Many podcast apps like Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, and more exist. But they come with a common problem.
Many users ask wonder why their podcast app starts playing in the reverse order. It’s an increasingly popular question taking over the online world. So if you’re going through the same issue with your podcasts app playing backward instead of chronological, we’ve got you covered.
In this blog, we’ll talk about how to stop Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify apps from playing backward and starting playing in chronological order.
Why Do Podcasts Play In Reverse Order / Backward?
It’s because the Apple Podcast app is sorted with the “most recent” filter. Hence, Apple Podcasts play episodes from the most recent to the oldest. So, once you start playing a series, it will play the latest episode first and autoplay in the reverse order, going to the older ones.
On the other hand, we have Google Podcast that runs on the same model. Google Podcast plays episodes from the latest to the earliest but can also be sorted within the app.
Lastly, we have Spotify. If you’ve been using Spotify for a while, you know that it comes with many bugs. Thankfully, Spotify has been fixing these bugs actively. Spotify had a bug that wouldn’t play podcast episodes in chronological order for the longest time, even after sorting it right.
It was known as the “Queue Bug” that caused Spotify to play episodes randomly. Some users managed to fix the Queue Bug, but it manually removed the queue episodes until no more were left.
Hence, this blog will fix the podcast app playing backward on Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
How To Change the Order for Apple Podcasts?
By default, the Apple Podcasts app plays in reverse chronological order. It means that playing a certain podcast series will play from the latest to the oldest. You can easily sort the order to your liking in the Apple Podcasts app. Moreover, you can use various sorting options: episode name, release date, and duration.
Apple Podcasts lets you organize episodes according to your preferences, and here are all the sorting options available:
- Episode Name (Z → A)
- Episode Name (A → Z)
- Release Date (New-Old)
- Release Date (Old-New)
- Duration (Short-Long)
- Duration (Long-Short)
When you sort with Episode Name (Z → A), the episodes will prioritize in reverse alphabetical order. Episode Name (A → Z) will play in chronological alphabetical order. Release Date (New-Old) is the default setting, but we will focus on the Release Date (Old-New).
Release Date (Old-New) will prioritize podcast episodes in chronological order. That means the oldest episode, episode 1 in most cases, will play first. As you progress, it will keep moving to the latest episode until you finish a series.
You can also sort with duration, prioritizing your podcast from short to long or long to short.
Here’s how to change the order for Apple Podcasts:
1. Go to Apple Podcast.
2. Click on “Library,” and you will see a list of downloaded podcasts.
3. Click on “Shows.” You’ll find a list of shows you’ve followed.
4. Now select the 3 dots menu and click on setting.
5. Here, you can sort the Apple Podcasts according to your liking under the “EPISODE ORDER” tab.
6. To fix Apple Podcasts playing backward, you must sort the app to “Release Date (Old-New).”
Now go back to the podcast series and play the playlist. The app should be playing from episode 1 to later on. You can also try updating if the issue is still not solved. Here’s how you update Apple Podcast on iPhone:
- Go to App Store and search “Apple Podcasts” in the search bar above.
- Once you search, there should be an “Update” option. If there’s an update option, click on it and let the app update.
- Now your Apple Podcasts should have the right sorting available.
What’s Apple Podcast’s Default Order?
Apple Podcast’s default order is “Release Date (New-Old).” While this order works for most people, if you’re using Apple Carplay or Bluetooth, episodes playing backward will only confuse you. In other words, the default Apple Podcasts setting is to play from the latest episode to the earliest one.
Installing the Apple Podcasts first will only play podcasts in a backward list, making it difficult to listen to podcasts without missing a lot. However, we have covered how to fix it permanently in the section above.
How To Change the Order for For Spotify Podcasts?
Spotify plays podcast episodes backward because it is set up to play either in a shuffled manner or from the latest to the oldest. Many people use “Shuffle” on Spotify but accidentally turn it on in the podcasts section. This results in totally random results.
Moreover, having an outdated app might also be a problem because Spotify suffered from the “Queue Bug” that didn’t allow the app to work from oldest to latest.
The Queue Bug has been successfully fixed, but if your app version is outdated from App Store or the Google Play Store, you might be unable to sort it chronologically.
Hence, there are three steps for fixing Spotify Podcasts. First, you need to turn off the shuffle from the app. Secondly, you need to sort the Spotify Podcasts playlist. If that doesn’t work, you should update the app.
1. Turn off Spotify Shuffle
If you already have sorting done chronologically, try turning off the shuffle mode on Spotify. Spotify allows you to randomly play a track or podcast thanks to the shuffle option. However, once it is enabled, sorting doesn’t mean anything. That’s why you have to turn off the shuffle.
The shuffle option is available for both music playlists and podcasts playlist. Hence, whenever you play a podcast series, it shuffles in random episodes, making it harder for you to understand the problem. Randomly playing podcasts will also cause a lot of trouble, especially if you’re using Android Auto, Apple Carplay, or just Bluetooth using your phone.
Here’s how you can turn off Spotify Shuffle:
1. Go to Spotify and search for your favorite Playlist or Podcasts
2. Look for the “Shuffle” option on the screen. If it’s green, you must click on it again to turn it off.
3. Once you turn off the shuffle settings, play the podcast’s first episode and see if it works correctly.
2. Sort Spotify Podcasts
Sorting is the most efficient way to play your music or podcasts chronologically. In Spotify, you’re given many sorting options like Recently Added, Name, Title, Artist, and Custom Order. However, using Recently Added from the oldest to the latest will fix podcasts playing backward.
What people need clarification with Spotify is how unobvious the user experience is. For example, they haven’t mentioned anything about sorting from latest to oldest or oldest to latest. Rather, they’ve given you the option to choose “Recently Added,” with either an icon up or down.
The icon down means your podcasts will play in chronological order. In contrast, the up arrow icon will play from the latest to the oldest.
Here’s how you can sort Spotify Podcasts:
- Go to Spotify and choose your favorite Podcast/Playlist.
- Once you’re in, you should scroll down for the Sort option to appear. It will be in the upper right corner.
- Click on Sort, and you’ll see many sorting options available.
- Select “Recently Added” and make sure that the arrow is downwards.
- If the arrow is upward, click Sort and “Recently Added” again. You’ll notice that the arrow is finally in the oldest to the latest fashion.
Now you can enjoy your favorite podcasts without risking it creating chaos.
3. Update Spotify
An underrated fix to Spotify podcasts playing backward is to update the app. While most people don’t get this issue, if you’re suffering from a backward playing bug, the chances are that you’re suffering from a queue bug. Thankfully, it was fixed by Spotify in 2022, and all you need to do is to update the app.
The method varies from Android to iPhone, and that’s why we’re going to cover them separately.
Here’s how to update Spotify on Android:
1. Go to Google Play Store and type “Spotify” in the search bar.
2. Wait for the results to appear, and right next to the Spotify title, if you see the “Update” button, click on it and wait for it to be completed.
3. Watch your favorite podcasts after the update and see if they’re playing chronologically. If not, try turning off the shuffle and sorting the list out.
Here’s how to update Spotify on iPhone:
1 Go to Apple App Store and type “Spotify” in the search bar.
2. Wait for the results to appear, and you’ll see the “Update” icon next to the app’s title.
3. Click on Update and wait for it to be completed.
4. Go back to Apple Podcasts to see if the problem has been solved.
How To Change the Order For Google Podcasts?
Google Podcasts first plays the latest podcast episodes like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. By default, whenever you subscribe to a podcast and start playing them, it will play the latest episode first and automatically go to the previous one.
Moreover, Google Podcasts has fewer bugs than both Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Hence, the fix is relatively easier. It would help if you sorted a podcast show that automatically plays chronologically. This method works for both Android and iOS.
Here’s how to fix the Google Podcasts app playing backward:
1. Go to Google Podcast and choose your desirable podcast in the subscription section.
2. Once you’re in, you’ll see a little filter option besides the episode number.
3. Click on it to get a simple sorting feature. Click “Oldest First,” and you can now start listening to podcasts chronologically.
Final Verdict
All podcast applications play episodes from the latest to the oldest. By simply sorting them from the oldest to the latest, you can start listening to episodes chronologically and efficiently.
Hence, with Spotify Podcasts, you might need to turn the shuffle off and update the app to get it working. However, tweaking the sorting option fixes the issue with Apple and Google Podcasts.
I’ve always been passionate about tech (specifically audio). Even as a kid, I’ve been tinkering around with different techs like mobile phones, audio devices, gaming devices, and much more. I started listening to Rap, Rock, and Metal music at 12, which developed my love for headphones, speakers, and more.