Pocket Casts - Podcast App
★ 5.0What it actually doesPocket Casts is a podcast and audiobook listening app with cross-device synchronization, but recent versions suffer from instability, loading issues, and unwanted advertisements.
Actually does
- ✓Podcasts95% of reviews
- ✓Audiobooks15% of reviews
- ✓Sync across devices10% of reviews
- ✓Offline-first35% of reviews
- ✓Поиск и рекомендации подкастов10% of reviews
- ✓Dark mode5% of reviews
- ✓Data import10% of reviews
- ✓Sleep timer5% of reviews
Claimed, but not confirmed by reviews
- ⚠Удаление тишины и переменная скорость
- ⚠Плейлисты и умные плейлисты
- ⚠Data export
- ⚠Поддержка Android Auto, Chromecast, Alexa, Wear OS, Sonos
Common complaints
- ✗App freezing and crashes on launch, constant errors, white screen35% of mentions
«Works just terribly, constant errors when downloading podcasts, constant freezing when opening the app, takes 3 times before it starts working»
- ✗Podcast loading issues — freezes at 30-50%, fails to download further, progress resets25% of mentions
«for the third day now my downloads of long-awaited episodes won't start, that is, it doesn't download past 23-30%... it just resets the progress and starts over»
- ✗App loses functionality after updates (version March 30, 24.11.2025)15% of mentions
«Stopped launching after the March 30 update. After the 24.11.2025 update everything broke»
- ✗App blocked in Russia, requires VPN to work12% of mentions
«Now the app apparently also got blocked in Russia, you can only get podcasts through VPN»
- ✗Ads appeared on home screen in free version, hidden paid functionality20% of mentions
«And now I get to enjoy ads on the home screen. No warning that it's paid»
What people praise
- ★Beautiful, intuitive Material Design interface and visually pleasing design
«very convenient! and the interface is beautiful, pleasant to look at. and everything is so smooth 5/5»
- ★Stable performance when working, better than Spotify for podcasts
«This is better than Spotify itself, and better than other podcast apps»
- ★Ease of use — background mode, wide selection of podcasts and audiobooks
«Very convenient to listen to podcasts, there's a background mode and a wide selection of channels»
- ★Extensive library of podcasts and audiobooks in Russian
«Lots of podcasts and audiobooks in Russian»
- ★Responsive and helpful support team
«I wrote to the support team and they're the best. They helped me fix the app. Mike, thank you»