By default, Pocket Casts will not use your mobile data to auto download episodes.
However, Pocket Casts will use a minimal amount of mobile data for the following tasks:
- Syncing
- Checking for new episodes
- Opening episode notes
- Manually refreshing podcast artwork
Streaming episodes also uses mobile data. On Android, the Cache playing episode setting can use much more data than streaming alone.
Enabling Use Mobile Data to auto download episodes may incur significant mobile data fees and is not recommended.
- Tap Profile
- Tap Settings
- Auto download
- Turn off Only on unmetered WiFi
While the “Only on unmetered WiFi” setting is toggled on, you can still manually download episodes while using data.
You will also find auto download options in the settings of each Playlist.
- Tap Profile
- Tap Settings
- Storage & data use
- Enable Warn before using data
On Android, this setting also applies to an episode that’s already playing. If an episode is streaming when your phone switches from WiFi to mobile data (for example, when you leave home), Pocket Casts pauses it and shows a notification. Tap Yes, keep playing in the notification to keep streaming on mobile data, or Play next downloaded to switch to a downloaded episode in your Up Next queue (shown only when you have one). This happens once per episode, and doesn’t apply to episodes played through Android Auto.
If playback seems to pause at random (episode stops by itself, podcast pauses on its own, playback stops when I leave the house or switch to mobile data), check whether Warn before using data is turned on. With that setting on, a streaming episode pauses when your phone moves from WiFi to mobile data, as described above. To avoid the pause:
- Download episodes while you’re on WiFi, so they play without using mobile data.
- Or turn off Warn before using data in Profile > Settings > Storage & data use. Episodes will then keep streaming on mobile data, and Cache playing episode can use more of your data plan.
When you stream an episode on Android, Pocket Casts downloads the rest of that episode in the background so that skipping ahead and scrubbing are instant. This is controlled by the Cache playing episode setting, which is on by default.
Because the whole episode is fetched, not only the part you’re listening to, streaming on mobile data can use much more data than you might expect (unexpected data usage, high mobile data use, Pocket Casts using a lot of data while streaming). Only episodes you stream are cached. Downloaded episodes, video episodes, and unusually large episodes are not cached, and caching stops once it reaches a size limit.
Unless Warn before using data is turned on, Cache playing episode can use mobile data. If you have a limited or metered data plan, turn off Cache playing episode, or turn on Warn before using data (see above), which limits caching to unmetered WiFi.
To turn off Cache playing episode on Android:
- Tap Profile
- Tap Settings
- Advanced
- Under Playback, turn off Cache playing episode
Turning off Cache playing episode doesn’t stop streaming. The episode still streams as you listen, using data for the part you play. To avoid using mobile data for listening, download episodes while you’re on WiFi.
