While Apple Podcasts may not dominate the podcasting landscape as it once did, if you prefer to access your podcasts through Apple rather than platforms like YouTube or other third-party applications, iOS 18.4 brings some impressive new features to the Podcasts app—including a widget that addresses a significant limitation.
The Up Next Queue Has Been a Stumbling Block in Apple Podcasts
Having been a user of Apple Podcasts for several years, my satisfaction took a nosedive when Apple introduced the revised Up Next queue.
Intended to serve as a centralized hub for your next listening choices, Up Next represented a marked departure from the former interface of Podcasts, which displayed a straightforward list of the latest episodes.
Although there is still a ‘Latest Episodes’ option accessible, reaching it takes a few more taps than I’d like.
I won’t delve deeper into my criticisms of Up Next, as I’ve covered that topic elsewhere.
However, there’s good news: iOS 18.4 introduces a new Podcasts widget that makes it significantly easier to view your Latest Episodes list.
With iOS 18.4, Apple Podcasts now features two new types of widgets:
- A Library widget that showcases episodes from your library.
- A Shows widget that highlights episodes from a specific show of your choice.
Both widget types come in various sizes to accommodate different setups, including XL options for iPad.
The Library widget has quickly become my favorite, as it allows me to display either Saved Episodes, Downloaded Episodes, or the Latest Episodes.
I personally opted for the Latest Episodes option.
This way, I can easily view and play the four most recently published episodes from the shows I subscribe to right from my iPhone’s Home Screen.
In essence, it replicates the previous default layout of the app without the need to actually open it.
Even though I still find the Up Next service lacking, iOS 18.4 now allows me to bypass it entirely, streamlining my listening experience without having to toggle through the various sections of the Podcasts app every time I want to listen.
Have you tried out any of the new widgets in Apple Podcasts with iOS 18.4? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
