Apple Podcasts: the built-in player with live transcripts
Apple Podcasts comes on every iPhone and does something none of its rivals do: show a live transcript while an episode plays. We look at what it still lacks.
Apple Podcasts wins the same way it always has: it's already there, and most iPhone owners never look further.
What that gets you
Nothing to install. Open it, and it syncs across iPhone, iPad and Mac without a separate account beyond the Apple ID you already have.
Live transcripts during playback, with the option to share a link to a specific moment in the text. None of the other apps in this roundup do this.
Editorial picks from Apple's own team, on top of algorithmic recommendations — a second, human-curated way to find something new.
What it lacks
Any Android version, at all. Apple has never built one, and a mixed iPhone and Android household can't standardize on this app.
A catalog tuned for a single platform's audience. Discovery leans toward what performs well on iOS, which shows in the charts and recommendations.
Who it fits
Anyone on Apple hardware exclusively who doesn't want to install anything extra. For a household split between iPhone and Android, a cross-platform player like Castbox is the only way to standardize on one app.
See the rest in our roundup of the best podcast apps.
Common questions
- Is Apple Podcasts available on Android?
- No. Apple does not build a Podcasts app for Android — it exists only for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- What languages does Apple Podcasts support?
- Of the languages this site covers, the App Store lists: Russian, English, Spanish, German. The store page shows the full list for your region.
- Is Apple Podcasts free?
- Apple Podcasts is free outright: no subscription and no in-app purchases are listed in the App Store. Individual shows can sell their own subscriptions for exclusive episodes inside the app.