Downloading podcasts don’t download

since the most recent iOS update, when I ask the podcast app to download a podcast episode, the episode doesn’t download. It shows the circular status bar, as if it is downloading, and the episodes even show up in the “downloading” menu of the app. But once they’re finished downloading, they disappear as if nothing happened, and they don’t show up in the “downloaded” menu. When I select the same episode, it gives me the option to download it again.

I’m someone who listens to a lot of podcasts on long bike rides and this is very irritating. Some things I have already tried include: turning my phone off and on; deleting and reinstalling the podcast app; signing in and out of my Apple account; and unfollowing then refollowing the selected podcast. None of these things has fixed the problem.

Like many other people, i very much dislike the new update to the podcast app where you have to “follow” podcasts instead of looking at your regular library. But having downloaded podcasts for when I’m outside WiFi or data service is the most important thing to me. Can anyone help?