Steering Wheel Skip Buttons Not Working in Android Automotive
Some users of the native Android Automotive app (the Pocket Casts app built into cars with Google built-in, such as Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC models, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar) may find that the skip forward and skip back buttons on the steering wheel do nothing in Pocket Casts, while the skip buttons on the car’s screen still work and the same steering wheel buttons work in other audio apps (steering wheel buttons don’t work, skip buttons on the wheel ignored, next and previous buttons stopped working in the car, steering wheel controls work in Spotify but not Pocket Casts). Most reports started after a vehicle software update to Android 14 in spring 2026, and in some cars the button jumps back a second instead of skipping forward. This does not apply to Android Auto, where the phone is connected to the car; that is a different system.
This is a bug in the Pocket Casts car app, not a problem with your car, your account, or your subscription. Since the vehicle update, the car checks which controls an app supports before passing a button press on, and the Automotive app was not declaring its skip controls, so the car never sends the press to Pocket Casts. Reinstalling the app, refreshing, or restarting the car will not resolve it, so there is no need to keep repeating those steps. Playback itself, the on-screen controls, and Pocket Casts on your phone are not affected.
A fix has been written and is going through our release process, so it is not in the current version of the app. It will arrive in a regular app update, and updating Pocket Casts in the car is all you will need to do. Until then, use the skip buttons on the car’s screen. We will update this page when the fix ships.
Updated October 16, 2026
Episode Search on a Podcast Page Not Responding (All Platforms)
Some users may find that the search box on a podcast’s own page does nothing: the episode list does not narrow down as they type, pressing search changes nothing, and the search field may spin and then show “no episodes found” for a word that is clearly in an episode title (podcast search not working, episode search broken, search bar does nothing, can’t search episodes within a podcast, search spins forever, no episodes found). Searching in Discover, in Listening History, and inside a playlist keeps working. This was reported on Android, iPhone and the web player on October 13, 2026, in two separate stretches of a few hours each.
This is a problem on our side, not with your phone, your app version, or your account. The search inside a podcast’s page is answered by our servers, and during those stretches some of the servers answering it stopped responding. Updating, restarting, or reinstalling the app makes no difference, so there is no need to try those, and app logs do not record this search, so there is no need to send them.
Search is working again, and our team is investigating what caused the servers to stop so it does not happen again. If the search box stops responding for you, wait a little and try again. If it still does nothing after an hour, please contact support with the name of the podcast, the word you searched for, and the time you tried, so we can check it against our server records.
Updated October 14, 2026
New Episodes Stop Appearing Until the App Is Reopened (iOS 8.22 and 8.23)
Some users on version 8.22 or 8.23 of the iPhone and iPad app may find that Pocket Casts stops finding new episodes altogether until the app is fully closed and reopened (no new episodes, refresh does nothing, pull to refresh spins and finds nothing, Refresh Now in Profile does nothing, sync doesn’t work, automatic sync stopped working, manual sync only works sometimes or one time in five, episodes missing in the morning, downloads stuck on queued, app not updating). It often shows up first thing in the morning: if the app gets stuck in the evening, nothing new arrives overnight. Sometimes the app recovers on its own after a few minutes of repeated refreshing, and sometimes it stays stuck for a day or more.
This is a bug in the iPhone and iPad app, not a problem with your account, your subscription, or your podcasts, and it does not affect Pocket Casts on Android, in the web player, or on desktop, which keep syncing normally. Every so often the app loses its connection to your Pocket Casts account and gets stuck trying to reconnect, and until it is restarted it stops checking for new episodes, both while you’re using it and in the background. Reinstalling the app, signing out, or updating to 8.23 does not resolve it, so there is no need to try those.
To fix it when it happens, fully close the app and open it again: swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause to see your open apps, swipe Pocket Casts up and off the screen, then open Pocket Casts again. New episodes and any queued downloads should appear within a few moments. A fix has been written and is in review, so it is not in the current version of the app. It will arrive in a regular app update, and updating Pocket Casts is all you will need to do. Until then, closing and reopening the app is the way to get new episodes flowing again. We will update this page when the fix ships.
Updated October 22, 2026
Played Episodes Returning as Unplayed or Back in Up Next
Some users may find that episodes they have already finished come back as unplayed, lose their archived status, or reappear in Up Next or in a playlist such as New Releases, sometimes hours later and sometimes the next day (played episodes showing as unplayed again, archived episodes keep coming back, old episodes re-added to Up Next, finished episodes back in my queue, episodes I listened to months ago are back, have to mark as played again). It has been reported on both iOS and Android, including by people who use Pocket Casts on a single device, and it can affect a few episodes at a time or a large batch at once.
This is a bug on our side, not a problem with your account, your subscription, or your devices. The app records the episode as finished and archived, and a later sync writes the older status back over it. Reinstalling the app, signing out and in, or changing sync settings have not resolved it for the users who reported it, so there is no need to keep repeating those steps. Your downloads, followed podcasts, and listening history are not affected.
Our team is investigating and there is no fix yet. We will update this page when there is news. In the meantime, marking the episode as played or archiving it again sets it right, and your Listening History in the Profile tab is the quickest place to spot episodes that have come back. On iPhone, several users who also had the Pocket Casts app on their Apple Watch found the problem stopped after removing the Watch app, so if you use the Watch app that is worth trying.
Updated October 13, 2026
Playback Stalls When Connecting to CarPlay (iOS)
Some iPhone users on Pocket Casts 8.22 or earlier connecting to CarPlay may find Pocket Casts is paused when the car connects, and that pressing play doesn’t start the episode: the button switches to pause, but nothing plays and the elapsed time doesn’t move (play button does nothing on CarPlay, have to press play twice, app pauses itself when I get in the car, press play and it pauses a second later, pressing play on the CarPlay home screen starts a different app instead). If you press play from the CarPlay home screen while the app is stalled like this, the car may start a different audio app instead. That is the same problem, not a separate one. Pressing pause and then play again, or pressing play from inside the Pocket Casts app on the car screen, starts playback normally. This has been reported across different cars, and most reports so far are from iPhones running iOS 27.
This is a bug on our side, not a problem with your car, your iPhone, or your account. When you press play right after connecting, the sound has to switch from the phone over to the car, and versions of the app before 8.23.1 mistake that switch for a reason to stop, so the app pauses itself the moment playback starts. Reinstalling the app, forgetting and re-pairing the car, or changing CarPlay settings will not resolve it, so there’s no need to keep repeating those steps. Your episodes, downloads, subscription, and playback on the phone itself are not affected.
This is fixed in Pocket Casts 8.23.1 for iOS, released on the App Store on October 21, 2026. Updating the app is all you need to do: open the App Store, tap your profile picture at the top right, and update Pocket Casts, or check that it already shows 8.23.1 or later. Until the update reaches you, press play a second time when it stalls. If you still see the stall after updating to 8.23.1 or later, please contact support and tell us your iPhone model, iOS version, and car, and roughly when it happened, so we can take a closer look.
Updated October 22, 2026
Sonos Re-Authentication Fails (Android)
Some users who listen through Sonos may see a message in the Sonos app saying that Pocket Casts access has expired and asking them to authenticate or reauthorize. On Android phones, tapping that button opens the Pocket Casts app but does not complete the sign-in, and the Sonos app then reports that it failed or that “Pocket Casts wasn’t added” (Sonos reauthentication fails, Sonos says Pocket Casts access expired, authenticate button just opens Pocket Casts, reauthorize failed in Sonos, can’t reconnect Pocket Casts to Sonos, Pocket Casts wasn’t added).
This is a bug on our side, not a problem with your Sonos system, your network, or your Pocket Casts account. The Pocket Casts app is not recognizing the request the Sonos app sends, so the connection is never confirmed back to Sonos. Restarting your Sonos device, updating the Sonos app, and removing Pocket Casts from Sonos and adding it again from the phone have not resolved it for the users who reported this, so there is no need to keep repeating those steps. Your podcasts, subscription, and playback in the Pocket Casts apps are not affected.
Our team is aware and is investigating. One thing that has worked for a user who reported this: adding the Sonos app on a Mac or Windows computer to the same Sonos system refreshed the Pocket Casts connection on its own, with no need to re-add Pocket Casts or sign in again, and Sonos on their Android phone then worked without asking to reauthorize. We can’t yet promise this works for everyone, but it is worth trying if you have a computer on the same network. We will update this page when there is news.
Updated October 13, 2026
Podcast Grid and Filters Missing in Android Auto
Some users connecting their Android phone to Android Auto may find that the Pocket Casts browse screen shows only a short list of recent episodes, instead of the podcast grid, filters, and other sections (Android Auto podcast grid missing, can’t choose a podcast in the car, New Releases or In Progress list gone, playlists and filters disappeared, only recent episodes showing, no tabs or back button). Now Playing, Search, and playback itself continue to work as normal.
This is a display issue with the Android Auto browse screen, not a problem with your account, subscription, or library, all of which are intact in the Pocket Casts app on your phone. It has been reported on several phone models and Pocket Casts versions, so reinstalling the app, clearing the Android Auto cache, or changing battery settings will not resolve it.
This is fixed in Pocket Casts 8.22 for Android, which started rolling out on the Google Play Store on October 13, 2026. Updating the app is all you need to do. Play Store updates reach devices in stages, so if the update isn’t offered to you yet, check again over the next few days. If you still see only the short list after updating to 8.22 or later, please contact support and tell us your phone model and car.
Until the update reaches you, you can use Search on the car screen to find and play a specific podcast or episode, and any episodes you add to Up Next on your phone before you drive will appear in the list when you connect.
Updated October 13, 2026
Data Warning Doesn’t Stop Playback (Android)
Android users with “Warn before using data” turned on may see the warning appear and then find the episode streams over mobile data anyway, instead of waiting for a response (warning doesn’t stop playback, it streams anyway, prompt appears but plays regardless, app uses mobile data when I told it not to, data warning ignored). This most often happens when the Up Next queue moves on to an episode that isn’t downloaded.
This is a bug on our side, not a problem with your settings. A change in an earlier update stopped the warning from actually pausing playback, so it has been appearing without blocking anything. A fix has been written and is going through review, so it is not in the current version yet.
In the meantime, the reliable way to stop Pocket Casts using mobile data is Android’s own per-app data control: in your phone’s Settings, under Network or Connections, find Data usage and turn mobile data off for Pocket Casts. Note that this also stops syncing and episode list refreshes while you are off Wi-Fi.
Updated September 21, 2026
Alexa Skill Not Launching on Alexa+
Users with Amazon Echo devices running Alexa+ may find that the Pocket Casts skill will not launch, with Alexa replying “Sorry, that is not supported on this device” (Alexa says Pocket Casts is not supported, Alexa won’t open Pocket Casts, Pocket Casts skill not working on Echo, Alexa+ can’t find Pocket Casts). This happens even when the skill is enabled in the Alexa app and your Pocket Casts account is correctly linked, and it affects every invocation phrase, including “Alexa, open Pocket Casts” and “Alexa, tell Pocket Casts to play my Up Next.”
Nothing has changed in the Pocket Casts skill itself. Amazon’s Alexa+ rollout has changed how third-party skills are launched by name, and customers have reported other streaming skills behaving the same way on Alexa+ devices. Because of this, disabling and re-enabling the skill, relinking your account, rephrasing the command, or trying a different Echo device will not resolve it.
The only fix confirmed so far is returning your Amazon account to the standard Alexa experience instead of Alexa+, which you change in Amazon’s own Alexa+ settings. If you would rather stay on Alexa+, an Alexa routine that resumes Pocket Casts playback still works, because routines start playback by a different route than launching the skill by name. Your Pocket Casts account, subscription, and playback in the apps are unaffected. We are tracking this and will update this page when there is news.
Updated September 21, 2026
Wear OS Login Fails With “Phone Not Connected”
Some users trying to sign in to the Pocket Casts app on a Wear OS watch may find that “Log in on phone” fails straight away with “Phone not connected. Check Bluetooth and try again,” even though the watch and phone are connected and working normally together (can’t log in on my watch, phone not connected error on watch, watch says check Bluetooth, Wear OS login won’t work, watch won’t connect to my phone). This has been reported on a range of watches, including Samsung Galaxy Watch and Google Pixel Watch models, and the error usually appears the instant you tap the button.
The watch is checking whether it can reach the Pocket Casts app on your phone, and that check is failing even when the connection is fine. Because of this, reinstalling the watch app, restarting either device, or turning Bluetooth off and on again will not resolve it, so there is no need to keep repeating those steps. Your episodes, downloads, subscription, and account are not affected, and playback on your phone continues to work as normal.
Pocket Casts 8.22 for Android adds a way to sign in on the watch that doesn’t depend on the phone connection at all: on the watch’s login screen, choose the option to sign in by scanning a QR code with your phone or by entering a short code on the web. If you see that option after updating Pocket Casts on both your watch and your phone to 8.22 or later, use it. Otherwise, if your Pocket Casts account uses the same email address as the Google account on your watch, you can get past this by choosing “Log in with Google” on the watch instead. If your account uses a different address, you can change it from Profile > Account > Change email, as long as that address isn’t already used by another Pocket Casts account. See Single Sign-On: Accounts Using “Continue With Google” or “Continue With Apple” for the details. Our team is aware of the login problem and is working on it.
Updated October 13, 2026
New Episodes Appearing Late or Notifications Arriving Late
Some users may find that a new episode and its notification don’t arrive together. Most often the notification arrives, but the episode isn’t in Pocket Casts yet and refreshing finds nothing new, even though the episode is already out and playable in other podcast apps (got the notification but the episode isn’t there, new episode not showing after the alert, refresh finds nothing new, episode appears hours later, the episode is out but not in Pocket Casts). Less often it is the other way round: the episode appears in the app on time, but the push notification arrives one to a few hours later (notifications delayed, alert arrives hours after the episode, no alert when a new episode comes out). Both have been reported mainly on iOS.
In the first case the episode isn’t yet ready for the app to download when the notification goes out, so the app can’t fetch it until a later refresh. Neither problem affects your episodes, downloads, subscription, or account, and the episode still arrives, just later than expected. We shipped improvements in August 2026 that reduced these delays for most people, but some users have reported them again since early October, and our team is investigating.
If you’ve received a notification and the episode isn’t there yet, wait a few minutes and refresh again, or force-quit and reopen the app before refreshing. If delays continue, please contact support and share the affected podcast, along with the time the notification arrived and the time the episode appeared, so we can take a closer look.
Updated October 13, 2026
AI-Generated Chapters Currently Turned Off
Some episodes had started showing AI-generated chapters — chapter markers Pocket Casts adds automatically when a podcast’s creator hasn’t provided their own (AI chapters, automatic chapters, how do I turn off / disable / remove generated chapters).
They’re currently turned off for everyone while we make changes to how the feature works, so you won’t see AI-generated chapters at the moment. This was done on our side and applies automatically, with nothing for you to update. When they return, you’ll be able to choose whether to use them.
Generated chapters only appear as a fallback — if an episode already has chapters from the creator or another source, those are used instead — and they don’t change your episodes, downloads, or account.
Updated July 26, 2026
Buttons Hidden Behind the Mini Player (iOS)
On iOS, some users may find that the floating mini player at the bottom of the screen sits on top of the buttons behind it, so a control they are trying to tap can’t be pressed (the player bar covers the button, the button is hidden behind the now-playing bar, can’t tap the control behind the mini player). This most often affects the Add to Up Next control on an episode row while browsing or playing, where the add-to-queue or “+” button is covered by the player (can’t tap Add to Up Next, can’t add episodes to the queue, the play-next button sits behind the mini player). It can also affect the action icons shown when selecting episodes in Up Next or a playlist, such as Archive and other multi-select actions (action buttons cut off, can’t reach the archive button, the selection toolbar is covered by the now-playing bar). This happens with the Liquid Glass design on iOS 27 and does not affect your episodes, your account, or playback.
To reach a covered button in the meantime, tap the episode to open its details screen and use the three-dot (More) menu or the Up Next options there, or swipe across the episode in the list to reveal the Play Next / Play Last actions. Our team is monitoring this. If you still see it after updating to the latest Pocket Casts and iOS versions, please contact support with a short screen recording so we can take a look.
Updated October 13, 2026
Up Next Queue Button Missing in Android Automotive
Some users of the native Android Automotive app (built into cars such as Volvo and Polestar) may find that the Up Next queue button has disappeared from the Now Playing screen, or that the in-car Up Next list looks empty even though it has episodes on their phone (queue button gone, can’t open Up Next in the car, Up Next empty in the car). This started after the control had previously been working, and it’s a display issue in the car app, not a problem with your account, your subscription, or your actual queue. Your Up Next queue is still intact — you can view and manage it in the Pocket Casts app on your phone or in the web player. Our team is aware and is working on it.
Updated July 1, 2026
Tab Bar Collapses on Scroll (iOS)
On the Liquid Glass design on iOS, some users may notice that the tab bar collapses as they scroll, which can add an extra tap when switching tabs (tabs disappear while scrolling, have to tap twice to change tabs, tab bar keeps hiding). This is a standard iOS design behaviour, not a problem with your account, your subscription, or playback. To keep the tab bar and mini player expanded at all times, go to Profile > Settings > Appearance and turn off “Minimize on Scroll.”
Updated July 18, 2026
Android Automotive Sync
Currently, the native Android Automotive app does not sync progress automatically. You need to refresh by using the “Refresh Now” button in the app’s settings page. Our team is working to improve this feature by implementing background refresh.
Updated December 15, 2025
