Pocket Casts' Material Theme redesign is now available for all (Update)

Update, March 6, 2019 (11:45am ET): After several months of testing and bug squashing, Pocket Casts is officially pushing out version seven of its app for Android. As we previously detailed, this refreshed build features a Material Theme redesign and focuses on podcast discovery and better playback controls.

You can download the latest version of Pocket Casts using the button at the bottom of this article. 

Original article, November 17, 2018 (12:15pm ET): Pocket Casts, a fan-favorite podcast app that’s available for almost every platform, is getting a pretty hefty redesign starting today. Back in May when the app was acquired by NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ Chicago, and This American Life, the company’s CEO assured users that nothing major was going to change. While that isn’t exactly true as Pocket Casts is now getting a pretty extensive overhaul, I don’t think many people will complain.

The first distinct difference with the new Material Theme is the removal of the overflow menu. No longer will options and filters be hidden away, requiring users to hunt through the app to find exactly what they’re looking for. Now, Pocket Casts listeners will be able to sort through their subscribed podcasts and search for new ones using a tabbed menu bar at the bottom of the interface. 

Interestingly enough, the new Material Theme looks almost identical to the mockups that Google showed off back at its I/O developer conference in May. While Pocket Casts was already a beautifully-designed app, it was clear that the design was starting to feel outdated and was missing elements from the updated Material Design guidelines. 

But other than the app’s design, Pocket Casts 7.0 focuses on making the experience better for everyone. In addition to making it easier to discover new podcasts, the app now features cross-platform “Up Next” syncing. This means that you can create a playlist of podcasts and then continue listening to them in order even if you move to a different phone or computer. 

The redesign also introduces new tools for enhanced playback. This includes the ability to archive shows, listening history, and playback effects while streaming, and much more.

If you’re interested in trying out Pocket Casts, you can download it directly from the Play Store for $3.99 using the button below. After, make sure to sign up for the app’s beta program to try out the redesigned interface.  And while you’re at it, make sure to subscribe to the Android Authority Podcast!