Pocket Casts, one of the most popular podcast apps, has announced that it will soon be available on Wear OS smartwatches. The app, which already had a smartwatch app during the Android Wear era, is now in active development for Wear OS. This move will enable users to listen to their favorite podcasts on-the-go, without the need for their phone.
Pocket Casts has been one of the most popular podcast apps on the market for a number of years. The app was first released in 2010 and quickly gained a large following. Today, it is used by millions of people around the world and is available on a wide range of platforms, including iOS, Android, and desktop.
The app has a wide range of features that make it stand out from the competition. For example, it offers a powerful search function that allows users to find and subscribe to podcasts quickly and easily. It also offers a range of customization options, such as the ability to set a sleep timer, skip silence, and adjust playback speed.
However, despite its many features, Pocket Casts has never been available on smartwatches. That is set to change, however, with the announcement that the app is in active development for Wear OS.
Wear OS is a popular operating system for smartwatches, and it is used by a wide range of devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Watch, Moto 360, and Fossil Gen 5. The arrival of Pocket Casts on the platform will be welcome news for many users, who will now be able to listen to their favorite podcasts on their watch.
The development of the Pocket Casts app for Wear OS was made possible by the fact that the app’s developers open-sourced its mobile clients back in October 2022. This move made it possible for third-party developers to create their own apps using the Pocket Casts codebase.
The development of the app for Wear OS was first discussed towards the end of last year, with the developers setting up a project issue on GitHub for the “Initial Release of Wear OS Watch App”. According to the discussions on the page, the developers plan to focus on making the watch app function independently of the phone. This means that users will be able to listen to podcasts directly from their watch, without needing to have their phone nearby.
The ability to control Pocket Casts on the phone will be added after the initial release. However, the developers are looking to replicate many of the features from the Pocket Casts iOS Watch app during the app’s initial phase. This will include features such as browsing, downloads, and a Now Playing screen.
The Pocket Casts iOS Watch app offers downloading capabilities to Pocket Casts Plus members only. It is possible that this feature will also be available on the Wear OS app, although this has not been confirmed by the developers.
One of the most important features of the Pocket Casts app for Wear OS will be the ability to download podcasts directly to the watch. This will be particularly useful for users who want to listen to podcasts while they are offline or in areas with poor network coverage.
The app will also offer a Now Playing screen, which will display information about the currently playing podcast. This will include details such as the episode title, podcast title, and the podcast artwork.
In addition to these features, the app will also offer browsing capabilities, allowing users to browse and search for new podcasts directly from their watch. This will make it easy for users to find new podcasts to listen to while they are on-the-go.
The development of the Pocket Casts app for Wear OS is a welcome addition to the world of podcast apps. While there are already a number of podcast apps available for smartwatches, Pocket Casts is widely regarded as one of the best.
The app’s wide range of features and customization
options make it a popular choice for podcast listeners, and the arrival of the app on Wear OS will only serve to enhance its appeal.
The move by Pocket Casts to develop an app for Wear OS comes at a time when podcasting is becoming increasingly popular. According to a recent report by Edison Research, 78% of Americans are now familiar with podcasting, and 57% of them have listened to a podcast at some point.
This growing popularity has led to a surge in the number of podcasts available, with thousands of new podcasts being released every day. This has made it increasingly difficult for users to find the podcasts that they want to listen to.
Pocket Casts offers a solution to this problem, thanks to its powerful search function. This makes it easy for users to find and subscribe to the podcasts that interest them.
The app also offers a range of customization options, such as the ability to set a sleep timer, skip silence, and adjust playback speed. This makes it easy for users to customize their listening experience to suit their preferences.
The arrival of the Pocket Casts app on Wear OS is just the latest development in the world of podcasting. In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of companies looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of podcasts.
One of the most notable of these is Spotify, which has been investing heavily in podcasting in recent years. The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars acquiring podcast production companies and exclusive podcast content.
This has allowed Spotify to become one of the biggest players in the podcasting world, with millions of users tuning in to their favorite podcasts on the platform every day.
Another company looking to get in on the podcasting boom is YouTube. The company recently announced that it would be adding podcast functionality to its YouTube Music app, making it easy for users to listen to their favorite podcasts alongside their favorite music.
The growing popularity of podcasting has also led to an increase in the number of companies looking to monetize the medium. Many podcasters now rely on advertising revenue to fund their shows, while others offer exclusive content to subscribers in exchange for a monthly fee.
Pocket Casts has also adopted this model, offering a Pocket Casts Plus subscription service that gives users access to a range of exclusive features, such as the ability to download podcasts for offline listening and cloud sync across devices.
The arrival of the Pocket Casts app on Wear OS is a welcome development for podcast listeners. The app’s powerful search function, wide range of customization options, and exclusive features make it one of the best podcast apps on the market.
The ability to listen to podcasts directly from their watch will be a boon for users who want to listen to their favorite podcasts while they are on-the-go, and the ability to download podcasts directly to the watch will be particularly useful for users who want to listen to podcasts while they are offline.
The app’s arrival on Wear OS comes at a time when podcasting is becoming increasingly popular, and companies are looking to capitalize on this growing trend. Whether you are a seasoned podcast listener or a newcomer to the medium, the Pocket Casts app for Wear OS is sure to offer a listening experience that is both powerful and convenient.
With the arrival of the Pocket Casts app on Wear OS, it is likely that other podcast apps will follow suit. As Wear OS becomes more popular, it is only natural that developers will want to create apps that are optimized for the platform.
This will be good news for podcast listeners, as it will give them even more options when it comes to finding the perfect podcast app for their needs.
The rise of podcasting has also led to new opportunities for advertisers. With millions of people tuning in to their favorite podcasts every day, advertisers are eager to reach this audience.
Many podcasters have already started monetizing their shows through advertising, and this trend is likely to continue as more and more people start listening to podcasts.
The Pocket Casts app for Wear OS is likely to attract advertisers, as it offers a powerful platform for reaching a large and engaged audience.
Overall, the arrival of the Pocket Casts app on Wear OS is a sign of the growing popularity of podcasting, and the increasing importance of the medium in the world of media and entertainment.
As more and more people discover the joys of podcasting, we can expect to see even more innovation in the field, with new apps, new content, and new ways of monetizing podcasts.
For now, though, podcast listeners can look forward to enjoying their favorite shows on their Wear OS smartwatches, thanks to the arrival of the Pocket Casts app.
