How to get iTunes to delete podcast after sync

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tal1971 Author

Level 2

302 points

How to get iTunes to delete podcast after sync

I have looked online but I cannot seem to find an answer to my question.

I have around 9 podcast subscriptions in iTunes. Basically, I'm wanting to know if its possible to have iTunes automatically delete the podcasts after they have been synced to my iPhone 4S, I would like to have the podcasts remain on my iPhone until I had played them and then manually deleted them.

Also, if I partly played a podcast on my iPhone, would this be deleted the next time I synced my iPhone and added the latest episodes of those podcasts.

Thanks in advance 🙂

Windows Vista, iPad 32GB iPhone 4S 32GB

Posted on Oct 28, 2011 12:02 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Asatoran

Level 4

2,532 points

Oct 28, 2011 11:50 AM in response to tal1971

I have an iPad rather than an iPhone but the settings should be the same. On my iPad, I have the setting to "sync all unplayed". After a specific podcast episode is played fully, on the next sync, it is removed from the iPad, but stays on my computer. Partially played podcasts are left on the iPad. This is true for both video as well as audio-only podcasts.

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Answer 2

Asatoran

Level 4

2,532 points

Oct 28, 2011 12:09 PM in response to Asatoran

Rereading your post, are you wanting to delete the podcast from the computer, but leave it on the iPhone? That might be possible, but I'm fully certain. Me personally, I treat the computer as the "master library" and podcasts I want to keep are on the computer, rather than just my iPad. That way if I break or lose the iPad, I still have the podcasts and can sync them back to my replacement device.

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Answer 3

tal1971 Author

Level 2

302 points

Oct 28, 2011 1:56 PM in response to Asatoran

Asatoran wrote:

Rereading your post, are you wanting to delete the podcast from the computer, but leave it on the iPhone?

Ideally yes. Once I have synced it to my iPhone I would like iTunes to then delete that podcast. Then when I have listened/watched the podcast on my iPhone, I could then just delete it from the iPhone.

Your logic makes sense re 'I treat the computer as the "master library" and podcasts I want to keep are on the computer, rather than just my iPad. That way if I break or lose the iPad, I still have the podcasts and can sync them back to my replacement device'.

I tried your first reply and it worked a treat.I just have to make sure that I slide the playback slider on my iPhone fully to the end, so that iTunes detects that it has been completely played, rarther than partially. I have an habit of stopping a podcast a minute or so from the end, basically when the presenters are saying their goodbyes 🙂

I found that if I really don't want the podcasts left on iTunes/my computer, I then just click on refresh, and they are then deleted from their location on my computer.

Thanks very much for taking the time to help me its much appreciated. 🙂

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Answer 4

Nov 6, 2011 11:46 AM in response to tal1971

I am using an iPhone 3GS with the OS 5.0. I accidentally found how to delete podcasts directly from my iPhone. It took me an hour to repeat the process the next time, so I took screenshots of the process, a trail of digital breadcrumbs if you will. Here they are:

http://www2.latech.edu/~bmagee/303groups/iphone_delete/delete_from_iphone.html

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Answer 5

Pam

Level 1

0 points

May 4, 2012 9:26 PM in response to Seneca Furens

Thank you so, so much Seneca for taking the trouble to lay out the steps for deletion so clearly. I had been trying to work out how to delete from the phone for months! Do you have any similar advice for deleting podcasts from itunes in my computer? Pam

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Answer 6

tal1971 Author

Level 2

302 points

May 5, 2012 12:53 AM in response to Seneca Furens

Thanks for taking the time to share that Seneca, it will help others 🙂

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Answer 7

Jul 22, 2012 5:25 PM in response to Seneca Furens

Can't you just swipe to the right on the podcast in your Music app to delete?

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