For years, the Apple Podcasts app supported video, at least it did technically, but nobody used it. Creators ignored it, while listeners forgot it. Meanwhile, other platforms like YouTube and Spotify quietly built empires on video podcasting. However, that changes with the iOS 26.4 update, or at least that is what Apple hopes for.
Video podcasting exploded in popularity in recent years, with audiences gravitating toward platforms that treated the format well (as already mentioned above). Despite being an iPhone user, I personally consume podcasts on YouTube (I briefly paid for the Premium membership as well).
Why did it take Apple this long?
Anyway, Apple took note — slowly — and iOS 26.4 is the result of finally deciding to compete. The new Podcasts update reshapes the app from the ground up. The primary improvement is the ease with which users can switch between audio-only and video mode; it now takes one tap. The button sits right below the playback bar.
Offline viewing is now possible, which, in my opinion, matters more than it sounds. Nobody wants buffering mid-episode, especially when they know they’re going to be in a poor coverage area. Playback speed adjustment now goes up to 2x, so you can finish those 90-minute podcasts in 45 minutes.
Apple Podcasts has also added captions for both video and audio. A freshly built Video hub now lives inside the app, dedicated entirely to surfacing available video content. Another standout feature is Picture-in-Picture, which lets you shrink an episode into a floating window, freeing up the screen for checking the buzzing WhatsApp group, email trail, or simply scrolling through X.
Podcasts is now waiting for podcasters to join in
All these features genuinely make Apple Podcasts a practical, user-friendly platform, but the real question the company might be avoiding is whether it is too late. The company has built a solid infrastructure, but it only works if podcasters and creators show up.
Many have already settled on YouTube, where they’re earning enough from ads or brand deals. If that inertia holds, the Video hub on Apple Podcasts risks becoming a beautifully designed ghost town, which I sincerely hope it doesn’t.