Q: Podcast app crashing in iOS 9

OMG. You are right. I was playing my Podcasts app after updating iOS 9.0.2 and it crashed after about 15 seconds into it. It at least opened where as on iOS 9.0.1 Podcasts app never opened.

They still haven't worked out the problem yet. I was cheering too early about the fix. Too bad.

Come on Apple!! What's wrong with you?

Same here. Still crashes. What a tease.

Updates to 9.0.2 and the app finally opens! ......for about 10 seconds and then crashes again.

Hopefully there is something to fix this easily on our own.

Updated to IOS 9.0.2 and so far so good, podcast is working.

9.0.2 update fixed my problem.

Same here, Lib completes the update and the UI appears, for about 15 seconds.

Baby steps Apple, baby steps.

Overcast is what I'm using, no problems.

The fewer podcast subscriptions you have, the easier it is to rely on Overcast or some other app until Apple fixes this.  In other words, the more you rely on Apple's native podcast app, the more you are being penalized by their shortcomings. 

That's absolutely true, I've only set up my must listen podcasts in Overcast. I want to at least give the iOS 9 update to the Apple app at try before deciding whether to migrate all the rest of my library to Overcast

OK so I have figured out a slight fix from playing a podcast. First you click on the podcast and while it's open it quickly play the podcast you want to play. If it closes after this just pull up from the bottom of your screen and click the play button and it should continue to play the podcast. Hope this helps some people

Updated to iOS 9.0.2.

Launch Podcast app.

Looks like the app loads and episodes start downloading.

Within about 10 seconds, the app crashes.

Try again, hit the play icon really quickly after launching and a podcasts starts playing, then the app crashes.

One last tidbit...swipe up from the bottom, hit the play icon and the podcast plays...but still if I return to the app, it crashes.

My guess is that QA has been outsourced to the lowest cost bidder.

This is what worked for me:

After 9.0.2, when I opened it for the first time, it stayed open for 30 seconds or more before crashing. Then I tried opening a few more times, and it crashed right away each time.

Then I tried this: I put it in airplane mode and opened the app. It stayed open. With the app still open, I turned off airplane more and it downloaded all the podcasts without a problem. It's now working for me.

Maybe this was a fluke, but worth a try for others still suffering.

* That said, I've been using Overcast for the last week, and I might not go back to Apple's app.

It's interesting to me that Apple is the dominant platform for podcasts and it does not charge podcasters to host their podcasts.  By contrast, Amazon is the dominant platform for digital books but they will not host a book which is permanently offered for free.  Thus Amazon is, in essence, "pay to play" on digital books while Apple is offering a free lunch to podcasters.  I'm not trying to justify Apple's poor service on this problem - er, well, maybe I am.  We're getting what we've paid for.

Another interesting anomaly to me is that Libsyn and Blubrry charge significantly for audio storage while YouTube doesn't charge for video storage, for which the storage requirements are far greater.  Of course, we all know the reasons for this.

I tried your method of using Airplane mode - and yes the app stayed active and did not crash. Until I turned on Airplane mode and it tried to refresh...it crashed after six seconds.

Apple does not actually host any of the podcasts.  It is just a directory of RSS feeds for those podcasts. 

Apple requires you to host our files on your own server or a 3rd party like libsyn if you want to get your show listed in iTunes.

Rob W

CORRECTION: I tried your method of using Airplane mode - and yes the app stayed active and did not crash. I was able to edit settings.  Until I turned OFF Airplane mode and it tried to refresh...then the app crashed after six seconds.