Full Guide to Fix “Can't Delete Podcasts from iPhone”

Why can't delete podcasts from iPhone?

Now lots of people enjoy podcasts but they take up a large iPhone storage. And sometimes you may find that deleted podcasts keep reappearing on iPhone or related issues like that occur in the clearing process.

If you are doubting why can't delete podcasts completely, there are some possible reasons listed for you.

⛔ Using streaming: If the podcast episode is being streamed rather than downloaded, you also can't remove it. Streaming episodes are not stored locally and can only be played while connected to the internet.
⛔ Syncing with another device: If your iPhone is syncing with a computer or iPad, the podcasts you're trying to delete might be managed by the syncing settings.
⛔ App restrictions: It's also possible that the Podcast app you're using has restrictions or limitations which will make you can't delete podcasts from iPhone.
⛔ Software issues: In rare cases, there may be software faults with the operating system that prevent you from deleting podcasts.

How to fix “can't delete podcasts from iPhone”

If your Podcasts app has software issues, you may need to restart your iPhone or update your Podcasts app to the latest iOS version may help you make it.

However, if you are unable to delete podcasts on iPhone because of other reasons, you can continue to read and choose the most suitable way below as you like. And it has to be said that if you need to effectively delete all podcasts from iPhone, you can skip to the next part to use the professional tool.

Method 1. Delete podcasts via Settings

When you need to delete podcasts from your iPhone directly, here’s what you can do to get rid of the podcasts deleting issue.

Go to Settings on your iPhone > General > Click Storage > Podcasts > Swipe left to delete the shows.

Method 2. Turn off Podcasts sync

If you don’t follow too many shows, here is a simple solution you can try:

Step 1. Disable the sync option for your Podcasts app under the iPhone Settings app.

Step 2. Fully close the Podcasts app and delete the shows you need to remove from your iPhone from Settings app > General > iPhone Storage > Podcasts. Then restart your iPhone.

Step 3. Open the Podcasts app and check if it loads properly.

Step 4. Ensure that the settings for each show are correctly configured and verify if the can't delete podcasts from iPhone issue is fixed.

Method 3. Change your Podcasts settings

Sometimes in the upgraded Podcasts app in iOS 14.5, deleted podcasts will keep reappearing. In this situation, you can try to change your Podcasts settings to check if this method works.

Go to Settings app > Scroll down and select Podcasts > Under the Downloads section, toggle Remove Played Downloads option and Hide Played Episodes option on.

Then your downloads can be removed 24 hours after they’re played, but if you skip forward in an episode without completing it, the app won't automatically delete it.

Note:✎...

The Hide Played Episodes option only applies to shows you follow, you can override this setting for any show.

Effectively erase all podcasts from iPhone without data loss

If none of the methods above work, you can consider another effective way to solve the can't delete podcast episodes problem. And we would like to recommend a useful app “FoneTool” for you to delete all podcasts completely.

Erase Private Data: FoneTool can help you one click to delete all podcasts, photos, videos, music, contacts, Safari history and more on iPhone to free up iPhone storage.

Deep Erase Technology: With this useful feature, you can erase the targeted data completely and it can't be recovered anymore.

Factory Reset iPhone: When you need to sell or give away your old iPhone, you can also use FoneTool to erase all iPhone data in one click.

Wide Compatibility: FoneTool works well with various iOS devices, including iPhone 4 to iPhone 15, iPad and iPod Touch, as well as the latest iOS 17. So you can also easily erase podcasts on iPad.

Selective or Full Backup: FoneTool can help you fully back up iPhone like iTunes/iCloud, or selectively back up photos, videos, music, contacts and messages. So you can back up your iPhone before the erase to avoid important data loss.

Photo Deduplication: If there is not enough space on your device, FoneTool can also help you find and delete similar photos on your iPhone/iPad.

Now you can download it on your Windows PC and we will show you how to clear all podcasts in one-click operation.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer via USB > You may need to tap Trust to let your computer access iPhone data.

Step 2. Launch FoneTool and go to Toolbox > Data Eraser.

Step 3. Mouse over to Erase private data and click Get Started.

Step 4. Tap the Podcasts icon > You can check Enable Deep Erase Technology to erase data completely > Tap Start Erase to begin the task.

Conclusion & FAQs

That’s all for the 4 methods to fix can't delete podcasts from iPhone issue. You can try to delete them from your Settings app or change the Podcasts settings and turn off the app sync to check if the methods work. Of course, FoneTool may help some people to tackle the problem effectively. 

FAQs

• Can I delete podcasts directly from iCloud without affecting my iPhone?

No, deleting podcasts directly from iCloud will also remove them from your iPhone if you have enabled syncing between iCloud and the Podcasts app.

• What should I do if the Podcasts app crashes when I try to delete episodes?

If the app crashes when deleting episodes, try restarting your iPhone, updating the app to the latest version, or reinstalling the app if necessary.