Podcast only plays through wifi shows unavailable otherwise

Hi Jqbogg22,

Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.

If you're using the Podcasts app on an iPhone or iPad with cellular, but podcasts don't stream while you're on cellular data, first make sure this setting is turned on:

If you allow Podcasts to use cellular data (under Settings > Podcasts), streamed podcasts of any size will play.

You may also want to download the podcasts to your device while you're on Wi-Fi.

You can find the steps above and more information about downloading and managing podcasts in this article:

Podcasts app for iOS: Stream, download, and subscribe to podcasts - Apple Support

All the best,

Jeremy

I think you missed the fact that the podcast continues to play when he leaves wifi access. The podcast is not streaming, it has been downloaded already.

I have the same problem. I have podcasts that HAVE been downloaded. I have cellular data turned off, i.e. I am not connected to cellular data. I AM connected to wifi. I start playing a downloaded podcast. I leave wifi access (driving in car). Podcast continues to play. If however I stop the podcast for any reason, I cannot restart it. I get a message that the podcast is unavailable. This just started last week. I've never seen this behavior before. I have an iPhone 5s, running iOS 7 (whatever the last version of that was), i.e. I have not upgraded or made any big changes lately, other than possibly getting the latest version of the podcast app, if one was released recently, maybe last week when my problem started?

I seem to have figured out how to get podcasts to play when not connected to wifi. In the Settings app go into the Cellular menu, scroll down, and turn on cellular data for the Podcast app. Then scroll up to the top and turn on Celluar Data. Start playing your podcast. At this point you can turn off cellular data and the podcast will continue to play, until you stop it, at which point you'll have to turn on celluar data again to restart the podcast.