Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I have an old podcast that is no longer produced or active and I want to delete it from my itunes podcast list but it won't let me delete it.
If I go to the settings for that podcast it shows the subscription slide button set to "on" and locked. How can I unlock this so I can delete the podcast?
MacBook, iOS 8.1.3
Try ctrl clicking on the problem podcast show title and then select "Delete from Library"
One of two things should then happen, you will have no podcasts under that show - so just go to Podcast Settings and change the subscription because hopefully it shouldn't be locked anymore. Or if your show disappears go back to the store, search and add it back by subscribing, again once its back go to Podcast Settings to confirm it's no longer showing the lock.
Basically I've found to clear the "lock" you have to find some way of applying "Delete from Library" to the problem podcast show (ie show title - in my case "AppleInsider Podcast).
Not sure why this is happening because I've tried unsubscribing on my iDevices and the Mac as well as deleting shows but when added back I always got a couple with this issue.
One thing I did discover is that while iTunes showed the lock in one view it wasn't in the other (ie not locked in Classic List), also looking on both my iPad and iPhone did not show the problem - so it might be something to do with iTunes List view.
I've had other issues related to syncing which I won't go into now, but to try and resolve them I decided to delete the Podcasts app from both iDevices then add it back - read somewhere that removing clears out data that could conflict with what iTune has stored, early days yet though.
Try ctrl clicking on the problem podcast show title and then select "Delete from Library"
One of two things should then happen, you will have no podcasts under that show - so just go to Podcast Settings and change the subscription because hopefully it shouldn't be locked anymore. Or if your show disappears go back to the store, search and add it back by subscribing, again once its back go to Podcast Settings to confirm it's no longer showing the lock.
Basically I've found to clear the "lock" you have to find some way of applying "Delete from Library" to the problem podcast show (ie show title - in my case "AppleInsider Podcast).
Not sure why this is happening because I've tried unsubscribing on my iDevices and the Mac as well as deleting shows but when added back I always got a couple with this issue.
One thing I did discover is that while iTunes showed the lock in one view it wasn't in the other (ie not locked in Classic List), also looking on both my iPad and iPhone did not show the problem - so it might be something to do with iTunes List view.
I've had other issues related to syncing which I won't go into now, but to try and resolve them I decided to delete the Podcasts app from both iDevices then add it back - read somewhere that removing clears out data that could conflict with what iTune has stored, early days yet though.
Switching to "classic view" only shows the current podcasts in the list (the one's you can delete from list view).
Strangely enough the locked old podcasts are not present to be deleted in the classic view.
Hello mrm2015,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
I understand that you have subscribed to a podcast in the past and now that it is no longer being produced, you would like to delete it. Please review the attached article for information on managing Podcasts subscriptions.
Podcasts app for iOS: Managing subscriptions - Apple Support
Have a great day,
Joe
That page doesn't answer my question--the problem is that the subscription button in the settings tab for that individual podcast in itunes is shown as "locked"
I can't unlock it and therefore can't delete it. I can't find any place where it talks about locking or unlocking this feature. Until I can unlock it, no deleting.
Understand? It looks like a bug as it's not addressed anywhere and seems very odd and dysfunctional. Anyone had the same problem and solved it?
If you open iTunes and under the play button in the upper left corner click on Podcasts (if hidden click the 3 dots). Once you done that select My Podcasts and in the left pane you should see a list of podcasts you've subscribed to. Right click on the podcast you want to delete and a pop up window will appear then select delete.
That's not the problem. Maybe I'm not being clear, but I'll state the issue a third time . . .
Deleting this old podcast in the regular, right click way does nothing. Not from iTunes, not from my iPod, not from any of my devices can I delete it. I have even tried tossing the files on my hard drive to delete it that way. No luck.
What I do get--and this is key here so read carefully--is that when I go to the settings for the podcast (by clicking the wheel icon at the top of my list of podcasts) the sliding subscription button showing that I'm subscribed to that podcast is locked. There is a lock icon superimposed on the sliding button. I have never seen this lock icon there before and somehow it seems to be preventing me from deleting the podcast.
How do I UNLOCK it? Presumably, once I can unlock it then I will be able to delete it like any other podcast.
Then contact Apple Support. Good luck
My issue is similar.
I have the same "locked" podcast but I want to keep it and now it will not download current episodes. I need to go in to the iTunes store every day and download them.
How do we unlock a podcast?
Thanks
I have exactly the same problem and understand completely. I had no problems at all with iTunes until I was advised to rebuild my library yesterday by apple chat rep via apple care. It's messed up all my podcasts so I can't subscribe to them with a simple right-click. Total mess. 😟 Having spent 1.5 hours with chat again today re CD drive not reading my bought discs I'm in no mood to go back into apple chat for a third time. *Really* frustrated and annoyed at my totally cocked-up iTunes podcasts. Locked indeed. Bah!
Did you ever find a way to unlock the button? I have the same problem -- there are about four or five old podcasts that I'd like to delete, but I can't because of that blasted lock on the subscribe button. Strange that no one at Apple seems to be aware that this is a thing that happens.
I'm having the exact same problem. How did you fix it?
I fixed this issue (maddening!) but changing the view. The lock symbol only comes up in list view. If you switch to classic view, you can then right click on the podcast line, or on individual podcasts, and choose "delete from library". If you then switch to list view, you will see that it's now gone. Hopefully, this works for you, too.
podcast subscription locked
