Google recently announced the discontinuation of its Podcasts app in the U.S., urging users to transition their subscriptions to YouTube Music by April 2 to continue accessing their favorite shows
Users who couldn’t make the switch immediately will have some extra time for the transition, although direct streaming from the Podcasts app have ceased.
With over 500 million downloads globally on Android devices, the Google Podcasts app has been a popular choice for podcast discovery and listening for more than five years, offering easy accessibility and user-friendly features.
Following its decision to consolidate its audio services under YouTube, Google revealed in September its plan to gradually phase out the Podcasts app starting from early 2024.
YouTube Music had previously executed a similar strategy in 2020 by migrating music listeners from Google Play Music before its shutdown later that year.
While the Podcasts app continued to receive maintenance, YouTube Music lacked support for podcasts until recently, reports state.
By the end of 2023, it gained the capability to support podcasts globally, and by February 2024, users were able to upload their RSS feeds as well.
The move to transfer podcasting to YouTube may enhance Google’s presence in the podcast realm, integrating its efforts and refining its strategy, particularly considering the rising popularity of video podcasts on the platform.
Bleeping Computer initially reported the closure date for Google Podcasts in the US, with Google’s support page confirming that US users can only use the Podcasts app until the end of March 2024.
For those who miss the in-app alerts, there will be an extended period until July 2024 to preserve their subscriptions using the app’s export function.
“While Google has announced its plan to phase out the Podcasts app in the US by April 2, it has not specified a timeline for the rest of the world. However, previous statements suggest that Google Podcasts will be discontinued globally by 2024.”