Podcasts App... Not Syncing Correctly.

I have my app set to sync the last five unplayed of all selected podcasts; it flat-out will not sync some podcasts, and others have issues with specific episodes not syncing. I've tried changing all of the settings, tried checking and unchecking the effected podcasts, uninstalling and reinstalling the app, and checking and unchecking automatic syncing. I've tried syncing via cable and syncing via wifi, and nothing works.

After reading this forum, I returned to the Itunes app simply by deleting the podcast app - set it to synch 5 last podcasts. Now it works exactly the way it always used to.

The Podcast app was totally unpredictable and impossible to manage.

I synch via the cable connection. Wifi always gives me problems my machines often seem to think they are on different networks.

I do need to fiddle around rather more on the main itunes screen. Its amazing how little noise this issue seems to have raised.

Hi, I have the same problem, subscribtions don't sync... but what I've found is http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5295

"Subscribing to a podcast using your device will not subscribe you to that podcast on your computer or other iOS devices", so it seems that there are two options, first: use itunes as prior to subscribe podcast and to sync with iphone (ex. last 3 podcast episodes) - that wokrs fine for me; or second: use iphone podcast app to subscribe and it'll download new episodes automaticly - that also works fine.

My problem is/was that I've tried to force sync itunes and podcast app at the same time both, but it seems that one need to decide itunes or podcast app.

What do you think about that?

So are we still really at this problem? My issue is that I'm massively behind on my podcasts, and syncing to my itunes now just screws up what i have and haven't listened to. I'm so frustrated that they haven't figured this out.

I spent over five hours fixing this problem. I had to delete my podcasts, one by one and then download them all again. Now, everything is fine. I was not pleased.

I had many of the problems listed by people in here.

Honestly spending £1.49 on Downcast was worth every penny and I've had nothing to do with the Apple podcasts app since. Give it a go and you'll see!

If I watch a portion of a Podcast on my iOS devices using Downcast, does it automatically sync with iTunes (without syncing the entire iOS device) so that when I resume watching the same podcast on my Mac, my Mac knows where I left off?

That is the piece that's broken right now with Apple's native app. The Podcast app works just fine if you don't care about syncing with Macs or Apple TVs.

I have had the same issue since the new "podcasts" was added to the iTunes library. I have itunes 11.0.1.12. I've subscribed to a number of podcast for years, and I had playlists setup for all of them. I keep my iPhone 5 plugged in to my Win 7 Pro laptop via USB all of the time that I'm not using it, to keep it charged and synced, then when I get in my car I take my iphone and listen to podcasts in my car and the phone syncs to my car via bluetooth. The old system worked perfectly. My phone and itunes were always in sync where I left off listening, whether from the phone or laptop via itunes, and when one podcast episide finished, on the iPhone, the next automatically started. NOT ANY MORE! Now the two are never in sync. I have to manually clean up my iPhone every time I listen to a podcast and I had to manually change all of the defaults to only show new/unlistened to episodes. Old podcast are still displayed from days/weeks/months in the past on the phone. Automatically finishing one episode and going to the next one no longer happens (doing this manually in the car while driving is basically like trying to text!). ITunes also downloads some episodes multiple times, even though every episode has a different name/number and has also been listened to already. Also.. only having a 10 sec replay is frustratingly too short. The old 30 second one was much better. The tiny red bar showing where the playing status is is especially maddening for a color blind person and is difficult to hit and drag correctly!! I also have almost the same exact issue with the apps. Checking for news apps on itunes and downloading them, does not keep the iPhone from showing the same apps as needing updating, even with wifi syncing turned on as well.

would this be a good way forward?

a) I delete all podcasts on both iTunes and the IOS app

b) subscribe only again to the ones I want from IOS app (keep last 5 setting)

i.e. don't use iTunes anymore

I would stay still use iTunes, but quit using the Apple Podcasts app except perhaps for archived podcasts that you want to keep a backup of and some which you still want on iOS. Instead get Downcast which also syncs with iCloud. If you're on a Mac, then even better - because a Downcast app for Mac is currently being beta tested and it will sync with the iOS app.

@MixedUp - that will work fine if you don't watch or listen to Podcasts on your Mac or PC. If you do, then the best bet at the moment is to unsubscribe to Podcasts in the iOS app and use iTunes device sync to keep everything up to date - just like before the Podcast app was released.

@Ian - if Downcast for Mac will sync iTunes with iOS and iOS with iTunes – without a device sync – I'm in. If not, it won't fix the fundamental problem. I look forward to checking it out.

The Downcast iOS app does not sync with iTunes but I am sure it will sync with the Downcast Mac app when it's released, and because the developers earn their income from it, it will be a proper job unlike the podcast sycning from Apple.

The problem for me is that if Downcast doesn't sync with iTunes, then it isn't a solution for Apple TVs. At least half of my podcast viewing is via the Apple TVs in the house.

The most complete solution available is still to use iTunes as the master. Disable subscriptions in the iOS podcast app and use iTunes device syncing to keep everything in sync. This is inefficient but it covers everything except syncing between multiple Macs, which usually isn't an issue for me.

All will be good if and when Apple ever builds the bridge between iTunes and iCloud.

A solution for some?

My wife was having the problem of podcasts on our imac not transferring to her iphone despite the settings appearing to be correct, after a few minutes of playing round I discovered that if I made those problem podcasts into playlists (on the mac) then told itunes to sync those playlists (to the phone), the phone looked for the podcasts and dropped them striaght into the podcast app.