Podcasts not updating on watch

Well I may be a total ding dong... I didn’t even look on the watch App Store first. I found it for my phone, downloaded it there, then watch, then realized I had to pay the $9.99 sub in order to have the pods actually downloaded to the watch... so unfortunately, I can’t tell if the solo watch app was $0.99

But all in all, it does download directly to the watch (once episodes are selected and downloaded to phone) and I can go ride with out my phone.

My only thing is, I have still brought my phone because I have the native Podcast app set for auto downloads and I just completely forget to download the new ones on Overcast. So that’s the one personal downside for me.

I don’t use overcast just my watch and phone. Today I began to have issues downloading my podcast. Once my watch passed 75% it seemed to began downloading my podcast. For some reason it was stuck on an episode and would say updating then swap back to waiting. I swapped it to listen now then back to custom on the phone app and all my podcast began to download, 3 episodes per podcast. Hope this helps someone.

Wow there’s so many people out there. I remember when i started having this trouble it was hard to find any information about it. I was contacting apple services about 20 times and was up to 2-3 hours on the line. I have reseted both my devices and looked like nothing helped. But when i somehow tried to forget it and leave it behind, just charging AW every second night i realised i got my podcasts.

Maybe it starts uploading only when it have enough battery already (like someone mentioned above ~75%) so i think you just need to leave it for actually enough time (whole night). And don’t forget to turn on bluetooth on both AW and IPhone.

Tbh don’t really know what helped me. I recommend just clicking ‘download new episodes automatically’ in IPhone podcasts settings and forgetting to check your podcasts every single second. When you will charge your AW they will upload automatically.

Sounds ridiculous but hope this helps

Hi guys,

I am facing exactly the same problem and I have tried every tips given. This is totally absurd that Apple does not take this issue seriously. How can a simple transfer between devices does not work. Isn’t it a basic thing nowadays? I am also wondering why it is just not possible to manage podcasts directly on the watch. It would be way easier to be able to select, download podcasts using WiFi directly from the watch. It is really annoying to spend so much money for IPhone, Watch, IPods, I and I and Istuffs having a basic issue which is not solved so far. It looks like Apple is promoting Samsung products by their incompetence to solve users issues!

Hi All,

Just another one to add to the long list of issues. I've an iPhone 8Plus and Series 5 GPS watch. Like many, bought the watch to listen to podcasts while running so I didn't have to take my phone with me. Had the phone since Sept 2019, was fine for months and then I'd guess about 2-3 months ago noticed podcasts weren't downloading properly.

Like many, I've tried a variety of things and none seem to work. Its says updating for a long time but nothing comes through on the watch, every podcast has a cloud against it and the spinning dots (top right next to the time) appear!!

So frustrating and really not acceptable apple.

I have had the same issue on Series 4 cellular. Nothing works. Spent hours 18 months ago with support, no help. Fortunately, there is an excellent app called Outcast that allows you to download podcasts to your watch. It's a minor inconvenience in that you have to turn off Bluetooth and keep your screen awake. But podcasts then download quickly and the playback is flawless. You have to download each episode manually, but at least it works. Shame on Apple for letting this issue linger.

I have the same problem although it’s a relatively recent thing. I used Overcast for 18 months or so which downloaded episodes seamlessly but recently it has suffered the same delay and hit and miss downloads issue you describe.

unfortunately your cellular streaming solution also doesn’t work as this completely drains your battery in about 20 mins!

Apple may as well just retire the watch podcasts app as it is completely useless.

I was speaking with a rep from Pocket Casts (which works the best for me so far but not ideally) and she said that Apple and their API controls and determines the synching interval. So while their software can do it immediately, unless there is an active token from Apple to allow it, it will not happen.

Seemed reasonable to me. I am not a tech guy, but it seemed like a reasonable explanation and I am petty sure she wasn't just saying something to get rid of me.

Regardless, Apple has failed on this one big time. I had hoped that the Watch OS7 and iOS14 might clear it up, but it has not.

Wow! Haven’t you noticed everything’s clear now with ios 14? or did it worked only for me? Now i can see that uploading progress line both with music and podcasts. Thanks to Apple, thought they’re making fun of us and wanted to hate all of them but now i’m happy again !!

Please tell me that it worked for everyone, not just me:/

can more people confirm this is true? i have had too many false starts and hopes on this subject. Is it true for all podcast apps or just apples? (i use Overcast since this one worked "the best" so far)...

Been having same troubles. However reading about something else, came across this action and it worked. Had podcast downloaded to watch overnight (finally worked again).

Leave Podcast app open on phone. Leave Podcast app open on watch. Note: I have Background App Refresh turned OFF on phone (not sure what effect this might have had). I also left Watch app open for good measure.

Results was podcasts downloaded after 5 days of nothing downloading. Maybe this will help others..... or it just happened to work this time.

I have a brand new watch. Fully updated... it has about 4 podcasts added to it each 8hr overnight charging period. This is insane! There is no way to force it to add podcast any faster. After 5 days of sitting on the charger I have only 25 podcasts on my watch! WTF!?!

Apple should make it possible to find and download the desired podcast episodes directly on the Watch, and at any time, not just when Watch goes to charge (and maybe it would be OK if it worked stably, but no!). This procedure should be as simple and clear as possible. But instead again ridiculous restrictions from Apple, which likes to make life difficult for users. The motto "It just works" hasn't been about Apple for a long time. This is far from the only problem when some basic functions simply do not work. For example, there are a lot of complaints from users that Reminders don't sync on Apple Watch, or sync with difficulty, takes a long time. Or you can't receive or make calls on Apple Watch. And so on.

I agree, this should definitely be simplified.

Nevertheless, I have to say that with iOS 14 and watchOS 7 this issue has been solved for me. It’s much better, you can follow the progress for each podcast on your, but it’s not easier as to be able to download it directly from the watch!

I experimented with the Watch this evening and found that two very old episodes (in which I have no interest) were loaded directly into the Watch's memory after charging today. But at the same time, one new episode of today has not been loaded into the Watch's memory. Thus, what I would like to listen to from the Watch was not downloaded, but the old ones, on the contrary, were downloaded. This is the worst-case scenario when you don't understand why this is happening, and you cannot control it, and, accordingly, you can never foresee the result. Usually, in this situation, I just refuse to use such unpredictable functions.

I was also surprised to find that some music albums were loaded into the Watch's memory. I heard that for this you first need to create a playlist, and then add it in the "Watch" app on iPhone. But I have not done any of this, and have not yet created a single playlist. But, nevertheless, some music was still loaded into the Watch's memory. Misunderstandings again... There is a great lack of full control over processes.