Google Podcast not Working? Reasons & Fix

Let’s discuss the reason why Google Podcast is not working. In the second part of the post, we will talk about how to fix this issue as well.

Google Podcasts contains some of the widest library of podcasts available in modern times. It goes head to head with Spotify and Apple Podcast while providing a great listening experience.

However, many people wonder why their Google Podcasts app is not working or downloading their favorite episodes. In this guide, we will cover every aspect of why does the Google Podcast not work or it’s not letting you download.

Here Is Why Your Google Podcast isn’t Working

Your Google Podcasts app is not working because of insufficient storage space, power-saving mode, disabled background data usage, poor internet connection, and caching problems. These are some of the most common issues that cause syncing issues, downloads disappearing, and Podcasts app not refreshing.  

Like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts have its bugs. But after doing some research and gathering the data, I discovered three common problems with Google Podcasts:

1. Syncing issues between web and mobile devices.
2. Downloading and disappearing even after downloading episodes on mobile.
3. The application doesn’t refresh, meaning the content it shows is old.

While Google Podcasts has a clutter-free and minimalistic design, Android and iOS counterparts encounter various bugs. The operating systems cause some of those issues, while others can be caused by your phone, like low storage or poor internet connection. 

So in this blog, we’ll cover the most basic issues and the fixes you can apply to get your Google Podcasts app running smoothly again. Moreover, we will also discuss streaming, downloading, and general problems that come with it.

So without further ado, let’s start the fixing.

Google Podcasts Sync Issues

The first and most common problem with Google Podcasts is the syncing problems. Sometimes, you might use two devices, like a phone and a PC, and you want to use both to listen to Google Podcasts. For the longest time, I had syncing issues where my podcast on mobile wouldn’t sync with the PC version. 

The syncing issues caused me to get lost in the episodes, often repeatedly listening to the same audio. Moreover, it can also cause a lack of progress, making you lose interest in the podcast you were listening to. So after a while, I found a straightforward solution which is as follows:

• Log in to the same Google Account on your Desktop and Mobile Phone.
• Go to the desktop and visit Google’s Activity Control Page.
• On the Activity Control Page, turn on Web & App Activity. 

• Now login to Google Podcasts with the same Google Account, and your syncing problems will be solved.

Turning on Web & App Activity syncs the mobile-to-mobile or mobile-to-desktop sync. So when you’re using the same app on different platforms or devices, all the progress will sync, giving you the same information to capitalize on. 

Downloads Disappearing

The second most common problem is downloading and episodes disappearing from Google Podcasts. If you’ve downloaded episodes from Google Podcasts before, you’ll see that some episodes disappear no matter how many times you download them. However, Google Podcasts remove any episode 24 hours after you’ve finished it. 

Moreover, the episodes are deleted after 30 days of downloading them. What if you want to let all the episodes download without the risk of them getting deleted? Thankfully, Google lets you tweak these settings from your Google Podcasts app. Here’s how to change the download deletion duration from the app. 

• Go to the Google Podcasts app and click your profile picture in the top right corner. 

• Click “Podcasts Settings,” and you will see a series of options.

• Under the “Downloads” section, you can click on “Remove Completed Episodes” and “Remove Unfinished Episodes.” 

• Change the duration to whatever you feel comfortable with.

Once you change the settings, your downloads will only disappear if the deletion date comes. For example, you can extend the deletion date of completed episodes and unfinished to 90 days instead of 24 hours or 30 days. 

App Doesn’t Refresh

Lastly, the Podcasts app is not refreshing, which is the most common Google Podcasts issue. The main reason Google Podcasts content does not refresh is a need for a good internet connection, or you might not swipe down to refresh all the new content.

Here’s how you can fix it:

• Go to the Google Podcasts app, and on the main page, swipe down from top to bottom.

• You’ll see a loading icon and the new and updated content in just a few seconds.
• Your internet connection should be stronger to show you new content.

Now, let’s talk about all the other problems that occur with Google Podcasts and how you can fix them. 

How To Fix Not Working Google Podcasts

Google Podcast downloading issue is the most common. Since the dawn of mobile phones and PCs, downloading has become common. With that, a lot of users suffer problems with downloading issues. It could be downloading episodes removing or not downloading at all. 

Moreover, Google Podcast also offers users features like auto episode downloading that automatically downloads the latest episode of a podcast whenever it is out. But due to issues like low-storage space and bugs, many users have reported that their auto-downloads never appear. 

So in this section, we will cover all the problems with Google Podcasts not downloading or the episodes that keep deleting by themselves. 

1. Turn on Auto Downloading for Downloading New Episodes

If you’re facing issues with Google Podcasts episodes not auto-downloading, the problem may be within the app. There’s a feature in Google Podcasts called auto downloads that allow the automatic downloading of newer podcasts by an artist. However, a lot of people claim that auto-downloading never happens. 

The issue might be within the Google Podcast app, as the feature could be turned off. So let’s fix it and get you back on track with your favorite podcast shows. 

This method works for both Android and iOS, so if you have either of those devices, you can follow the steps below:

• Open the Google Podcasts app, and tap on the “Profile” icon in the app’s top-right corner. 

• Click “Podcast Settings,” and you’ll have many options. 

• Under the “Downloads” section, you will find “Auto Downloading.”

• By default, this option is disabled, so click on it and select “Auto download new episodes.“

Now you can download the newest podcasts alone without having to download them yourself. 

2. Check The Storage Space

Users often suffer auto-downloading issues or podcasts not downloading because of insufficient storage space in their devices. If your device is low on storage and has nothing else it can download, then podcasts won’t. You’ll need to identify whether your phone has full storage or not. 

Thankfully, most devices nowadays, like iPhone or Samsung, allow you to free up storage space automatically, and it’s fairly easy to get free storage. However, if your phone has extra videos or apps, you should manually delete them to free up storage.

With the dawn of mobile phones, we have countless apps on our mobile phones and PC. So, freeing the storage lets you download Podcasts as much as you like. This method varies from phone to phone, but we’ll use a Samsung phone here for the steps. So follow the guide as it is general for most smartphones today. 

Fix Google Podcasts Streaming Issues

As Google Podcasts allow online streaming, many internet-related problems are bound to occur. Hence, Google Podcasts users have problems streaming and letting their favorite podcast play. I’ve found problems where Podcasts won’t play, making me frustrated. 

Most of the time, the streaming issue occurs due to a poor internet connection. I found out that things like Low Battery or Power Saving Mode also cause streaming issues. So in this section, we will cover a complete list of steps you can take to fix any Google Podcast streaming problem. Some steps will be related to Android and iOS; we’ll mention that in the title. 

1. Check Your Internet Connection

An unstable internet connection is the prime reason for Google Podcasts not playing. While driving on a beautiful sunny day, I realized that no matter what I do, the podcasts won’t start streaming in the app. At last, I realized that my internet connection was weak. 

A slow and unstable internet connection is one of the main reasons behind podcasts not streaming. Hence, check whether or not your internet is working properly. Moreover, you can also switch to mobile data or Wi-Fi so that the problem will get fixed. 

If you want to check the speed of your Wi-Fi or Mobile Data, you can follow these simple steps:

• Open your favorite browser and type in the URL “fast.com“

• Now let the website do its job. If your speed is less than 4mbps, you might need help streaming high-quality podcasts.

The easy solution is to turn on Airplane mode and turn it off again. It solves the internet problem most of the time. If that doesn’t work, switch to mobile data for a better and faster podcast streaming experience. 

2. Allow Background Data App Usage (For Android and iOS)

Restricting background data app usage allows you to save your internet connection, especially if you’re on a tight budget. However, doing so causes many applications to stop working properly. This includes streaming services like Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. 

If your Google Podcast doesn’t work properly in the background, you might have restricted the background option. You need to give your iPhone or Android app background data access to fix it. We’ll take it step by step with each operating system. So, if you’re using an Android, follow the Android version. Or if you have an iPhone, follow the iPhone one. 

For Android:

• Go to settings, scroll down, and locate “Apps.”

• Click on Apps, scroll down, and find Google Podcasts. Click on it. 

• Now scroll down and click on “Mobile Data.” You can find this option under the “Usage” section. 

• Tick the “Allow Background Usage” option to let Google Podcasts play in the background. 

For iOS:

• Go to settings, scroll down till you see “General,” and click it. 

• Now go to “Background App Refresh,” and you’ll see some options running.

• If the background app refresh option is disabled, enable it.
• Now scroll down till you find Google Podcasts and enable background app refresh specifically for the app. 

3. Disable Power Saving Mode

Power saving mode is the prime suspect of Google Podcasts not working properly. With battery saver or low power mode, the phone’s priority is to save battery time, even if it means cutting out high-priority apps like Google Podcasts. Hence, you can fix this issue by turning off the power-saving mode. 

The method varies on most mobile brands, but we will discuss disabling power saving mode for Android and iOS.

For Android:

• Go to Settings and scroll until you see “Battery and device care.“

• Click on “Battery” and turn off “Battery Saving Mode.“

• Now go back to Google Podcasts to see if it causes streaming problems. 

Google Podcast General Fixes

Google Podcasts can also crash without any warning or troubleshooting chance. In that case, you might need help finding something concrete to fix. Hence, we’re covering some general fixes that can allow the app not to crash or do abnormal behavior. These methods will ensure that your podcasts without crashing. 

The general fixes include the following:

• Updating Google Podcasts on Android and iOS.
• Clearing the data on Android.
• Simply restarting your device to see if the app works. 

Moreover, one of the most common issues that Google Podcasts have is not playing a certain podcast. Therefore, the only fixing is clearing data, logging in again, updating Google Podcasts, and restarting your phone. So, let’s talk about each method step by step.

Step 1: Update Google Podcasts

The most common fix is to update Google Podcasts. Here’s how you can do it on Android and iOS.

• Go to Google Play Store or App Store, and search “Google Podcast.“

• Once the result pops up, you might find the “Update” option next to the Google Podcast name. 

• If there’s an update, click on it and let the update finish. 
• Now, open the app again to see if it’s working properly. 

Step 2: Clear Data and Cache (For Android Only)

Clearing Data and Cache is the simplest fix to any Google Podcast issue. Corrupt data might affect your app, or there can be a simple caching problem. Clearing out data will allow you to use Google Podcasts like it’s brand new again. This method only works with Android. 

So, here are the steps to clear out the data on any Android device:

• Go to settings and scroll down to “Apps.” Click on Apps. 

• Find Google Podcasts and click it.

• Scroll down and click on “Storage.”

• Click on Clear Cache and Clear Data.

Login to Google Podcast again and see if the app crashes or does something unconventional. 

Final Verdict

Finally, if your Google Podcast refuses to work properly, the best thing to do is to restart your phone. Whether you have an iPhone, Android, or Windows device, restarting will give you a session, and the podcasts might start playing.

Google Podcast is an amazing service that lets you listen to podcasts easily. However, it comes with issues that can happen to anyone. We’ve covered a list of the best fixes you can implement and get your Podcast running normally again.