What you need to know
- Google has updated the Podcasts desktop app to add a recent episode view.
- It now matches the Android app more closely in terms of features.
- Google late last year included an RSS option for podcast aficionados to help aid curation for podcasts that were not immediately discoverable via search.
Google this week updated the Podcasts web app with a new recent episode view. It's a change that brings the app closer to the mobile experience and continues Google's trend towards making the app more fleshed out after a bare-bones launch.
9to5Google this week reported that the change was now widely available, something we were able to confirm. Now, when you open the Google Podcasts desktop web app, you'll be able to see the latest updates to your favorite podcasts with a new "latest epsodes" view in the subscriptions crousel. You'll see the episode artwork, its title, runtime, and a short snippet of the episode description. It's not clear when the change rolled out precisely, but it seems to be a recent one.
No matter which platform you use, Google's Podcasts app remains a clean, functional, and minimal experience. Content-wise, it doesn't have the original shows you'll find on Amazon or Spotify, and Google doesn't have any indication of dabbling in that arena. It's also not as customizable as some of the best podcast apps for Android. Google recently added new RSS importing tools to the Podcasts app, and it works well with Google's Home and Nest speakers. It may not be flashiest app, but if you just want to listen to podcasts without fiddling around with settings and themes, the Podcasts app is a serviceable tool.
