Podcasts App... Not Syncing Correctly.

Been using Downcast now since my original post, and so far so good. It's slick.

Nice fluid UI, took me less than a minute to get my subs up and running, and appearing on the lock screen (handy for when I want to stop and start while travelling). Barring something horrible happening in the future, it's well worth the money. At this point I see no reason at all to try Podcasts again! Fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again!

I won't bother syncing from the Mac - I'll just download on the phone.

Thanks for the tips.

The Podcast app is displaying some very odd behaviour. Some of the table cells disappear when I'm scrolling, and the sync is producing multiple versions of podcasts, and not updating others. Pls fix.

OK, been reading the great comments on Downcast. Bought it. Might be missing something, but how to I point Downcast to the podcasts that I listen to from iTunes? Several are only available thru iTunes and not from other websites / URL's. Downcast is integrated with iTunes, isn't it?

Copy your subscriptions as per the instructions on the support pages on the downcastapp dot com pages

Then, let Downcast operate the subs going forward. There is no need to sync after that.

One downside to Downcast is that there is no automatic link to iTunes on your PC (if you have one) so if you keep a seperate suite of podcasts you need to keep these updating and manually remove those you no longer need.

Half of my podcast time is using an iPod Nano in the gym. The other half is split between my Mac and AppleTV. A solution that doesn't sync with iTunes is no solution for me.

I've been suffering the same problem for the last two weeks and my ipod is fixed and syncing again. iPod 5G with 7.0.4 and Podcast app 2.0.1. I could search for the podcasts on my ipod and they were there, but failed to open. So:

1) Untick Sync Podcasts in iTunes and let iTunes sync them all off.

2) delete podcast app

3) Reset ipod (hold home and off button and wait for the Apple Logo to appear before letting go)

4) redownload the podcast app from the AppStore (not iTunes, I tried that and it made no difference first time through)

5) then I resynced one podcast and it worked!!

6) then I sat back and resynced the rest.

It worked! And now I get a double header of Notcturnal for my next Monday morning commute, hurrah!!!

I hope that's useful.

Here's an alternative solution...

I tried JeremyPope's solution (thanks for posting it) but it didn't work for me.

Unfortunately, the much-recommended Downcast app does not have a version for Windows and I prefer to manage my podcasts on my computer rather than on my phone.

I have an alternative solution using the app SpeedUp. I already have it on my iPhone for reasons other than listening to podcasts. SpeedUp looks in your iPhone 'library' and allows you to choose to play in SpeedUp anything that is in your library such as music, audiobooks and, thankfully, podcasts. Even though 'synced' podcasts do not show up in the Podcasts app they do exist in the iPhone library. So SpeedUp can see them and play them. This means I can still manage my podcasts in iTunes, and sync from iTunes to the iPhone, but I don't need to rely on the Podcasts app to play them.

I only just came upon this solution 5 mins ago but it seems to work ok.

What is the point of having an iPod or iPhone that doesn't sync correctly with iTunes? Why would you take the time to release a separate app that can't do what the old app already did?

I don't want to pay stupid amounts of money to download my 30+ podcast subscriptions on my cellular connection -- that's why I connect to my blasted computer! The podcast is right there on my computer, I was just listening to it. But when I hit "sync," all it puts on my iPhone is a grayed out mention of the episode? What's the point of that? That's not a "sync," it's a hard-to-read index. What does "sync" mean in Apple world?

WHY WOULD YOU MAKE A PODCAST APP THAT DOESN"T PUT PODCASTS ON YOUR DEVICE?

I have an Ipod Touch 5 with iOS 7.0.4.

I listened to podcasts every day but since I upgraded the Podcast app to 2.0.1 my ipod doesn't recognize podcasts anymore. Or whatever the problem is. I want and need to sync with iTunes with an USB-cable.

I think this is unbelievable. I would never have bought this model ipod if I had known I would get this trouble with listening to podcasts. I would have bought the Classic again.

Does anyone know where to download the Podcast app 2.0 ? It wasn't good but at least I could listen to podcasts.

If 2.0 is not available anymore I'll try Xjasper's solution : the Speedup app.

Why are we made dependent of #&!@#! apps to listen to podcasts in the first place ? Argh...

The lite version ?

I can't remember what the lite version does and doesn't do. Try the lite first and see if it does what you need.

Update to my post...

I've been using the Speedup app for a few days now without any problems. The only mildly annoying thing is that podcasts do not directly auto sync to the Speedup app. I have to select them from the iPhone library after syncing the iPhone to my computer. So there are a couple more 'steps' than there would be if the **** Podcasts app did what it is supposed to. Of course, it's a complete p*sser that we have to use a 3rd party app to do something that the Podcasts app is supposed to do. How arrogant is Apple???

Update to THIS post...

See those four * in my message above? What I actually wrote was the word d*mn but Apple Support Communities doesn't think the word d*mn is acceptable for general consumption. What on earth is the matter with this company...

I didn't wait for your answer yesterday and installed the Speedup app (lite). I'm glad I did. I can listen to podcasts again ! So thanks Xjasper :-)

So... Apple Support Communities is really READING this ? (or perhaps there is an automatic scan for words like ****, **** and **** *)

But if they are READING this why aren't they DOING something about it ?

* nmad, kcuf and tihs

Haha, automatic scan it is...

First off, by no means am I defending Apple's Podcasts app. I have every one of the sync issues you have all mentioned here and I don't have a warm feeling that Apple will address any of it sometime soon. But I think it is useful to point out that most of the alternatives suggested don't sync with your PC. Downcast and Instacast look thoughtful, and full of features ... but have you ever thought to simply turned off Podcast Syncing, and Subscription Syncing? Use Apple's Podcasts app stand alone on your phone. Give it a try. You might find you never miss the sync back to your PC. At times I've been neurotic trying to get my PC and iPhone in some state of harmony, but you know what? I never, ever listen to a podcast on my PC. I never, ever shift my listening over to my iPad.

Just a thought. If you are going to shift to a new podcast app that doesnt sync with your PC, you might as well try Apple's player stand alone first. Stations isnt fantastic, but you can build some good streams for your listening habits (news, talk shows, long form, short form ...) that play in the order you desire.