Google today announced the Google Podcasts app for Android, which is available now in the Play Store.
The company's strategy for supporting podcasts has evolved over time. Back in April 2016, it added support for the medium to Google Play Music. Google Listen, an earlier attempt, was killed over five years ago.
Google Podcasts obviously works with Assistant, and therefore Home devices. That means that you can start listening to a podcast on your way home from work, and then pick up where you left off on your Google Home. The firm is also promising smarter recommendations based on your listening habits.
And of course, Google wants podcasters to optimize their podcasts for it. It recommends that you prompt the company to index new podcasts as soon as possible, generate direct links, use Google Podcasts brand assets on your website, and track analytics that come from the new app.
While Google boasted upcoming features like translated subtitles, one thing that it didn't mention was a version for iOS. The company has previously made every effort to make its products cross-platform, at least on iPhones, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.
Update: Google has told Neowin that while it doesn't have any immediate plans for a Google Podcasts app for iOS, it may be interested in "the app working everywhere Google does" down the road.
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