My favorite podcasting app is getting a big update this week, albeit only in Beta form on Android. It brings a nicely updated user experience and several useful new features.

“Podcasting fans are deeply engaged and passionate about their favorite shows,” Pocket Casts CEO Owen Grover says in a prepared statement. “They deserve a listening experience that’s easy to use, powerful and flexible. With this release, we’ve made it simpler than ever before to find great new shows and listen across a host of different platforms.”

New features in Pocket Casts 7 include:

Refined user experience. While it hasn’t been completely overhauled, the Pocket Casts UX has been improved in ways both subtle and major. The sidebar navigation has been replaced by tabs, the display modes have all been refined, and a number of platform-specific improvements have been made. For example, on Android, Pocket Casts takes on a more modern Material Design-inspired look, and on iOS, it now supports AirPlay 2 playback effects and Siri Shortcuts.

Play without subscribing. Now, you can simply download or play any individual podcast episode without subscribing first. Kind of a no-brainer.

Episode search. As you might expect, this feature helps you find specific podcast topics and guests.

Up next sync. Now, Pocket Casts will sync its Up next list between devices so you can more easily pick up where you left off on other devices.

Improved discovery. Using a combination of algorithms and human beings, Pocket Casts has improved its suggestions so that you can more easily find podcasts that might be of interest to you.

Pocket Casts 7 is now available on iOS, web, Mac, and Windows 10. Android users can sign-up for the open beta and test the new features that way.

Note that the app is not free; indeed, you have to pay for its separately on each platform. But it is, by far, my favorite podcasting solution and is highly recommended. (And yes, I’ve purchased it on Android, iOS, and web.)

Tagged with Pocket Casts, podcasts