The Google Podcasts app is helpful for listening to your podcasts on Android and iOS devices. While lightweight compared to some of the best podcast apps like Spotify, it has everything you need to play your favorite podcasts at home and on the go. However, many helpful features are tucked away in menus or the app’s settings, making them hard to spot for the casual user.
Google Podcasts comes preinstalled on Google Pixel phones. So if you picked up a new Google Pixel 7, you may wonder whether it’s worth trying out the podcast player. To help you, we rounded up the best tips and tricks for Google Podcasts.
1. Set up auto-download for new episodes of your favorite podcasts
When you’re traveling, there’s nothing worse than forgetting to download the latest episodes from your favorite podcast to your Android phone. Google Podcasts can save you this headache by auto-downloading new episodes. You can choose to auto-download from a single podcast or multiple.
- Open Google Podcasts.
- Tap your Profile icon in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Podcasts settings.
- Tap Auto Downloading.
- Toggle the Auto-download new episodes switch to on.
- Choose which podcasts you wish to auto-download. Toggle the switch next to each one to enable it.
2. Seamlessly resume your podcast on a different device
If you own multiple Google Home-powered speakers, you can seamlessly switch which device your podcast plays out of through a Google Assistant voice command. Maybe you were listening to an episode in the car through your Android device and want to switch to your Google Nest Audio once you enter the house.
To resume your podcast, say, “Hey Google, continue my podcast” to your smart speaker.
3. Use Google Search to open the Podcasts app
You can find your podcasts through the Subscriptions tab in the app or on the home screen, but you can also find them through Google Search. Search for your episode in the search engine, and tap the podcast result. It opens the episode in Google Podcasts.
- Search for your podcast in Google Search.
- Scroll down to the Podcasts heading.
- Tap the episode you wish to play.
4. Automatically remove completed and unfinished episodes
By default, Google Podcasts removes completed episodes after 24 hours and unfinished episodes after 30 days. However, depending on your listening habits, you may wish to change these settings. Episodes remain downloaded even after you unsubscribe from a podcast.
- Open Google Podcasts.
- Tap your Profile icon in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Podcasts settings.
- Tap Remove completed episodes to change the deadline.
- Tap Remove unfinished episodes to change the deadline.
One of Google Podcast’s drawbacks is that its search function is unreliable. If you struggle to manage your subscription through the app, copy the RSS feed instead.
- Open Google Podcasts.
- Tap the Home button in the lower-left corner of your screen.
- Tap the More button underneath your profile icon.
- Tap the RSS Link button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Paste your RSS link, and tap Subscribe.
6. Bulk remove downloaded podcast episodes
Even if your downloaded episodes are automatically removed to your liking, you may find yourself with many downloaded episodes filling up your phone’s memory. To solve this problem, Google Podcasts has multiple options to remove episodes in bulk. You can remove all episodes, those seven or more days old, and played episodes.
- Open Google Podcasts.
- Tap the Library button in the lower-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Downloads.
- Tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap one of the bulk remove options.
7. Set a sleep timer and forget about missing the end of your podcast
Google Podcasts includes a sleep timer, instructing the app to stop playing episodes after a while. This means you can queue up podcast episodes and not worry about having to sleepily get up and turn it off when you’re ready to go to bed.
- Open Google Podcasts.
- Tap the episode banner at the bottom of your screen.
- Tap the Sleep timer button (it looks like a moon).
- Choose a time, then tap Start.
The timer runs whether you have an episode playing or not. Tap the timer to adjust how much time is left.
Use Google Podcasts to play your favorite episodes
If you haven’t installed Google Podcasts but fancy giving it a try, download it from the Google Play Store. It’s available on all of Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices, so if Apple Podcasts doesn’t appeal to you, Google’s app might be just what you need.
These tips will help you use Google Podcasts to its fullest potential. However, if you’re an avid podcast listener, you’ll likely want the best sound quality without breaking the bank.
