Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

whoit Author

Level 1

15 points

Can't sync podcasts ios7.0.3 - terrible

Just got my 5S with iOS 7.0.3 and I can't sync a single podcast.

I'm using Windows 7 Pro, iTunes 11.1.1.11, Podcast App 2.0

I have a large quantity of downloaded podcasts that I've been syncing for years

with iPods, iPhones, and iPads - everything has worked perfectly until now.

I do not sync/download podcasts from within an app - I have a separate

program on my PC to download and manage them.

I do not subscribe to Podcasts via my Apple products or iTunes because my wife and I share

our libraries.

(Meaning using an alternative app like Downcast will not work as it cannot sync existing podcasts via iTunes)

No matter what I do, as long as Podcasts are of Kind "Podcast", they won't sync.

I've tried:

1) Uninstalling/reinstalling the Podcast App multiple times

2) Syncing podcasts 'Automatically' with every option - 'all', 'all unplayed', 'recent unplayed', etc, etc

3) 'Include Episodes from Playlists'

4) and more.

After syncing, I've noticed in iTunes, under my Device, I can see all the podcasts in either the 'Podcast' link or the various Playlists (depending on what I've tried)

However, the Podcast App on the iPhone simply will not show them - as groups, or playlists, or anything.

The most I've ever gotten is a single Podcast mislabeled and with the wrong Artwork.

If I change all my Podcasts to Kind "Music" (or 'Audiobook') then I can get them into the Music player, but then I lose all my storage organization in iTunes - the 'Podcast' Library item becomes useless.

I've been an Apple user since the Apple II so I'm no nubie.

This is the worst junk Apple has ever turned out - whoever worked on it should be fired immediately - and I mean coders, managers, directors - all of them.

All I want to do is sync Podcasts from my PC library to my BRAND NEW EXPENSIVE iPhone the same way I can with music.

Does anyone have any ideas what else to do?

iPhone 5s, iOS 7.0.3

Posted on Oct 24, 2013 10:46 AM

115 replies

Mar 18, 2014 7:23 PM in response to whoit

Here's a solution I found, it might work:

-make sure you have "sync podcasts" checked in the podcast tab in iTunes for each device you are interested in syncing

- on each device (your iphone, ipad, etc. - not in itunes itself) go into settings then scroll down to podcasts.

-make sure the "sync subscriptions" button is turned ON.

When I upgraded to ios 7.3, somehow the sync subscpritions was turned off.

turned it on, then synced, all worked.

hope this helps. Lot easier than editing tags.

oregonjoe

Level 1

112 points

Mar 18, 2014 7:35 PM in response to kgp_middleton

Are you from the future? It's March 2014 and we're only on iOS 7.1.

Also that doesn't work for me. Sync sunbscriptions is already on.

PS. What does the iPhone 6 look like?

Mar 18, 2014 8:13 PM in response to whoit

Found a very simple solution on a related thread ("Podcasts App... Not Syncing Correctly.") that works for me (woot woot!) and should work for anyone wanting to play podcasts from iTunes. (Have only tried it on iPhone 5 with 7.1.)

Sync your non-subscription podcasts from iTunes as normally done.
Download and open Speedup Player Lite, a generic file player. Select "Podcasts" from the Library menu. Your sync podcasts will be there and (as a huge plus for me) can be played at variable speed (1X to 2.5X).
Delete the Podcast app and forget that it exists.

Hope this works for everyone!

Mar 31, 2014 7:45 AM in response to Hare2014

Great advice! Just turning on "Use Cellular Data For:" "Podcasts" under General, Settings, Cellular did the trick.

(Had to resync for podcasts to show up.)

Why you have to turn on "Use Cellular Data For:" to sync podcasts from your macbook to your iphone is anyone's guess.

I had turned cellular data off for iphone podcasts to save on my data plan.

You can probably leave the "Use Cellular Data For:" switch on for podcasts if you go into the settings screen for each individual podcast and set the "refresh podcast" setting to "manual' but there doesn't seem to be a global setting for that. (This also does away with the nusance "Cellular Data Turned Off" advisory that keeps popping up when you have it switched off, even when you're just trying to listen to a podcast and not trying to download anything.)

Thanks again!

Apr 15, 2014 10:54 PM in response to jsteinmuller

I signed out my Apple ID on iPhone, turned on Sync Subscriptions, and started the Podcast app again, found my synced podcasts there. Try it out

zorthron

Level 1

0 points

May 17, 2014 8:12 AM in response to SAMetzger

This actually worked for me! Thanks so much! Keeping my fingers crossed that it'll last. I'm so ****** off at Apple right now. Been a loyal customer since 1987 and I'm beginning to look around.

May 17, 2014 10:11 AM in response to jsteinmuller

This is not an option for me. "Use cellular data" for podcasts must remain OFF for me, and probably many other iPhone users.

BTW, that switch in the Podcast app options section doesn't work. I caught the Podcast app consuming over hundred megs of cellular data with that switch "off." Had to turn off cellular data at the cellular options section instead.

I also recently manually added a podcast from an archive. Out of 37 podcast files for that one podcast, only one file sync'd to the device and was marked "played." The rest won't sync.

Also BTW, I just spell-checked this post through Apple's web site and it's flagging "iPhone" as a typo. Apple wants to change it to "Phone."

May 18, 2014 5:27 AM in response to Traveler22

After updated my iTunes to 11.2.1 and Podcasts app to 2.1.1, I can sync and play my imported podcasts in my iPhone again!!!

May 18, 2014 1:41 PM in response to lingleung

How? What settings do you have turned on?

Do you have cellular data turned on for Podcasts or have wi-fi turned on? If you do, I suspect that your're not synching, actually redownloading on your phone the podcasts that you have on your computer.

I need to sync over USB and can't make iTunes 11.2.1 and anything beyond Podcasts 2.0 synch via USB.

zorthron

Level 1

0 points

May 18, 2014 2:14 PM in response to JimFerguson

i bought the podcast app Castro. works like a charm thus far.

after trying virtually everything anyone has suggested, i'm tired and disgusted by Apple's b.s. if they force me to migrate to different technology, i will.

May 18, 2014 3:04 PM in response to zorthron

Does Castro allow synching from iTunes over USB?

zorthron

Level 1

0 points

May 18, 2014 3:05 PM in response to JimFerguson

i don't know. i just opened the app, searched for my ten favorite podcasts and subscribed to them. voila.

so i guess this is a way to circumvent itunes completely...?

May 18, 2014 7:02 PM in response to zorthron

JimFerguson, I sync them via USB, but it must be the latest Podcast 2.1.1, (I can't do it even in Podcast 2.1) and in this latest Podcast app, there are three "tab" in each "subscription": Unplayed, Feed, Saved. These imported podcasts only show in Unplayed or Saved tab, not Feed tab. Evergthing works as before the Podcast 2.0.

May 18, 2014 7:24 PM in response to lingleung

I was getting ready to post this update when I read your post.

I installed Podcasts 2.1.1 one more time on my phone.

On my iPhone I went into Settings > Podcasts.

I turned on Sync Podcasts (actually left it on).

Set Refresh Every to Manually

Limit Episodes to Off

Download Episodes to Off

Delete Played Episodes to Off

Use Cellular data to Off

Everything is working as it is supposed to, and as an added bonus, the "Cellular data is truned off" warning seems to have disappeared.

It shouldn't be this difficult, but at least Apple seems to have produced an update that functions.

May 19, 2014 11:07 AM in response to lingleung

It kind of worked for me. My imported podcast is on my phone, but listed under one of my subscribed podcasts. The titles are nothing even close.

Why would we expect this to work right?

Can't sync podcasts ios7.0.3 - terrible