iOS 11 podcast autoplay

This flummoxed me, too. When you're looking at the episode that is currently playing--the Now Playing screen, though it's not labeled as such--keep swiping up to beneath the Episode Notes and you'll see (editable) Up Next.

Exploring alternatives ...

So far, a simple app called "Castro" seems to work. As opposed to Apple Podcasts, with its hidden, unstable "Play Next" queue, Castro is built around its play-next list. Very easy to construct and view a nice long queue of episodes, easily edited, to play continuously on a long drive, without interruptions and constant tending. And, unlike Podcasts, the list doesn't go all to **** if you insert something, like an NPR newscast, and then resume your list. Integrates with my Bluetoothed car radio, starting up where I left off when I start the car -- good for bathroom breaks -- and giving me forward, back, pause, next controls on the radio buttons. Pauses for phone calls and GPS voice directions.

We'll see. Happy to reconsider Podcasts if Apple gets its act together.

SOLVED: Go to Library, press edit, choose new station. Give unique name.

Now create a playlist (station) that plays newest to oldest ,or oldest to newest, so anything but manual.

Add all the podcast you want to continously play (simply use Add ALL) DONE

From now on use that staion to play (behaves same as old ios 10 app, just plays what ever came in last first.

PS no idea why nobody from apple botherred to explain this.
and station fuction has nothing to do with and does not need itunes, it is a podcast app feature

<<tried the solution Offered by several others and they didn’t work. Infact, I lost all episodes of one podcast that I was trying from one suggestion>>

Liketoread, please provide more detail so we can get to the bottom of what didn’t work.

1. Were you able to create a Station?
2. How many Shows did you add to the Station?
3. In the Podcasts settings below (left pic in image), what were your settings for Download Episodes & Delete Played Episodes?
4. In your Station settings where any of your 5 settings different than the ones in Station settings below (middle pic in image)

In learning and testing the new Podcasts methods, you might want to simply create a test Station and put a couple Shows in it, then let the play Episodes play automatically in sequence by clicking the top ep.

iOS 11 Podcasts App – Simpler, but a Major Departure from iOS 10

The iOS 11 Podcasts App took a major step toward simplicity over previous versions, however, after first introducing Stations as a replacement for iTunes Playlists with iOS 10, it now forces a manual transition to Stations since iTunes Playlists no longer appear in the app. It also only permits Autoplay within Stations, introduces the term Shows and eliminates the Mark As Played feature for an individual podcast Episode or a selected group of Episodes.

To move around the app, one needs to understand three terms:

• Episode – a single event of a Show such as a single evening’s recording of the PBS NewsHour.
• Show – a podcast subscription, such as the daily PBS NewsHour.
• Station – a collection of Shows in whatever grouping you choose such as News

PODCASTS APP SETTINGS

It is wise to choose your preferences in iPhone>Settings>Podcasts before you subscribe to several Shows as those preferences will be the defaults for each Show. You can also change preferences for a particular Show, such as the PBS NewsHour by going to Library>Shows>PBS NewsHour, clicking the blue three-dot icon to the right of the Show’s name, then choosing Settings.

Note you can choose to download Only New Episodes as they become available, All Unplayed Episodes or none, should you choose to review an Episode’s title in Available Episodes on its Show’s screen before downloading it. You can also choose to keep played Episodes, should you wish to listen to them repeatedly, or delete them automatically once heard. Played Episodes remain on your device for 24 hours after being played, though the titles remain in Available Episodes on the Shows screen. A previous Episode, if still available, can be downloaded again by clicking the plus sign to the right of its title.

Below are my settings preferences for the Podcasts App (left), Stations (center) and Shows (right), which might be a handy starting point, if you have questions or problems.

SUBSCRIBING TO A SHOW

You can subscribe to a Show using the search icon at the bottom of the app or through iTunes. You can also choose to download a single Episode rather than to subscribe to all future Episodes of a Show.

CREATING A STATION

Stations can be created, named and edited in the app at Library>Edit (upper right)>New Station or in iTunes. Shows can be added to a Station or removed by opening the Station in the Library screen and choosing Edit (upper right)>Settings>Choose Podcasts, then placing (or removing). a check mark to the right of the Show. A Station’s Shows can also be added or removed in iTunes.

You can group Episodes in a Station by Show. You can also manually order those Shows within the Station. In the Station settings (middle pic in the Tutorial below) turn on Group by Podcast. In the Sort By or Play option in Station settings chose Manual Show Order and adjust the order as you wish.

AUTOPLAY

Episodes can only be Autoplayed within a Station; but not in Listen Now, the Library Episodes list or in a Shows screen. Simply open a Station in the Library and click the top Episode. The remaining Episodes will play in sequence. In each Station’s settings you can designate whether the Episodes are sorted and played from oldest to newest, the reverse or manually. Episodes not fully downloaded can be streamed when on Wifi, however, Autoplay will stop at the Episode, if only on mobile data, regardless of the Podcasts App settings for mobile data.

SLEEP TIMER

While playing an episode tap the Play Bar at the bottom of the screen. You will see the horizontal Play progress bar and the Sleep Timer right under it.

PLAY TIME PROGRESS INDICATOR

The play time remaining shows up in the Episode screen being played. The time progress for the Episode being played can be seen by opening the Play Bar along the bottom of the screen, on the Lock Screen and, for the iPhone 6S and later, in the Control Center using 3D Touch. Just press-and-hold the Play icon.

SIRI

Siri enhances convenience and SAFETY, particularly when driving or walking quickly. For example just say “Play xxx Station in Podcasts” to have Siri open the app and Autoplay available Episodes in a Station.

REMOVING AN EPISODE

To remove an Episode from a Station, Episodes or Listen Now simply swish it to the left. It will no longer be in the list, however, it can be retrieved in Available Episodes on its Show page.

SYNC WITH ITUNES

As you transition to the iOS 11 Podcasts app, there may be some glitches when you first sync with iTunes. The best solution is to clean up iTunes after syncing by correcting mismatches. From then on syncing should be more accurate. Be sure to turn on Sync in the Podcasts app settings and check both Sync blocks in:

• Mac – iTunes>Preferences>Store
• Windows: - iTunes>Edit>Preferences>Store

FEEDBACK TO APPLE

The link to provide feedback on the Podcasts App to Apple is https://www.apple.com/feedback/podcasts_ios.html

HELP REFERENCES

• Apple Guidance: Subscribe and Listen to Podcasts, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201859
• The handiest guide and tips webpage to the new iOS Podcasts App, https://www.howtoisolve.com/podcasts-not-working-on-iphone-ipad-ios/
• “iPhone User Guide for iOS 11”, iBooks version, pages 917-928.
• A smaller PDF version is the "iPhone 7 User Guide for iOS 11," pages 315-318.http://file.iphone7manuals.com/iPhone-7-User-Guide-for-iOS-11.pdf
• Apple’s Sync guidelines, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207946

Apple has made their Podcast app way more complicated than it needs to be. So after hours of trial and error and reading this site this is how I was able to get this app to auto play episodes again. You need to go to your LIBRARY and click EDIT at the top of the screen. You want to add a NEW STATION. Now if you are happy with a mixture of podcasts playing one after another you can make one station and add all your various podcasts to that station. Select OLDEST to NEWEST, All Episodes and in choose podcasts select ALL PODCASTS. Do not select GROUP BY PODCAST because then episodes won’t auto play. This format allows episodes to air from oldest to newest but the episodes from all your various podcasts will be mixed together.

If you would rather have episodes for each different podcast in you library auto-play then you need to make a different station for each one. Yes a pain in the *** and seemingly unnecessary I know, but it is the only solution I have found.

Then just click on the station/Podcast you are interested in you library and they will auto play in order. No more unsafe, distracted driving. This new upgrade is frustrating, not user friendly and more unsightly than the previous version. Hopefully Apple will provide some fixes in the next upgrade.

It took a while but I found the solution:

1: Go to this website and follow the instructions for starting a new "Station".

https://www.iphonelife.com/blog/31936/tip-day-how-organize-podcasts-stations

2: Create a New Station. I called mine "The way I like it"

3: Set it to play Newest to Oldest.

4: Leave Group by Podcast "off".

5: Include, I did the last 3 but you can do most recent 2. If you select most recent it will not pull any episodes in.

6: I chose Media type "Audio".

7: Unplayed Only is turned on.

8: Choose Podcasts, I chose all.

9: Go back to "Library".

10: Select the station you created and enjoy what was so easy before.

If your episodes did not populate then close the app and reopen it.

Now go to "Library" instead of "Listen Now" and open your new station.

Apple, I'm not a computer person and have used your products since the Mac SE30. I'm super disappointed that you made this so difficult. I no longer update to your new OS software until I'm forced to and am constantly disappointed by the decisions you have made for me. When you make changes, make sure we have the choice to keep things as they were. That's all many of us are asking for.

On the Station Screen click edit in the upper right corner. You’ll then see the Sort Order and Settings buttons for the Station (left image below). Choose ‘oldest to newest’ or the reverse. That will also set the play order in the Stations Settings Screen. Then click the play button for the top episode and the entire station list will play before stopping.

If you play an episode from the Listen Niw Page it does not automatically move to the next ep. it seems auto play only works among the episodes within a Station.

Even though I think this is just a total misjudgement by Apple in making the app more complex than it needs to be, I have wandered around in the new version to find out how to create stations. On the Library screen, click on the 'Edit' link in the top right hand corner. One of the options there is to create a 'New station'. You give it a name, and then you can select which podcast from your download sets go into it - I just gave it the same name as the series I wanted in there, and then got it to transfer the podcasts from that series into it. You can edit to select how many episodes you want transferred across; 'Default' is the most recent, but you can just most recent 2, or 3 or 5 or 10 episodes, or 'all episodes'. You can select how you want them displayed (oldest to newest or vice versa). Each station also has a 'settings' link that allows you to make a number of choices, including the play order and whether to show all episodes or just unplayed ones etc.

So you can still operate in the apple system, but it is just not intuitive and it's more work - why do I need to set up a station separate from subscribing to the podcast where that series sits in my Library (under 'Shows'); why not just link the controls such as play order, with the Show, rather than with something extra that you have to set up. You get duplicate systems, and need to set up a station for every subscription you have. Have the Apple guys ever heard of ergonomics and UX testing.

Dear all

I was also struggling and very much disappointed by the ios 11 version because of this autoplay issue, listening to several episodes in a raw in my car or when doing sports.

But I think that I figured out how to reproduce the autoplay.

1. I created a new station in the library and named it autoplay unread

2. In the config of this station, I included all podcasts, all episodes and only the unread ones and only the audio

3. Then the autoplay works as long as you stay in the library tab on the page of this station

By the way, i did a second one with the video unread podcats when I am at home.

I hope it can help some of you

Vince

If you scroll down on the screen that's playing, you can see the up next list. It's not intuitive

Yeah I gave up too. I deleted Apple podcast and downloaded OVERCAST. I like the way it looks, it is easy to use and works great (most importantly the auto-play feature works!). I recommend it.

Bentleymom, when you create stations and assign subscriptions to them, it becomes very easy to listen to all the episodes in a station while driving without hunting and pecking. Just ask Siri.

I have four stations, as indicated in the image below. The last episode that was playing was in the Think Tanks Station. However, if I click Siri and say

“Play Weeklies Station in Podcasts app”, the app opens and the first podcast in the Weeklies Station will immediately begin playing, followed the rest of the episodes in the station, based on the station sort and play order designated.

When significant changes occur, there is often a tendency to resist the new methods before we even give them a serious try. Once we get used to it I think many will become happy with the new Podcasts format. Those things that were overlooked will likely be fixed.

One-click autoplay is not available in Listen Now or Shows. It only works in Stations. If you want to play current episodes of your subscriptions in a particular order, you are need to create one or more Stations, adding all or some of your subscriptions to it, them set the autoplay order for it.

To autoplay the Episodes in a Staion in sequence, 0pen the Station on the Library page, click on the top Episode, then click Play. Note in the Station Settings you can sort Episodes from Oldest to Newest, the reverse or manually.

The best reference for the Podcasts app is the iBooks version of the “iPhone User Guide for iOS 11”, pages 917-928.. Search for it in the iBooks app. A smaller PDF version is the "iPhone 7 User Guide for iOS 11," pages 315-318, at

http://file.iphone7manuals.com/iPhone-7-User-Guide-for-iOS-11.pdf

Click the bar at the bottom of the app indicating the app being played, then scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll see Up Next.

In the iOS 11 Podcasts version Autoplay is the function that plays podcasts in sequence and it only works within a Station. Stations can be created in iTunes or the Podcasts app. Even with both iTunes and the Podcasts app closed, when you plug the iPhone into the computer via USB, they will sync any new Stations and Episodes contained on either device.

Once the Stations are populated with Shows, their Episodes can be updated on the iPhone by swishing vertically downward in the center of the Library page.

To autoplay the Episodes within a Station in sequence, open the Station on the Library page, click on the top Episode, then click Play. Note in the Station Settings you can sort its Episodes from Oldest to Newest, the reverse or manually.

Dude, I finally give overcast a try and I like it the add thing is just at the bottom of the screen, it does not even bother me. So what I’m saying ? ..... I’m saying bye bye Apple podcast!!! I already deleted it. I was sick of it.

So far so good with overcast

Apple get your sh** together.

I don’t see why they’re saying once you get used to it then it’s fine. It shouldn’t be like that, I got plenty of other stuff that gets my time already, no need to add Apple podcast to learn.

#aintnoboddygottimeforthat