Developer Marco Arment released the popular podcast app Overcast 10 years ago. Now, he's rebuilt and redesigned the app for the modern era. Most of the changes are invisible, but one key difference is that you can no longer stream podcast episodes; instead, you'll have to rely on downloading them.
Arment justified the move by saying that the dynamic ad insertion used by most podcasts interrupts streaming playback, and that with today's network speeds, downloading episodes before playing them is a more reliable way to consume podcasts.
Image credit: Overcast
In addition to the changes, Arment spent nearly 18 months rebuilding the app using modern frameworks and programming languages.
The core of the app remains the same, with features like Smart Speed to skip silence and Audio Boost, but it is missing some features at launch, such as Siri Shortcuts support, storage management, and OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language) support for exporting and importing podcast subscriptions, but these are expected to arrive soon.
“Most of Overcast's code is 10 years old, making it difficult or impossible to easily keep up with the times, adopt new iOS features, or add new features, especially when working alone,” he says in the in-app description.
“For Overcast to build its future, we needed a modern foundation for the next decade.”
Image credit: Overcast
The app is fast and has controls that are easy to use even on larger phones, Arment said in his notes. Other features include an undo button if you accidentally jump to a different part of a podcast and the ability to prioritize playlists.
The company also said it is working on smarter options for downloading and deleting episodes, and is also working on an update to its Apple Watch app.
Overcast is free to download from the App Store, but there is an optional Premium subscription available for more features and to remove ads.