How to Switch to Pocket Casts After Google Podcasts Closes
Google is doing what Google does: shutting down the service. This time it’s Google Podcasts, an app the tech giant launched just six years ago . According to Google , Google Podcasts will cease to exist entirely at the end of March, at which point you’ll need to move your podcasts to another service.
Lifehacker and I think the best podcast app is Pocket Casts , so we’ll show you how to move your shows to the app. However, the general steps should work with almost any podcast app, as long as the app supports importing OPML files.
To get started, open Google Podcasts on your phone or the web . At the top of the screen, you’ll see a warning that the app will close on April 2, as well as a link to export your subscriptions. Tap or click on this export option and you will see two options: one to export your shows to YouTube Music and another to download the OPML file.
If you’re confident that Google won’t eventually shut down YouTube Music or simply remove podcasts from the app, I think you have more confidence than mere mortals. Your soul is pure and I would admire you if I wasn’t entirely sure Google would make you do it again in two years or so.
So, yes: click the Download button instead. You now have an OPML file, which is essentially just a text document full of links to RSS feeds. Don’t worry if you don’t know what this means: you just need to open the file using your new podcast app of choice. Open the app and tap your profile, then the settings cog. Here you will find the Import and Export option. On Android, you will be able to find the downloaded file and receive it.
If you’ve used Google Podcasts on your iPhone, you’re weird. However, you’re out of luck: on iOS, the app will prompt you to use the system sharing feature to send the OPML file to Pocket Casts. Simply go to your Downloads folder in the Files app, long-press on the OPML file, then select Pocket Casts as the app you want to open it in.
If you prefer to use an app other than Pocket Casts, the process should be more or less the same. Just dig around in the settings until you find the “import” option: OPML is an industry standard supported by almost all applications. The main exception I can think of is Apple Podcasts, but somehow I doubt you wanted to switch to that.