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Updated the podcast app, now all podcasts come up as temporarily unavailable

I updated the podcast app, now all my previously downloaded podcast come up as temporarily unavailable. I'm using the Iphone 4 with the 7.0.2 operating system. Anyone else have this problem. Tried to restore my phone but it did not fix the problem. Why is this the worst app of all time?

iPhone 4, iOS 7.0.2

Posted on Oct 24, 2013 9:01 AM

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101 replies

Nov 17, 2013 12:49 PM in response to Tommysfat

Hi am experiencing same problem.

All podcasts are on my iTunes.


Over the week podcasts are downloaded onto my iPhone when they become available.


When I sync my iPhone to iTunes they become temporarily unavailable.


If if then delete from iPhone and then go to add them under "add old episodes " it states cannot be downloaded at this time.


I have read the threads and there doesn't appear to be one conclusive way of fixing.


I admit to not being the sharpest tool at times but this appears to have been a straight forward process until recently.


What needs to be done to fix either:

To my iPhone specifically for not doing something I should be doing

The issue in general as if it's not my stupidity it appears a monumental **** up


Thanks.

Oct 24, 2013 4:48 PM in response to CalgaryBoy

Same here, but it started when I was on 7.0.2. When I try to play any podcast synced with iTunes on my Mac, when I try to play it I an hit with "This episode is temporarily unavailable from [Podcast Name]." If I delete the podcast and re-download it on my iPhone, it does play, but is then unavailable again after another sync with my Mac.


iPhone 5S, iOS 7.0.2 & 7.0.3

Oct 25, 2013 10:31 AM in response to Tommysfat

I noticed this problem shortly after the 7.0.3 update, but I can't say for sure that they're connected. It happens with all of the podcasts that I've already downloaded to my iPhone, but when I download a new podcast episode, it will play right after it's downloaded. However, when I go back to the same file later in the day, I'll get the message that it's unavailable — even though I know it's on my own phone and it worked earlier.


I've deleted the Podcasts app and downloaded another copy and this made no difference.


I'm using an iPhone 5 with iOS 7.0.3.

Oct 25, 2013 4:19 PM in response to Tommysfat

I'm having the same problem. I haven't completely concluded what the trigger is, but I do know that when I download the podcast I can play it, and the next day I can't play it. Most of my saved podcasts aren't available for download anymore.

I did what Dave McElroy did and deleted them from my iPhone and re-synced them back on, but the problem persists.

Oct 26, 2013 12:47 AM in response to Tommysfat

I'm thinking that it comes from a flaw in the way iTunes syncs pocasts via normal iTunes sync now that Podcasts.app and iTunes communicate also via iCloud.


When I downloaded new episodes this morning, I also set up iTunes podcast syncing hoping that it would sync how far I'd listened to an episode. I set it to not sync any particular podcasts. After the sync, Podcasts.app reported having episodes, but every episode got the "temporarily unavailable" error, even the episode that I had just downloaded moments before.


I'm going to stop iTunes from syncing Podcasts directly, redownload everything, and only use iCloud from now on.

Oct 26, 2013 8:26 PM in response to Tommysfat

I first noticied this a couple days ago. Now it seems to be any/all podcasts synced from itunes give this error. If I delete and re-add an episode it works until the next sync. I tried telling itunes to not sync podcasts, but that doesn't help. I uninstalled and reinstalled podcasts app, still does it unless i redownload the episodes.


Podcasts app isn't usable as it stands.

Oct 27, 2013 3:04 AM in response to Tommysfat

Yes, there seems to be a bug in the syncing mechanism itself. However, so far I've been able to prevent iTunes from causing this corruption by preventing it from syncing podcasts. Steps:


  1. Disable podcast sync (iTunes->Devices->iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch->Podcasts->uncheck "Sync Podcasts")
  2. Hit "Apply"
  3. Allow iTunes to delete all podcasts on iOS device
  4. Redownload desired podcasts in Podcasts.app


At this point, iTunes sync no longer corrupts the podcasts for me. I'm still subscribed to podcasts in the app and in iTunes, which now communicate via iCloud, but they have to download everything individually.


Further syncs under this paradigm reveal odd behavior. If you watch iTunes sync you might notice what I notice: it begins the sync, does an inventory of all the podcasts that are downloaded (where they appear in the sidebar beneath whatever iOS device you're syncing), and then they vanish. Once this happens, iTunes will not register that there are podcasts on the device again though they still - for me at least - exist within the app itself.


I'm still experimenting to see what the exact trigger is within sync though. I'm currently syncing all podcasts that are on my Mac with my iPhone to continue experimenting. My best guess/hypothesis is when you allow syncing of some podcasts via iTunes sync but are subscribed to additional podcasts within iTunes and Podcasts.app. How might this happen? All it would take is subscribing to a podcast in the app but never explicitly telling iTunes that you want this new podcast synced through the Devices tab. This confuses sync and Podcasts.app, and the problem appears. The podcasts are deleted, but Podcasts.app doesn't register that they're gone, and it throws up the error message.


But as axcess99 said, the workaround listed above might not work for you, so the best workaround right now that I can see is to prevent iTunes from directly syncing (sync that isn't iCloud or iTunes Match) until this is fixed.

Oct 27, 2013 6:32 AM in response to Tommysfat

I think the problem is a flaw in the way iTunes transfers content to the phone.Maybe something with podcasts has confused it, but my movies and videos are also not syncing and appear greyed out on the phone. I can drag and drop the video to play on my daughters iPod, but the same video will appear greyed out on my iPhone and will not transfe to my phone.

Oct 27, 2013 8:02 PM in response to Tommysfat

I had a slightly different issue after upgrading to 7.0.3. For some reason, the upgrade failed and I had to restore the iPhone, then restore from backup. After that, everything was back to normal except for podcasts.


The Podcasts app would display a rotating wheel with the message "updating library" and then quit. It did so every time I tried to open it. I tried the solution suggested above (disabling podcast sync) but it did not help.


What helped, though, was deleting the Podcasts app and reinstalling it. As it turns out, I still had an older version of the app (pre-iOS7 UX look). I will have my precious podcasts for the commute tomorrow morning, phew.


I have a feeling that the iOS upgrades aren't as smooth as they used to.

Updated the podcast app, now all podcasts come up as temporarily unavailable

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