Apple Podcasts users encounter frustrating glitch after iOS 18 update

iOS 18, with its new features like Apple Intelligence and RCS support, is one of the most significant updates we’ve seen in recent years. But along with these headline-grabbing upgrades, it’s also packed with a fair share of bugs. Among the issues users are facing is a rather annoying problem affecting Apple Podcasts, where episodes play continuously and mark themselves as “played” even if you haven’t listened to them.

For podcast lovers, this is like hitting “skip” on a song you’ve been waiting to hear and not even knowing it happened. Several users report that after finishing an episode, the app suggests the next one automatically — and if you choose to start another episode instead, the suggested one gets falsely marked as played. Imagine the confusion when you come back to your app, only to realize you’ve “missed” episodes without touching them. This glitch has left some questioning their own memory or wondering if they’re in some kind of time loop.

While this issue isn’t grabbing as many headlines (yet), it’s becoming more noticeable as users continue to upgrade to iOS 18. The problem seems to persist even for some iOS 18.1 beta testers, though one person reported a partial fix in the latest beta 5. For others, though, the frustration remains. And it’s not just about auto-play. There’s the added headache of episodes disappearing from the queue or being marked played without actually hitting “play.”

The bug is giving continuous playback a whole new meaning — literally — where turning the feature off still doesn’t stop the problem. Some have tried toggling the setting on and off as a workaround, with mixed results. But for most, the issue persists.

For now, while Apple hasn’t officially acknowledged the issue, it’s safe to say that podcast enthusiasts are hoping for a quick fix. After all, nobody wants to miss their favorite show — especially when they didn’t even know it was “played” already.