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Deep dive: Overcast – power up podcasts on iPhone

We dig into another app we think you should be using, and explain what it is, why it’s great and how to get started. This time, we’re covering acclaimed podcast player Overcast.

overcast-home-screen

What is Overcast?

An alternative to Apple’s Podcasts app, which enables you to subscribe to, manage and – most importantly – listen to your favorite podcasts.

What makes Overcast great?

It was one of the first apps to introduce smart playback functionality to speed along talky podcasts. And it’s long provided flexibility alongside an opinionated design, rather than only the latter.

How can I get started with Overcast?

Overcast is flexible and powerful, yet somewhat idiosyncratic at a glance. Here’s how to make sense of it.

Overcast search

Find and subscribe: Tap the search button (magnifying glass) and enter a podcast name to find it – or browse by genre. Tap an entry in the results list to select it and then ‘+ Add Podcast’ to subscribe. You’ll be listed as ‘following’ the podcast. Once subscribed, tap an episode and the play button to begin playback.

Note: to add a single podcast episode, rather than subscribe, tap the episode on the ‘Add Podcast’ screen and then ‘+ Add Episode’ to add it to your playlists.

overcast-audio-settings

Adjust playback: When you play a podcast, the playback panel should appear. If not, tap ‘^’ or the podcast thumbnail in the mini-player at the bottom of the screen. Drag the playback bar to change your current position in the podcast (and use ‘go back’ to revert). Below the skip and play/pause buttons, use the leftmost button to adjust audio settings, such as playback speed and voice boost. Use the ‘Custom…’ option if you’d prefer to apply these settings only to the current podcast. (Certain podcasts benefit from faster playback more than others.)

overcast-episode-info

View podcast info: In the playback panel, swipe the podcast thumbnail to the left. You’ll then see controls to share the podcast or visit its main page, along with buttons to favorite, mark as listened or delete the current episode. Below, scroll to read show notes and access chapter links. Swipe the bottom half of the panel downwards to dismiss it.

overcast-edit-podcast

Adjust podcast settings: On any podcast’s main page, tap ‘…’ and ‘Podcast Settings’. You can then fine-tune how Overcast treats the podcast, including how episodes are sorted, whether new episodes are downloaded (and how many are stored), and which playlists the podcast is included in. The ‘…’ menu also provides a fast way to mark all episodes as played and to delete downloads.

overcast-home-screen-2

Explore subscriptions: Once you’ve listened to a few podcasts, head to the Overcast home screen (<). You’ll see recently played items and new episodes at the top, so you can quickly pick up where you left off. Below, in the Podcasts section, you can explore subscriptions individually.

overcast-favourite

Try Playlists: When you subscribe to many podcasts, playlists become invaluable. ‘All Episodes’ includes episodes from all your subscriptions. ‘Favorites’ includes podcasts assigned to that playlist (as per ‘View podcast info’ above). ‘Queue’ is a manually curated list you can add individual episodes to from any list (tap one, then ‘…’ > ‘Add To…’ > ‘Queue’). Other default playlists include downloaded, in-progress and starred episodes.

overcast-edit-playlist

Edit playlists: Many playlists can be customized. Tap one and then the ‘…’ button at the top right of the playlist’s screen. Select ‘Playlist Settings’ and adjust options to suit, such as the icon, sort order, what is included/excluded, and which podcasts should have priority in a playlist. Want a playlist that’s truly your own? Swipe the ‘Playlists’ section to the left, tap ‘+’ and create a custom playlist based on specific criteria.

overcast-manage-storage

Take it offline: Podcasts can be great on flights – but you’ll need to download them first. As noted elsewhere, downloads can be automated, but you can also download any specific episode in a list by swiping it right and tapping the green download button. Podcasts require little storage but can build up over time. In Overcast’s settings (cog icon on the app’s home screen), go to ‘Manage Storage’ and ‘Download’ to adjust what’s on your device – and how long podcasts should remain prior to deletion.

overcast-settings

Explore more settings: Use ‘Notifications’ to define when you’re alerted about new episodes. Change the ‘Seek’ options to adjust back/forward playback button values. ‘Customize Home Screen’ lets you rearrange the Overcast home screen. Finally, ‘Import & Export’ enables you to export your subscriptions list as a failsafe in case Overcast ever one day vanishes.

Get Overcast (free) from the App Store, and access your podcast subscriptions online via the Overcast website.