further to this post I have removed it completely. I now use pocket cast. I discovered another issue when I went to export my podcast library from ITunes it had not and would not sync, it literally had empty shells listed. I’m done with it all. So incompetent and still no response from Apple. 🖕🏻

I agree with you. Same situation here. Started to crash around 10am est and I thought it was just my phone. I didn’t try airplane mode but looking at the overwhelming response it looks like a temporary fix but totally agree who wants to force their phone to not work just to listen to a podcast and I don’t have WiFi at work so I can’t receive messages if I lock my Phone down.

This app is completely broken. I can’t even get mine to send me a notification when I’m subscribed to a podcast. Apple has no idea whether the episode must be downloaded before getting the notification as per their website or get one when the new episode comes available. Now I can’t even stream one either. Apple should just scrap podcasts as they don’t support the app and don’t even know how it works. Apple support is just silly. However, what I don’t understand is why no one else here contacts Apple support? All you guys do is complain on this forum. Better do what I did and contact Apple support and report here. That helps others.

I have given up and switched to Stitcher.

I have the same problem but “resolved” it by listening in airplane mode. Apple still needs to fix the overlying issue.

This was so annoying and persistent that I switched to a different app.

There's several very good alternative out there.

This is very unlike me as I'm pretty much "everything Apple"

Similar issue but not resolved by above fix. App doesn’t crash but actually seems to lose connection to server and account. All podcast program icons don’t disappear and episodes can’t be accessed. At other times even downloaded episodes are not accessible or volume and other controls are lost. The other day the iPhone X on which I was listening to podcast began to get hot to the touch. None of the podcast app controls would respond and the episode continued to play. Turned the phone off and rebooted. Issue not resolved. With my limited knowledge I would suspect that this is an issue beyond the app and linked to the IOS 13.1.3 and a loss of service connectivity issue. Loses connectivity hardware works really hard to try and achieve connectivity hence over heating. Resolution thoughts?