LISTEN TO PODCASTS FOR FREE

Castro. Yes, the default player on your phone is fine. But I find Castro’s design better fits the way I actually listen to podcasts.

• Step 1. Start by searching for and subscribing to shows that interest you. Those flow into the app’s inbox tab.
• Step 2. Scroll through episodes that show up in the inbox tab and tap some to populate your listening queue. It’s similar to the way Netflix and Spotify let you line up what to watch or listen to next.

Castro saves space on your device and reduces data consumption. Individual episodes aren’t automatically downloaded. The app only downloads specific episodes you tap. If you prefer, you can set it to automatically queue up every new episode of a show you like.

More on Castro: For a deeper dive, see my previous post.

Bonus feature: Share highlights from an episode you’re listening to as video clips to a social network or by email or message. Here’s a clip I posted to Twitter.

A GREAT FREE ALTERNATIVE FOR ANDROID AND IOS

Pocket Casts is an excellent option for Android and iOS and works well with CarPlay and Android Auto for listening on summer drives, as well as with AirPlay and Chromecast for listening in your living room. It also syncs across multiple devices. Both Castro and Pocket Casts enable you to listen at faster speeds.

Plus: More good Android podcast apps.

FIND A PODCAST THAT MENTIONS A SPECIFIC PERSON OR TOPIC