Localcaster - Podcast Player

Localcaster is a full-featured podcast player with one capability most podcast apps don't have: it can also play shows you've archived on your own network share. SUBSCRIBE THE NORMAL WAY Search for a show by name and subscribe in one tap - no account, no sign-up. Already have a link? Paste an RSS URL directly. Coming from another app? Import and export your subscriptions as OPML. ...AND FROM YOUR OWN NETWORK SHARE If you keep podcasts on a NAS or home server (archived with podcast-dl), point Localcaster at the share over SMB, browse its folders, and add a folder as a feed. It lands in your library alongside your regular subscriptions, with the same downloads, chapters, bookmarks, playlists, and notifications. Connections are read-only, SMB2/3 is supported, and your password is stored only in the iOS Keychain. BUILT FOR OFFLINE LISTENING Episodes always play from a local download - there is no streaming, so once an episode is on your device it keeps playing with no connection at all. Downloads work on Wi-Fi or cellular (limited to Wi-Fi by default), can be paused and resumed, and bring cover art and full show notes with them. Optional auto-delete keeps a finished library tidy. A REAL PLAYER - Sleep timer with a gentle volume fade over the final minute - Playback speed that carries across episodes - Skip-forward and skip-back intervals set independently, 10-120 seconds each - Output picker for AirPlay, Bluetooth, or the built-in speaker - Full lock-screen and Control Center controls; headphone and car-stereo track buttons skip within the episode - Position saved automatically, with auto-advance to the next episode - Tap any timestamp in the show notes to jump straight there CHAPTERS AND TRANSCRIPTS Chapters appear automatically for episodes that have them, each with its own artwork when the show provides it. Transcripts get a dedicated tab: web shows that publish their own load automatically, and when a show doesn't, an iPhone on iOS 26 or later can generate one on-device from any downloaded episode - offline, nothing uploaded. Tap any line to jump playback there, or search the whole transcript. BOOKMARKS Save a timestamp with an optional note and tap it later to jump back. Chapter-style timestamps listed in a show's notes are surfaced automatically as tappable bookmarks. ORGANIZE YOUR LIBRARY Each show's episode list has its own sort (date, title, or duration) and a status filter (unplayed, played, downloaded, not downloaded). Search one show, or your entire library from the New Episodes screen - an inbox that collects everything new across every show in one place. PLAYLISTS AND UP NEXT Build playlists that pull episodes across shows or hand-picked one by one, with filters and a sort order you choose. "Play All" builds an Up Next queue you can reorder on the fly, or add to it as you go. FILES Browse a network share and download individual audio files without setting up a whole feed. The Files tab also shows per-show storage totals and a one-tap way to clear every played download. NOTIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND UPDATES For web subscriptions, opt in to new-episode notifications and scheduled background checks, with optional auto-download so episodes are ready before you open the app. MORE - Archive to Share: write a web subscription's downloaded episodes back to a network share in podcast-dl format - a one-time export, never an ongoing sync - Siri and Shortcuts: "Play the latest episode in Localcaster," "Resume," and "Pause" work with no setup - Full VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, and Reduce Motion support throughout PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No cloud service. No cross-device sync. No tracking or analytics. Everything you subscribe to and download lives on your device, and network-share connections stay read-only unless you explicitly archive to them. The network-share feature is entirely optional - Localcaster works as an everyday podcast app with no server in sight.