Apple Podcasts is getting an enhanced video experience this spring

1 month ago 22

7:06 AM PST · February 17, 2026

Apple is taking connected YouTube and Spotify with a caller video podcast acquisition launching successful the spring. Users volition beryllium capable to power betwixt watching and listening to shows successful the Apple Podcasts app, which volition statesman utilizing the company’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) video technology. Users tin besides power to a horizontal mentation of the podcast and download videos to ticker offline.

The determination comes arsenic video podcasting continues to summation popularity. Edison Research precocious revealed that 51% of the U.S. colonisation has consumed a video podcast, and that 37% devour video podcasts monthly.

Image Credits:Apple

The updated video podcast acquisition volition let Apple to amended vie with the likes of YouTube, Spotify, and adjacent Netflix, each of which person already embraced the format. YouTube announced past twelvemonth that it has much than 1 cardinal monthly progressive viewers of podcast content. Spotify said past November that it has fractional a cardinal video podcasts, which astir 400 cardinal users person watched. As for Netflix, the streaming elephantine has partnered with iHeartMedia and Spotify to bring video podcasts to its platform.

By bringing an enhanced video podcast viewing acquisition to its app, Apple is aiming to support users from turning to rival platforms to ticker their favourite shows.

“Twenty years ago, Apple helped instrumentality podcasting mainstream by adding podcasts to iTunes, and much than a decennary ago, we introduced the dedicated Apple Podcasts app,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s elder vice president of Services, successful a property release. “Today marks a defining milestone successful that journey. By bringing a category-leading video acquisition to Apple Podcasts, we’re putting creators successful afloat power of their contented and however they physique their businesses, portion making it easier than ever for audiences to perceive to oregon ticker podcasts.”

While the caller video acquisition volition officially motorboat successful the spring, the update is disposable to trial starting this week arsenic portion of betas for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4.

Aisha is simply a user quality newsman astatine TechCrunch. Prior to joining the work successful 2021, she was a telecom newsman astatine MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s grade from University of Toronto and a master’s grade successful journalism from Western University.

You tin interaction oregon verify outreach from Aisha by emailing aisha@techcrunch.com oregon via encrypted connection astatine aisha_malik.01 connected Signal.

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