The iOS Overcast app has been my point of contact for podcasts for some time. Even though I own an Apple Watch, I’ve never actually used it to manage my podcasts. However, that is about to change thanks to an updated user interface from Overcast.
Download the latest version of to see for yourself Covered for iOS. The app is free, but it is advertised. If you don’t like that, an annual subscription of $ 10 / year is available to take the visual burden off your feet.
From there you pull the See On your iPhone, scroll all the way down and install Overcast (if you haven’t already).
Launch the app on your Apple Watch and wait for it to sync with the overcast version of your iPhone. You’ll then be taken to a new main screen that has a handful of icons at the top of a vertically scrolling list of your podcasts – a welcome change from the app’s previous horizontally scrolling interface. Accessing your shows and episodes is now much easier and faster.
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This icon in the top left allows you to sync the overcast version of your Apple Watch with your iPhone at any time. Keep this in mind as you will definitely want to type a lot on it if you do a lot of local playback on your Apple Watch. However, I want to point out that syncing your apps doesn’t immediately mean you have something to listen to on your Apple Watch. In Overcast’s default settings, which you can adjust by tapping the gear icon, the Apple Watch app only downloads the first 20 episodes in your playlist when it’s charged and connected to WiFi:
When you’re playing a podcast – either on your watch or by controlling your iPhone with your watch – you will now see a three-dot button in the lower right corner. Tapping on it will bring up a description of the episode you are listening to. You can also adjust the playback speed here and, if your episode supports it, skip the different chapters.
In addition to the UI updates, you can now ask Siri to play a podcast called “In Overcast” to get it started right away. And that includes podcasts that you haven’t yet subscribed to. This is a great added touch. If you’re using the solar watch face for your Apple Watch, you can add an overcast complication that will launch the podcast app right away:
That’s it for major new features – welcome improvements to an already phenomenal app, assuming you’re using it on an Apple Watch Series 3 or later. The update leads to watchOS 6, which means you won’t be able to access it if you’re using an original Apple Watch or Apple Watch Series 2. At least developer Marco Arment tried the following:
Overcast’s big update doesn’t work with iOS 12 either:
