The update to Pocket Casts, the multi-platform podcasts app, is an interesting one for Android users. While the update does bring a few new features, the developer of the app, Shifty Jelly, is pretty open about this update being more future focused than present focused. The update is build 5.4 for those keeping score at home and is rolling out to the Google Play Store now.
As for new features, Pocket Casts brings a couple that will be welcomed by users of the app. First there is a new skip back to now playing notification so you can keep track of where you are in the
Featured Podcasts in Pocket Casts
podcast more easily. Second is a sleep timer animation that is a nice improvement over the current look of this part of the app.
The bigger changes however are changes that users are not necessarily going to see. In the Release Notes the company states that a lot of retooling and other under-the-hood changes have happened to the app to prepare it for both Android N and other future plans they have for the app. While Android N has been out a while as a Technical Preview (a kind way of saying Beta), Shifty Jelly is one of the handful who have come out and said they are developing towards that platform.
If you are looking for a solid podcast app, especially if you like video podcasts, you will be hard pressed to find a better app to do it than Pocket Casts. This has been my go-to app for some time now and you can read my review of the app here on the site. If you haven’t tried it out, you can purchase it from the Google Play Store for $3.99. I don’t think you will disappointed and clearly the developers have the future of the app and Android in mind.
