Apple Podcasts finally has video thanks to iOS 26.4

Hidden iPhone tips

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Hi, I’m Kaycee. Welcome to Hidden iPhone Tips, a weekly column where I dig into the best iOS features Apple doesn’t tell you about.

For years, I’ve experienced podcasts the same way: audio-only. You throw on headphones while commuting, cooking or working out with just voices keeping you company.

iOS 26.4 changed this. Apple finally added video podcast support directly in the Podcasts app. It’s a small feature. But it’s made all the difference in how I consume podcasts. Here’s how it works and why I use it constantly now.

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Why this is my favorite iOS 26.4 feature

iOS 26.4 added several new features, but video podcasts in Apple Podcasts is the one I use most. Before this update, watching video podcasts meant going to somewhere like YouTube Now everything stays in one place.

I subscribe to a podcast once in Apple Podcasts, and now, I get both audio and video versions automatically. I don’t need to remember which podcasts have video or where to find them — if video exists, the option appears right in the app.

The flexibility is what makes this so useful. I can start listening to an episode when I’m out and about, then turn on video when I get home. Or I can watch video at my desk during lunch, then switch back to audio when I leave.

Battery life improves too. Streaming video drains your battery much faster than audio. Being able to toggle video off when you don’t need it means you’re not wasting battery on video playback when you’re just listening anyway.

Picture-in-picture works with video…

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