You can now listen to Google Podcasts on your desktop without the app

By Jon Martindale Published March 21, 2019

Sony MDR-1000x headphones review — Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

If Google Podcasts is your favorite application for accessing all the talking heads that you love to listen to, you can now enjoy a basic version of it on your desktop via the web. A bare-bones version of the Google Podcasts app now functions in a standard web browser if a shared URL is tweaked slightly, suggesting Google may be planning to make Google Podcasts more accessible in the future.

Google Podcasts is an Android app that lets users search for, download, and stream just about any podcasts you can find online. It has subscriptions, the ability to tweak play speeds, synchronized listening across multiple devices, and recommendations. The web implementation of Google Podcast is much more basic, with only the standard player functions, including rewind and playback speed adjustments. As 9to5Google points out, though, this kind of streamlined experience is very reminiscent of the original Android app before its official launch, suggesting that this may be the start of an official Google Podcasts rollout on desktop.

Recommended Videos

As it stands, the process of enjoying Google Podcasts without the app isn’t straightforward. You need to grab a share link from the Google Podcasts app, then alter it slightly. The method, originally discovered by Twitter user Omar Tosca, is to take a share URL, like this one and alter the former part of it to read http://podcasts.google.com instead, like this.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The original link takes you to a page that recommends that Android app, while the modified link takes you to the cut-back podcasts page without the app trappings.

While this is a far cry from the full Google Podcasts experience, if you’re logged into your Google Account you’ll still be able to enjoy synchronization between the web app and the mobile application. Forgotten your password? Here’s how to change it.

If you’re a podcast and tech fan, don’t forget Digital Trends hosts several weekly podcasts, from our Trends with Benefits look at the latest tech in the world, to DT GamePlay, where we show you the hottest new PC games that are coming your way soon. You can find all the links you’ll need on the DT Podcasts page.

Alternatively, these are some of the best podcasts you can listen to right now.

Topics

Evergreen writer

Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…

Mobile

You can now use an external webcam with Microsoft Teams on your iPad. Here’s how

Home screen layout of the 2024 iPad mini.

For a lot of people, the iPad is the device they choose to work with, which may include taking video calls. Though the front-facing camera on iPads has gotten better over time, many still prefer external webcams because they’re often much better than the built-in webcam on your tablet or even laptop. And now, if you use Microsoft Teams on iPad, you’re finally able to use external cameras, as Microsoft has announced via a blog post.

When we say "finally," it’s because Apple has included support for external USB-C cameras on the iPad since iPadOS 17. So technically, Microsoft is a little late to the party with this feature. But if you have to use Microsoft Teams for work and you tend to use the iPad most of the time, then this is certainly welcome news.

Mobile

The YouTube mobile app is getting a small redesign. Here’s what’s changing

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 playing a YouTube video.

How do you feel about the YouTube app on iOS and Android? Most of us use the app and don't think twice about it, but YouTube announced a lot of changes in October. Some of these planned updates have begun to roll out, and they're worth paying attention to — especially because one of them is difficult to notice. The updated bottom bar is a subtle change, but it adds a bit of flair.

The updated bottom bar is part of a server-side update, which means you don't have to download a new version of YouTube to see it. However, you should ensure you're using the latest version of the YouTube app. For Android, that's 19.47, and it's 19.49 for iOS. The update hasn't reached all devices yet — I still don't see it on my own phone — but it should be applied by the end of the day.

Mobile

WhatsApp will soon save you from the horrors of missed texts

Reminders feature in WhatsApp.

Just over a month ago, WhatsApp introduced a new feature that would occasionally nudge users about status story updates from their contacts list. Now, the company has made a subtle change to it and added messages into the fold, as well.

The feature, which is currently rolling out in the test channel with the v2.24.25.29 build on Android, was first spotted by update tracker WABetaInfo. DigitalTrends can confirm that the feature is now live in the latest beta version available via the Google Play Store.