Pocket Casts hits the Microsoft Store for Windows 10
Pocket Casts, one of the best podcast players around, is now available in beta for Windows 10.

When discussing podcast apps, Pocket Casts invariably comes up as one of the best out there. But while its Android and iOS apps are highly rated, Pocket Casts, unfortunately, hasn't really had a desktop presence outside of its web player. Today, however, developer Shifty Jelly has upped the ante by launching a Pocket Casts desktop app (opens in new tab) in beta on the Microsoft Store (via Thurrott).
Pocket Casts desktop appears to be a hosted web app, which may come as a disappointment to some. However, the app feels snappy and fluid enough that the experience of using doesn't feel much different from using a native app. Inside, you'll find plenty of the same features offered by Pocket Casts across other platforms, such as variable speed controls, a dark theme, and a tracker for your listening stats. And if you're listening across different devices, your progress for each podcast will sync back to the desktop app so you can pick up where you left off.
The only catch here is that Pocket Casts desktop isn't free, even if you've bought the app on iOS or Android. While you can download the app for free from the Microsoft Store, you have to pay a $9 fee to access the Pocket Casts web app, which will then flag your account and allow you to sign in with the desktop app.
If you want to give Pocket Casts a shot, you can sign up with an account at the Pocket Casts website and grab the app now from the Microsoft Store.
See at Microsoft Store (opens in new tab)
Windows Central Newsletter
Get the best of Windows Central in your inbox, every day!
Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl.
-
If support for this turns out anything like support for the WP8 app did, no thanks. I like and use Pocket Casts on my Android phone, but Shift Jelly has a history of good support on that platform. Their history of support on Windows is terrible.
-
Since this is the groundwork for PWA version of the app across platforms it's not really about support on Windows 10. This pulls in their website, so if they let their website/PWA go to hell then the whole service is bad regardless of Windows 10 or not.
-
Love Pocket Casts! Already paid for the web version (along with the W10M and Android versions), so can't wait to try this new beta!
-
How does it compare to Grover?
-
I really like Grover but they need to release a version for Android that cross synces. Currently using Podcast Addic on my phone but am deff going to check Pocket Cast out.
-
Grover is UWP so it still wins for me as I still use windows phone.
-
"And if you're listening across different devices, your progress for each podcast will sync back to the desktop app so you can pick up where you left off." And there goes one more reason why I'm staying with W10M 😁 But until they release an Xbox One version, Grover Pro is still a superior solution for me 😁
-
Did Shifty Jelly ever add video podcast support to the Win10 Mobile app? At the time they released that app they bragged about how the developer would never abandon support and continue to make improvements...big fat lie!
That and lack of app on any XBox (or any streaming platform aside from Chromecast) is what keeps me far away from considering this product. -
While it did turn out to be a lie, in fairness to Shifty Jelly they probably also didn't see the complete implosion and abandonment of Windows 10 on mobile. My guess is they built it using UWP. Hopefully this one was built on a PWA platform.
-
Grover Pro until the inevitable switch to android. Maybe Grover will make an android app. Is there a UWP ask for android yet? That'd be kinda cool
-
The switch to android is not inevitable. Even if you won't be able to get your hands on an Andromeda device, you can still choose iOS instead. 😁
-
Andromeda
-
A hosted web app that costs $9 and can only be used on PC...? Am I missing something? It's $4 on Android. I like Podcast Addict, frequent updates & clean interface.
-
It seems it uses the same account as the normal web player. (It is in fact just the web app.) So in essence, the $9 gets you Pocket Casts access for more than the PC, but anything that has a web browser, including Apple PCs. For me, it's worth it. I've used the web app forever (inside a standalone Chrome 'desktop app'), so the Windows 10 store version provides nothing new to me, but I might end up using it instead of my Chrome app.
-
I'm going to use it, but as its just a skin for the web app, it has the same major flaw. It doesn't sync playlists from the Android app! I have complex smart playlists on the Android app so that I can easily sort through my 100+ subscribed podcasts. I wish they would add this support. I sent a feature request to Shifty Jelly some time ago. No response, though.
-
The amount of money I would spend on this app if it also worked on Xbox is a very large number.