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When you find a show you like in the Podcasts app, follow it to add it to your library so you can get notified about new episodes, change the playback order, and more.

Podcasts you follow are on your other Apple devices and the Apple Podcasts website, too. You can follow a show from search results, show information, or Now Playing, and unfollow it later.

Here’s how to follow your favorite podcasts on iPad.

Follow a podcast

Podcasts you follow are added to your library, and you can access them on your other Apple devices or on the Apple Podcasts website.

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Search or browse to find a show.
  3. Do any of the following:

    • From search results: Tap the Follow button.
    • While viewing show information: Tap Follow.

      You can also tap the More button, then tap Follow.

    • While viewing episode information, or from Now Playing: Tap the More button and then tap Follow Show.

Unfollow a podcast

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap Shows.
  3. Tap a show, tap the Check button near the top right, and then tap Unfollow Show.

    Or tap the More button near the top right, then tap Unfollow.

Get notifications for new episodes

Get notified when new episodes are available for podcasts you follow.

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Choose Account > Account Settings in the menu bar.
  3. Tap Notifications, then turn on notifications for the shows you want. If Allow Notifications on This iPad appears at the top of the screen, notifications are turned off for Podcasts. Tap Allow Notifications on This iPad, then tap Allow.

    Tip: You can also control notifications for a specific show from its settings page. Open the show, tap the More button, tap Settings, then turn Notifications on or off.

Customize playback speed and Enhance Dialogue settings for a show you follow

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Shows in the sidebar, then select a show. (You can also search or browse for a show you follow.)
  3. Tap the More button, tap Settings, and then scroll down to Speed & Audio Adjustments.
  4. Choose Custom for This Show. Select a playback speed and turn Enhance Dialogue on or off.

See also

In the Podcasts app, you can customize the podcasts you follow, catch up on the latest episodes, and create your own stations.

Your library shows recently updated shows, the shows you follow, and channels you subscribe to. You can change the episode playback order, set download limits for each podcast, mark episodes as played, and hide the ones you’ve already played.

Here’s how to organize your podcast library on iPad.

View your podcast library

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap any of the following:
    • Recently Updated: See shows you follow with recently released episodes.
    • Shows: See shows that are in your library. If you downloaded or saved episodes from podcasts you don’t follow, tap All to see them. Tap Followed to view only shows you follow. You can tap any show to see its information and the episodes you saved or downloaded.
    • Channels: See channels you subscribe to, channels you added to your favorites, and channels that have shows you follow. You can tap a channel to browse all of its shows.
    • Categories: See categories you added to your favorites, along with categories for any shows you follow.
    • Saved: See episodes you saved.
    • Downloaded: See episodes you downloaded. You can watch or listen to these episodes without an internet connection.
    • Latest Episodes: See the most recent episodes from each show you follow. To change how long episodes stay in this playlist, tap the More button.
    • Stations: If you created stations, each one is listed.

Change the episode playback order

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap Shows.
  3. Touch and hold a show, then tap Settings.
  4. Choose an option under Episode Order.

    When you play an episode from the show page, the remaining episodes play based on the order you choose.

Set download limits for each podcast

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap Shows.
  3. Touch and hold a show, then tap Settings.
  4. Scroll down to Automatically Download, then choose an option.
  5. Tap Download Video. Choose On to download video for offline playback, or Off to download audio only.

Mark an episode as played or unplayed

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Search or browse for a podcast.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • Mark an episode while viewing show information: Swipe right on an episode and tap Played or Unplayed.
    • Mark an episode while viewing episode information: Tap the More button. Then tap Mark as Played or Mark as Unplayed.
    • Mark all episodes listed while viewing a show you follow: Tap the More button. Tap Mark All as Played, Mark Filtered as Played, Mark All as Unplayed, or Mark Filtered as Unplayed.

Hide episodes you already played

To hide episodes you already played, change a show’s settings.

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap Shows.
  3. Touch and hold a show and tap Settings. Then turn on Hide Played Episodes.

To automatically hide played episodes for all shows you follow, go to Settings > Apps > Podcasts, then turn on Hide Played Episodes.

Create your own station

Similar to a music playlist, a station groups shows you follow based on themes like comedy, news, or morning commute. And episodes from the podcasts you choose regularly land in your station automatically.

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap New Station.

    If New Station doesn’t appear, tap the More button next to Stations.

  3. Add a title, then tap Save.
  4. Tap Choose Podcasts and then tap the shows you want to add to the station (or turn on Include All Podcasts).

Quick tip: It’s possible to adjust how many episodes from each podcast get added to your station. Tap the station, tap the More button, and then tap Station Settings. For the same settings across all podcasts in a station, tap Episodes and choose an option. Or, for a single show, tap the show in the Podcasts list and choose an option to adjust its settings.

See also

The Podcasts app offers millions of shows on a variety of topics such as news, true crime, comedy, and more. You can watch or listen online, or download episodes so you can play them even when you’re not connected to the internet, and when you find a show you like, you can follow it.

Video episodes open in the Now Playing screen, where you can navigate through chapters and view the transcript. You can also choose whether to automatically download new episodes from shows you follow.

The Search screen in the Podcasts app, showing podcast categories. Towards the bottom of the screen is the MiniPlayer.

Find podcasts

Tap Search to browse shows by category. To search for a specific show or episode, enter a word or phrase—for example, a show name, episode title, person, or category. To find episodes within a specific show, tap Episodes on the show page, then search.

The Now Playing screen in the Podcasts app, showing a video podcast, the episode title, the progress bar, the playback controls, and the volume slider. The AirPlay button, the View Transcript button, and the Playing Next button appear at the bottom of the screen.

Play podcasts

Tap the play button to start playing a show or episode. Video episodes open directly in the Now Playing screen, where you can access playback controls, navigate through chapters, access links to other media, view the transcript, and more. For audio episodes, tap the MiniPlayer at the bottom of the screen to open Now Playing.

A show page in the Podcasts app showing two episodes with summaries of each and the MiniPlayer at the bottom.

Follow a show

When you find a show you like, tap the Follow button to add it to your library. You can choose whether to automatically download new episodes and get notifications for them.

To get more out of your podcasts, try these guides:

In the Podcasts app, you can download, save, and share podcast episodes.

A saved episode is downloaded automatically, so you can listen to it offline, and by default, only audio is downloaded for video episodes, though you can download video as well. You can also remove a saved or downloaded episode, or remove all episodes from a show. You can share an episode, too.

Here’s how to download, save, remove, and share podcast episodes on iPad.

Download an episode

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Search or browse to find a show.
  3. Tap the show, swipe left on an episode, and then tap the Download button.

    You can also tap the More button under an episode, then tap Download.

Save an episode

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Search or browse to find a show.
  3. Tap the show, swipe left on an episode, and tap the Save button.

    You can also tap the More button under an episode, then tap Save.

When you save an episode, it’s automatically downloaded so you can listen to it offline. To turn off this option, go to Settings > Apps > Podcasts, then turn off Download When Saving.

By default, only audio is downloaded for video episodes. To download video as well, go to Settings > Apps > Podcasts, then turn Download Video on.

Remove a saved episode

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap Saved.
  3. Swipe left on an episode. Then tap the Unsave button.

    You can also remove a saved episode while looking at an episode list or the episode’s information. Tap the More button, then tap Unsave.

Remove a downloaded episode

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap Downloaded, then tap a show.
  3. Swipe left on an episode. Tap the Remove Download button.

    You can also remove a downloaded episode while looking at the episode list or the episode’s information. Tap the More button, then tap Remove Download.

Remove all downloaded episodes from a show

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap Downloaded and touch and hold a show.
  3. Tap Remove Downloads.

Remove all downloaded episodes

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. In the sidebar, tap Downloaded.
  3. Tap the More button at the top right, then tap Remove All Downloads.

Share a podcast show or episode

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Do any of the following:

    • While viewing show information: Tap the More button near the top right. Tap Share.
    • While viewing episode information: Tap the Share button.
    • To specify the starting time for a shared episode: From the Now Playing screen, tap the More button, then tap Share. Tap From Start and choose From [time]. Then tap the Done button.

      The shared episode starts from the point where you’re watching or listening when you tap Share.

  3. Choose how to share the show or episode.

See also

In the Podcasts app, you can subscribe to, change, cancel, and share your podcast subscriptions. Paid subscriptions allow you to support the shows you love, and they often include premium extras, early access to new episodes, or ad-free listening.

Subscribing to a show automatically follows it, too, and you can access it on your other Apple devices. A channel you subscribe to appears in the Channels section of your library, and you can share your subscriptions with up to five other family members.

Note: Not all subscriptions and channels are available in all countries, regions, or languages.

Subscribe to a show or channel

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Search or browse to find a show or channel.
  3. Select the show or channel you want to subscribe to.
  4. Tap the subscription button (if available).

Shows you’ve subscribed to or followed are available on your other Apple devices and in the Apple Podcasts app, too (when you subscribe to a show, you follow it automatically); see our guide, Follow your favorite podcasts. Once you subscribe to a channel or follow one of its shows, it shows up in the Channels section of your library.

Change or cancel your subscriptions

  1. Start the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Choose Account > Account Settings in the menu bar.
  3. Tap Manage Subscriptions.
  4. Tap a subscription to change or cancel it.

Share Apple Podcasts subscriptions

You can share podcast channel subscriptions with up to five other family members when you use Family Sharing, and they automatically get access to the channels you subscribe to.

If you join a family group where a member subscribes to a show you already subscribe to, you switch to the group’s subscription, and yours doesn’t renew on your next billing date. A family group that doesn’t subscribe uses your subscription.

Note: A show subscription stays shared with your family group until you cancel the subscription or leave the Family Sharing group.

See also

Use the Podcasts app to search for or browse shows about science, news, politics, comedy, and more. When you find a show you like, you can follow it to add it to your library.

Then you can watch or listen offline, get notified about new episodes, and access followed shows on your other Apple devices and on Apple Podcasts on the web. You can also find episodes within a show, and filter or sort them. Shows may offer paid subscriptions, too.

Note: A show may offer paid subscriptions, with access to exclusive shows and episodes, new releases, ad-free episodes, and more. You’re able to subscribe to a show or channel and then manage your subscriptions. People with an existing subscription to Apple Music, Apple News+, or an eligible third-party app can play its subscriber content in Podcasts, too. See our article, Listen to subscriber-only content.

The Search screen in the Podcasts app, showing podcast categories. At the bottom of the screen is the Rewind, Pause, Skip Forward, and Sleep Timer buttons, episode artwork, the episode title, the More button, and the View Transcript button.

Find podcasts

  1. Open the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Do any of the following:

    • Search by category, title, person, or topic: Tap the Search button (or tap Search in the sidebar). Enter a word or phrase in the search field. Top hits appear as you type.

      Tap the Search button on the onscreen keyboard to view all results for the word or phrase you typed. Tap a show, channel, or episode to go directly to it.

    • Discover new shows: Tap New to see new and trending shows, and the Apple editorial collections. You can also tap the Search button or Search and get a personalized list of categories to choose from, as well as editorial collections.

      Tip: To quickly see the top shows and episodes for a specific category, tap Top Charts, tap the All Categories pop-up menu in the top-right corner, then tap a category.

    • Add shows by URL: In the sidebar, tap Shows, tap the More button, and then tap Follow a Show by URL. Enter the URL and tap Follow.

      Note: The URL must be for a valid podcast RSS feed.

Find episodes within a show

  1. Open the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Search or browse for a show.
  3. Tap the show and then do any of the following:
    • Browse episodes: Scroll down to see recent episodes (or tap See All Episodes, if available).
    • Search for a specific episode: Scroll down and then tap See All Episodes. Tap the search field near the top of the screen and then enter a word or phrase. Suggested results appear as you type. To view all results, tap the Search button on the keyboard.

Filter episodes

  1. Open the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Search or browse for a show.
  3. Tap the show. Then tap the Filter button (available only if the show has Video or Subscriber-Only episodes).
  4. Choose one or more filters, such as All Episodes or Video.

Note: Additional filter options like Unplayed, Saved, or Downloaded become available once you follow the show or add one or more of its episodes to your library. If these options are missing, follow the show, then check the filters again.

By default, shows you follow are filtered to Unplayed episodes, and you can remove this filter to see all episodes. Filter changes stick until you change them again. Your filter selections won’t change whether you can find any episode of the show using search.

Sort episodes

  1. Open the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Search or browse for a show.
  3. Tap the show, tap the More button, and then tap Sort.
  4. Choose Sort Newest to Oldest or Sort Oldest to Newest.

View podcasts shared with you

When a friend shares a show or episode with you in Messages, you can easily find it in Podcasts.

  1. Open the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Home. Then scroll down to the Shared with You section.

    If you don’t see Shared with You, check to make sure your friend is in your contacts, and that Podcasts is turned on in Settings > Apps > Messages > Shared with You.

See also Find all the content someone shared with you.

Get personalized recommendations

You can get personalized podcast recommendations based on your watching and listening activity and your favorite channels and categories.

  1. Open the Podcasts app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Home.
  3. Do any of the following:

    • View recommended shows: Scroll left or right in the You Might Like row.
    • Refine your show recommendations: Tap a show in the You Might Like row, tap the More button, and tap Suggest Less.
    • View suggested episodes based on your watching and listening: Scroll down to the More to Discover row. Scroll left or right.
    • Opt out of personalized recommendations: Tap the My Account button or your profile picture (you may need to open the sidebar), tap your name, and then turn off Personalized Recommendations.

      Note: Your Personalized Recommendations setting also applies to the App Store, Apple Books, iTunes Store, Apple TV, and subscriptions from Apple.

You’ll also see other recommendations based on categories you watch and listen to, plus any subscriptions you already purchased.

See also

In the Files app, you can find and view your documents, images, and other files that you downloaded from the internet or your mail app. Your downloaded files are in Downloads in the sidebar, and you can check on a file that’s still downloading in Safari.

  1. Open the Files app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Browse or the Sidebar button at the top of the screen. Tap Downloads in the sidebar to see your downloaded files.

Note: When your downloaded files don’t show up, go to the Safari app on your iPad and tap the Downloads button, where you can check the status of a downloading file or quickly access downloaded files; read our guide, Manage downloads.

Tag: Files

You can browse the web, view websites, preview website links, translate webpages, and add the Safari app back to your Home Screen if it gets removed.

If you sign in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on all your devices, you can see pages you have open on other devices and keep your bookmarks, history, and Reading List up to date everywhere. You can also get back to the top of a long page quickly, refresh the page, and share links.

An open webpage. Along the top, from left to right, are the Sidebar button, the Previous button, the search field, the Share button, the New Tab button, and the Tab Overview button.

Go to a webpage

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Enter the name or web address (URL) of the webpage in the search field.

View websites with Safari

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Do any of the following:
    • Get back to the top: Tap the top edge of the screen. Then tap it again to quickly return to the top of a long page.
    • See more of the page: Turn iPad to landscape orientation.
    • Refresh the page: Pull down from the top of the page.
    • Share links: Tap the Share button at the top right of the window.

Preview website links

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Touch and hold a link in Safari to see a preview of the link without opening the page.

    To open the link, tap the preview, or tap Open. To close the preview and stay on the current page, tap anywhere outside the preview.

    A preview for a website. To the right of the preview is a menu that shows the options, including Open, Open in Background, Open in New Window, and more.

Translate a webpage

Safari can translate a webpage that’s in another language (not available in all languages or regions).

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Go to a webpage.
  3. Tap the Page Menu button. Tap the Translate button (if translation is available).

Use Apple Intelligence to summarize a webpage

Apple Intelligence can generate summaries of webpages in the Safari app.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Go to a webpage.
  3. Tap the Page Menu button, then tap Summarize.

You can also summarize webpages with Writing Tools. Check out our guide, Use Writing Tools to write, improve, and summarize content.

Get notified when a website changes

When a website updates content you’re interested in, such as a price or item change, Safari can let you know with Apple Intelligence.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Go to a webpage.
  3. Tap the Page Menu button, then tap Notify Me.
  4. Enter details about what Safari should look for.

    Safari window showing Notify Me options.

  5. If necessary, tap Edit to adjust how often Safari should check for updates and tap the checkmark button.

    At the time interval you set, a notification appears on your iPad if Safari detects that a website has been updated.

Manage downloads

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Touch and hold the file or link you want to download and tap Download Linked File.

    Tap the Downloads button to check the status of a file you’re downloading, to access downloaded files quickly, or to drag a downloaded file onto another file or into an email you’re working on.

Quick tip: Files can download in the background while you keep using Safari.

Add Safari back to your Home Screen

Safari missing from your Home Screen? You’ll find it in App Library, where you can add it back.

  1. On the Home Screen, swipe left until you see the App Library.
  2. Enter “Safari” in the search field.
  3. Touch and hold the Safari app icon. Then tap Add to Home Screen.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

Tag: Safari

Enter a URL or a search term to find websites or specific information.

You can see your favorite websites as suggestions while you search, search for text within a webpage, and choose a different search engine. Your favorites can also appear when you enter an address or create a new tab. With Visual Look Up, you can even identify and learn about popular landmarks, plants, pets, and more in your photos.

Here’s how to search for websites using Safari on iPad.

A webpage with “atlas” typed into the search field, and the rest of the URL automatically filled. Below the search field are Google Search suggestions.

Search the web

  1. Go to the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Enter a search term, phrase, or URL in the search field.
  3. Tap a search suggestion, or tap the Go button on the keyboard.

If you don’t want to see suggested search terms, go to Settings > Apps > Safari, then turn off Search Engine Suggestions (below Search).

See your favorite websites while you search

When you enter an address, search, or create a new tab, your favorites can show up as suggestions.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Apps, then tap Safari.
  3. Tap Start Page Favorites, then tap Favorites.

    If you have multiple folders in your favorites, you can select the one you want to appear in Safari search suggestions.

Search a webpage

Safari can find a specific word or phrase on a webpage.

  1. Start the Safari app on your iPad.
  2. Go to a webpage.
  3. Tap the Page Menu button. Tap the Search Document button.
  4. Enter the word or phrase in the search field.
  5. Tap the Next Result button to find other instances.

Choose a search engine

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Apps, then tap Safari.
  3. Tap Search Engine and choose a search engine.

Search for objects in your photos

Visual Look Up can identify popular landmarks, plants, pets, and more in your photos and videos, and help you learn about them. Read our article, Use Visual Look Up to identify objects in your photos and videos.

A photo is open in the Photos app. At the top of the screen, the Info button displays an icon indicating that Visual Look Up information is available.

See also

Tag: Safari

You can select an alternative search engine as the default to search for content on the web. You just pick the search engine you want to set as the default. And you can also change other default apps, like your default browser or email app.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Search, then tap Search Engine.
  3. Tap the search engine you want to set as the default and then tap the Back button.

To change other default apps, like your default browser or email app, see our article, Change the default apps.

See also