How to get started with Podcasts on iPhone

On iPhone, the Podcasts app offers millions of shows on a variety of topics such as news, true crime, comedy, and more. You can watch or listen online, or download episodes so you can play them even when you’re not connected to the internet.

You can browse shows by category, or search for a specific show or episode by show name, episode title, person, or category.

Here’s how to get started with Podcasts on iPhone.

The Search screen in the Podcasts app, showing podcast categories. Toward the bottom of the screen is the MiniPlayer. Below that are the Home button and the search field.

Find podcasts

Tap Search to browse shows by category. To search for a specific show or episode, enter a word or phrase—for example, a show name, episode title, person, or category. To find episodes within a specific show, tap Episodes on the show page, then search.

The Now Playing screen in the Podcasts app, showing a video. Below the video is the podcast artwork, the episode title, the playback controls, and the volume slider. At the bottom of the tab are the View Transcript button, the AirPlay icon, and the Playing Next button.

Play podcasts

Tap the Play button to start playing a show or episode. Video episodes open directly in the Now Playing screen, where you can access playback controls, navigate through chapters, access links to other media, view the transcript, select output devices, and more. For audio episodes, tap the MiniPlayer at the bottom of the screen to open the Now Playing screen.

A show page in the Podcasts app showing an episode list. At the top of the screen are the Back, Follow, and More buttons. Toward the bottom of the screen is the MiniPlayer. Below that are the Home, New, Library, and Search buttons.