# YourPods -- Full Feature Documentation

> YourPods is a privacy-focused podcast player built natively for the Apple ecosystem. No ads. No tracking. $4.99 one-time purchase with every feature included — nothing in the app is locked behind a subscription. GPLv3 open source. YourPods Pro is a separate, entirely optional cloud service (web player, hosted sync, stats) that helps fund development; the app never requires it.

## Overview

YourPods is an open-source, gPodder-compatible podcast player built natively in Swift and SwiftUI. It is designed for the entire Apple ecosystem: iPhone, iPad, Mac (via iOS app), Apple Watch, CarPlay, Siri, and Dynamic Island.

Users can sync subscriptions and listening progress across all devices using YourPods Sync (free cloud sync), a self-hosted gPodder-compatible server (Nextcloud, NextPod), or use Vault Mode for full functionality without any server.

YourPods is fully open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

## Feature Branding

YourPods uses distinctive branded feature names throughout the app:

- **AutoPilot** -- rules-driven queue management that automatically adds new episodes, with priority push and per-show overrides via Listening Profiles
- **DriftOff Mode** -- sleep timer mode that stops playback when the current episode finishes, instead of auto-advancing, perfect for falling asleep to a single episode
- **Vault Mode** -- on-device listening profile with zero server or sync dependency; subscriptions, queue, and listening history never leave the device
- **Listening Profile** -- per-podcast overrides for playback speed, skip intro/outro intervals, AutoPilot behavior, and auto-download settings
- **P3 (Privacy Preserving Playback)** -- flagship privacy feature that rewrites episode URLs on-device to strip 39 known tracking prefixes across 25 analytics services before any request leaves your device. A tracking blocker, not an ad blocker: dynamic ad-insertion URLs are passed through untouched. Off by default and opt-in, with a per-podcast override.
- **Episode Notes** -- timestamped notes with colours and tags, anchored to chapters or transcript lines, exportable to Markdown, Obsidian, or your own Nextcloud. Free for everyone, no account required.
- **Podcast Groups** -- named folders for organizing your subscription library (e.g. "Tech", "Comedy") with bulk-move, drag-to-reorder, and CarPlay browsing

## Key Links

- Website: https://yourpods.app
- App Store ($4.99 USD one-time): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yourpods/id6757721236
- Try Free (TestFlight Beta): https://testflight.apple.com/join/jF18YknW
- YourPods Pro ($30/yr): https://yourpods.app/pro/
- Pro Web App: https://pro.yourpods.app
- Account Management: https://account.yourpods.app
- Account Types: https://yourpods.app/account-types/
- Source Code: https://opensource.yourpods.app/
- Privacy Policy: https://yourpods.app/privacy/
- Terms of Service: https://yourpods.app/terms/
- Episode Notes: https://yourpods.app/notes/
- P3 Privacy Preserving Playback: https://yourpods.app/p3/
- Support: https://asecretcompany.com/support/

## Platforms

### Account & Sync Modes

YourPods supports five account modes. No account is required to use the app — Vault Mode is the default. Users can switch between modes at any time without losing their local library, downloads, or queue.

- **Vault Mode** -- free, fully on-device listening with zero server or sync dependency. Subscriptions, queue, and listening history never leave the device. Maximum privacy, zero setup.
- **Self-Hosted (gPodder)** -- free, connect to a gPodder-compatible server (Nextcloud gPodder Sync) for cross-device sync through user-controlled infrastructure. Supports subscriptions and listen position sync.
- **Third-Party gPodder** -- free, sync via community-run gPodder-compatible services like gpodder.net. Subscriptions and listen progress sync across any gPodder-compatible app. The third-party service's privacy policy applies; YourPods itself stores nothing.
- **YourPods Sync** -- free YourPods account for cross-device sync of subscriptions, listen positions, and basic listening stats across all Apple devices. Only collects what's legally required: email for authentication plus sync data only. No analytics, no tracking, no ad identifiers.

All modes include Podcast Groups, P3 privacy protection, and the full playback engine. Core functionality is never reduced by choosing a more private mode.

### YourPods Pro ($30/year)

YourPods Pro is an optional cloud subscription that unlocks the full YourPods experience beyond basic sync. The iOS app remains a one-time purchase — Pro is a separate service for listeners who want more. Your subscription directly funds indie development — no VC, no ads, no data sales.

**Pro features (in addition to everything in free Sync):**

- **Web Player** -- stream podcasts in any browser with full playback controls, queue management, searchable chapters, and transcripts (Podcasting 2.0). No app install needed.
- **Cross-Device Sync** -- seamless handoff between the web player and the YourPods iOS app. Listening position, subscriptions, and Up Next queue stay perfectly in sync.
- **Notes & Annotations** -- view and edit your Episode Notes on the web, and sync them across devices. Writing, storing, and exporting notes (Markdown, Obsidian, your own Nextcloud) is free in the app and needs no account.
- **Offline Downloads (Browser)** -- download episodes directly in the browser for offline listening.
- **Listening Stats Dashboards** -- beautiful dashboards with per-podcast breakdowns, streaks, and trends over time.
- **gPodder Bridge** -- bidirectional sync with any podcast app that supports the gPodder protocol.
- **Media Proxy & Privacy** -- P3 tracker stripping and full GDPR export, plus an IP-masking media proxy for the web player (feature preview, 25 episodes per month).
- **Up Next Queue Sync** -- real-time queue sync across all devices.
- **USA Hosted** -- data and services run on US-based infrastructure.
- **European Servers** -- EU-hosted infrastructure for lower latency and GDPR-local data residency (coming soon).

**Pro pricing:** $30/year, cancel anytime. No contracts, no tiers, no add-ons.

**Pro links:**
- Marketing page: https://yourpods.app/pro/
- Sign up: https://pro.yourpods.app/register
- Web player / Sign in: https://pro.yourpods.app/login

### Platform Capabilities

- iOS/iPadOS: Full audio engine, P3, Podcast Groups, queue management, offline downloads, Podcasting 2.0, per-podcast settings, Dynamic Island & Lock Screen, Siri, VoiceOver
- macOS: Full audio engine, P3, Podcast Groups, queue management, offline downloads, Podcasting 2.0, per-podcast settings, Siri, VoiceOver
- watchOS: Full audio engine, offline downloads, per-podcast settings, Watch Complications, Siri, VoiceOver
- CarPlay: Full audio via iOS, P3, Podcast Groups, queue management, per-podcast settings, Siri, VoiceOver

### Device Support

- iOS (iPhone and iPad)
- macOS (via iOS app; native macOS app planned)
- watchOS (standalone Apple Watch companion)
- CarPlay
- Siri (13 voice commands)
- Dynamic Island & Lock Screen Live Activities

## Core Features

### Audio Engine
- Trim Silence: Automatically skips dead air and long pauses without distorting audio
- Playback speeds from 0.5x to 3.0x
- Sleep timer with configurable duration and DriftOff Mode (stop at end of episode)
- Stream error recovery with automatic retry and resume
- Background playback with seamless episode auto-advance
- Cross-device now-playing sync: resume playback on any device exactly where you left off -- queue position, timestamp, and playback state stay in sync via YourPods Sync
- Customizable headphone controls: remap hardware play/pause, skip, and rewind buttons to preferred actions (e.g. 30s skip, chapter jump, next episode)

### Library Management
- Subscribe via RSS feed URL or built-in search (Apple Podcasts search or Podcast Index)
- Create custom podcast groups
- Filter by: All, Downloaded, Unplayed, In Progress
- Unplayed count badges and blue dot indicators
- Drag-to-reorder library with persistent sort order
- OPML import and export for easy migration
- Share episodes, podcasts, or playback position via any sharing method
- Hidden episodes: declutter feeds without affecting listening stats, syncs across devices

### AutoPilot Queue & Playback
- AutoPilot: rules-driven queue management with per-podcast auto-add
- Priority push: important episodes jump to the top of Up Next
- Manual drag-to-reorder anytime
- Play Next, Move to Top quick actions
- Mark as Played from mini player overflow menu
- Clear Queue: one-tap clear of Up Next with keep-current or stop-all options
- Episodes auto-advance seamlessly with background execution
- Filter views: All, Downloaded, Unplayed, In Progress
- Download episodes for offline playback
- Per-podcast auto-download settings

### Listening Profile (Per-Podcast Settings)
- Custom playback speed per podcast
- Skip intro/outro with custom intervals
- AutoPilot mode per show (Global Setting, Add to Queue, Play Next)
- Auto-download toggle
- Remove after play

### CarPlay Integration
- Three-tab dashboard: Library, Up Next, Recently Updated
- Custom now-playing controls: Trim Silence, Speed Adjust, Chapter Navigation
- Artwork thumbnails and real-time playback state sync

### Apple Watch
- Standalone watchOS companion
- Play downloaded episodes or stream directly
- Remote iPhone playback controls
- Recently Updated: 10 most recent unplayed episodes on the Watch home screen
- Configurable sync interval (10s, 15s, 30s, 1m, 2m) for battery optimization
- Accurate position resume between phone and watch
- On-watch downloads with battery-aware safeguards
- Background queue refresh for sync

### Dynamic Island & Lock Screen
- Live Activity with real-time progress, artwork, and interactive playback controls
- Works on Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro and later) and Lock Screen

### Siri & Shortcuts (32 actions)
- 32 Shortcuts actions, up from 13. Ten of them carry "Hey Siri" voice phrases -- Apple's cap.
- Playback: play, resume, pause, stop, skip forward, rewind, next episode, play latest episode, play a specific podcast, set playback speed
- Chapters: next chapter, previous chapter, restart episode
- Queue: open your queue, clear the queue (with a confirmation prompt), mark played and play next, download your queue
- Sleep timer: set, cancel, and extend
- Library: check for new episodes, download a show's latest episode, open a show
- Actions that return values: Get Current Episode, Get Queue, Get Podcasts, What's Next, Get Listening Stats, and Get Share Link hand back real values you can chain into your own automations; episodes carry title, show, position, remaining time, played state, and a deep link
- Bookmark This Moment: save a timestamped note on whatever is playing, with optional dictated text, without opening the app -- so it can hang off a Back Tap or an automation
- Get Share Link: a share.yourpods.app link stamped at the current moment, without opening the app
- Play Podcast and Play Latest Episode take a real show from your library through a picker with artwork and author, and match spoken show names against your subscriptions
- Every voice command runs the real action and waits for it to finish before Siri replies, so playback controls work even when the app was suspended
- Settings -> Siri & Shortcuts lists every voice phrase with an example of what to say, and opens the Shortcuts app straight to YourPods' actions
- Voice phrases and Siri's spoken replies are translated in all six languages

### P3 (Privacy Preserving Playback)
- Flagship privacy feature built into the playback engine, free and requiring no account
- Strips 39 known tracking prefixes covering 25 analytics services from episode URLs before any request leaves the device
- Ships as a snapshot of the OPAWG public prefix registry plus a curated supplement, updated with each app release
- Matches a tracker by its host and then locates the real audio URL inside the path, so a service that changes its URL shape is still recognised
- Strips utm_* and AdsWizz attribution parameters while leaving signed playback parameters such as token and expires intact
- A tracking blocker, not an ad blocker: dynamic ad-insertion hosts such as Megaphone and AdsWizz serve the episode audio themselves, so P3 passes those URLs through untouched rather than risk playing something other than the episode
- Entirely on-device — no network lookups are made as part of the cleaning process
- Active on all platforms: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and CarPlay
- Works in all account modes — Vault Mode, gPodder, and YourPods Sync
- Off by default. Enable globally in Settings → Playback → P3, or override per-podcast
- Green shield icon on Now Playing when active
- P3 preference syncs across devices as part of settings sync, which is a YourPods Pro feature; otherwise it is device-local
- No data about listening habits is ever shared with tracking services

### Episode Notes
- Save a timestamped note at any point in an episode, from the full player, the mini player, or episode detail
- Give a note a colour and comma-separated tags; browse everything from the Notes button in the Library toolbar, grouped by episode and filterable by tag
- Long-press a chapter or a transcript line and choose Add Note -- the note is stamped at that exact position and keeps the chapter title, or the quoted line, as context
- Free for everyone on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. No account, no subscription, no trial
- Markdown export: a single file with YAML frontmatter, grouped by episode, with timestamps, chapter titles, quoted transcript lines, and hashtags, shared through the share sheet
- Obsidian export (iPhone and iPad): set a vault name and mode in Settings -> Notes -- write one note per episode into a per-podcast folder under "YourPods Notes", append to today's daily note (needs the Advanced URI plugin), or hand a .md file to the share sheet
- Nextcloud export: Markdown files in a folder you choose, or real entries in the Nextcloud Notes app filed under a YourPods category per podcast, using the credentials you already saved -- on demand or automatically on every sync
- Bookmark This Moment: ask Siri or run a Shortcut to save a timestamped note without opening the app
- Syncing notes across devices and viewing or editing them in the browser are YourPods Pro. Writing, storing, and exporting them are free.
- Details: https://yourpods.app/notes/

### Home Screen Widgets
- Now Playing widget in small, medium, and large
- Artwork, episode and show title, and a progress bar with a live-counting elapsed time
- Medium and large add play/pause, skip back, and skip forward buttons
- Large also lists the next four episodes in your Up Next queue
- Translated in all six languages

### New Episode Notifications
- Local push notifications when background refresh discovers new episodes
- Per-podcast notification controls: "All Podcasts" or "Let Me Choose" to opt in individually
- Stale episode delivery: if iOS skips a background refresh, you still get notified when you open the app
- App icon badge: show unplayed episode count, independent from notifications
- 100% local — nothing sent to any push notification server

### Podcasting 2.0 Support
- Chapters: read from the audio file itself (ID3 chapters in MP3, chapter atoms in MP4/M4A) and preferred over feed chapters because they stay aligned after dynamic ad insertion; chapter artwork follows playback on the full player, mini player, lock screen, Control Center, and CarPlay
- Transcripts: supports SRT, VTT, JSON, Markdown, RTF, plain text, and HTML, with [HH:MM:SS] timestamps and tap-to-seek; in-transcript search with match navigation; available across all devices
- Metadata badges: Explicit 🅴, Category, Complete ✓, Serial, Publisher, Funding ❤️, Value 4 Value ⚡, Live 🔴
- Password-protected feeds: subscribe to Patreon, premium, and private podcasts with padlock badge indicator and editable credentials
- Expandable podcast detail with website, funding, RSS feed, language, and copyright links
- Share an episode, a show, or the exact second you are listening to as a share.yourpods.app link, minted with Apple device attestation (App Attest on iPhone and iPad, DeviceCheck on Mac); no account required, with a plain-text fallback

### Privacy & Sync
- **P3 (Privacy Preserving Playback)**: strips 39 known tracking prefixes across 25 analytics services from episode URLs on-device before any request leaves it
- No tracking, no analytics, no ads -- ever
- **YourPods Sync** -- free cloud sync: library, playback position, queue, groups, and listening stats across all Apple devices
- Account portal at account.yourpods.app for password changes, data export (JSON/GDPR-compliant), and account deletion
- Vault Mode: full-featured local-only mode with zero server dependency
- gPodder-compatible sync with Nextcloud (gPoddersync or NextPod) -- free and never subscription-gated, in this release and every release after it
- Sign in with Nextcloud: browser-based Login Flow v2 with 2FA and single sign-on, plus one-tap re-authentication; manual app passwords still supported
- Custom gpodder.net server address support
- Session-based authentication with automatic fallback to Basic auth
- Device registration for sync group visibility
- Full subscription list import for initial sync and re-install recovery
- URL rewrite conflict resolution with Accept/Keep Local per-podcast
- Multi-profile support for multiple servers/accounts
- Push/Pull sync with episode actions, subscriptions, and queue
- Conflict resolution with configurable strategy (auto or prompt)
- Credentials stored in iOS Keychain (encrypted)
- Password manager support (1Password, iCloud Keychain, etc.) via iOS AutoFill
- HTTPS enforced by default

### Episode Activity
- Chronological played-episode list for YourPods Sync users
- Shows episode title, podcast name, progress, timestamp, and device
- Sort by Recent or By Podcast

### Settings & Customization
- Multiple sync profiles
- Listening stats: total time, episodes completed, per-podcast breakdowns
- Configurable start page, date format, cache duration
- Theme: System / Light / Dark
- Tab bar display: Text Only, Icon Only, or Text & Icon

## Technical Architecture
- Language: 100% native Swift
- UI Framework: SwiftUI
- Audio: AVQueuePlayer with spoken-audio optimization
- Data: SwiftData with automatic corruption recovery
- Security: iOS Keychain (kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlock)
- Concurrency: Swift Concurrency (async/await, Actor)
- Sync Protocol: Open Podcast Sync (gPodder-compatible)
- License: GNU General Public License v3.0

## What's New in Version 26.8.0 (Latest)
- Version numbers now follow a calendar scheme, yy.mm.vv. 26.8.0 is what 2.0.5 would have been.
- Episode Notes: timestamped notes with colours and comma-separated tags, from the player, mini player, or episode detail. Long-press a chapter or transcript line to anchor a note to it, keeping the chapter title or quoted line as context. Browse them from the Notes button in the Library, grouped by episode and filterable by tag. Free for everyone, no account required.
- Notes export: a single Markdown file with YAML frontmatter, an Obsidian vault (iPhone and iPad; daily-note mode needs the Advanced URI plugin), or your own Nextcloud as Markdown files or real Nextcloud Notes entries under a YourPods category per podcast. All free.
- Embedded chapters and chapter artwork, resolved once per episode and shared by every screen, CarPlay, and Siri.
- Now Playing widget: Home Screen widget in small, medium, and large; medium and large add play/pause and skip; large lists the next four Up Next episodes.
- Five new languages: German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch, over 1,080 strings each, covering the Watch app, widgets, Live Activity, complication, Siri phrases and replies, and VoiceOver. Translations are AI-assisted and the app says so once per language.
- Share links via share.yourpods.app, minted with Apple device attestation; opening one gives a preview sheet with Play, Play from the shared timestamp, Add to Queue, and Follow Show.
- Siri & Shortcuts: 32 actions, up from 13, with ten "Hey Siri" phrases (Apple's cap) and six actions that return real values.
- P3 rebuilt: 39 tracking prefixes across 25 analytics services, matched by host rather than by path. Dynamic ad-insertion URLs are now passed through untouched.
- Sign in with Nextcloud: browser-based Login Flow v2 with 2FA and SSO, plus one-tap re-authentication. Manual app passwords still supported.
- Sync reliability: per-episode version checks stop two devices overwriting each other's position, a durable outbox retries Mark as Played until the server confirms it, conflict resolutions stick, and listening positions stay inside their own sync profile.
- Apple Watch: sleep timer, playback speed, and your configured skip intervals on the watch player, plus the system Now Playing page. Complications now show what is playing — nothing ever wrote that data before. Library browsing and background refresh, both broken, now work.
- Library Episodes view, episode search across titles and descriptions, assignable episode swipe actions, and auto-hide for unplayed episodes older than 7–90 days with Undo All for 30 days.
- Liquid Glass on iOS 26 with a Glass Style setting (Classic, Clear, Glass, High Contrast); Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast override it automatically.
- AirPlay picker in the mini player, pause on headphone disconnect, and Control Center media suggestions.
- Export My Data: download everything a YourPods Cloud account has synced as JSON, on free and Pro accounts alike.
- Feed refresh sends ETag and If-Modified-Since and understands 304 Not Modified, so unchanged feeds are not re-downloaded.
- Requires iOS 18 or later. macOS 14 and watchOS 10 unchanged.

## What's New in Version 2.0.4
- P3 (Privacy Preserving Playback): strips known tracking prefixes from episode URLs before playback or download. Enable globally or per-podcast. Green shield on Now Playing when active. Rebuilt in 26.8.0.
- New episode notifications: local push alerts when background refresh discovers new episodes. Per-podcast controls. Stale episode delivery. 100% local.
- Hidden episodes: declutter feeds without affecting listening stats. "Hide Older Episodes" for batch cleanup. Syncs across devices.
- Clear Queue: one-tap clear of Up Next with keep-current or stop-all options.
- Episode Activity: chronological played-episode list with progress, timestamp, and device.
- App icon badge: show unplayed episode count, independent from notifications.
- Custom gpodder.net server address support.
- Download from any context menu.
- watchOS: Recently Updated — 10 most recent unplayed episodes on the Watch home screen.
- Background refresh fixed: toggle, interval, and re-scheduling all work correctly now. Reliable overnight sync.
- Incremental sync — only fetches changes since last sync, not the entire history.
- Batched per-podcast settings sync — one HTTP call instead of one per podcast.
- 6× faster feed refresh with concurrent fetching and real-time progress.
- 95% reduction in disk I/O during playback.
- Eliminated audio engine data races with compile-time MainActor isolation.
- Fixed: mark-as-played syncing, subscription drift, replayed episodes finishing instantly, cross-device position sync, and 50+ additional fixes.

## What's New in Version 2.0.3
- Podcast Groups: organize subscriptions into named folders with bulk-move and CarPlay browsing
- Full VoiceOver accessibility: custom rotor actions, adjustable seek bars, descriptive labels on all controls
- True Apple Watch background audio with automatic episode auto-advance
- Watch-specific Wi-Fi-only download toggle for battery preservation
- Enriched OPML export preserves Podcast Groups and Listening Profiles
- Smarter chapter extraction recognizes more timestamp formats from show notes
- Redesigned Now Playing home card with larger artwork and chapter displays
- Streamlined onboarding with Vault Mode and gPodder Sync front and center
- Download Network setting: Wi-Fi Only, Cellular Only, or both for AutoPilot downloads
- Intelligent offline banners with one-tap retry
- Vault to Sync upgrade path without losing subscriptions
- 6x faster feed refreshing with real-time progress display
- Preflight SQLite integrity check with graceful corruption recovery
- Fixed gray screen on episode details, duplicate queue episodes, and large-library sync crashes
- Removed legacy Flutter migration code

## What's New in Version 2.0.2
- Redesigned home screen with condensed top bar and horizontal-scrolling Recently Updated
- Sleep timer DriftOff Mode (stop at end of episode)
- Siri commands: Set sleep timer, Cancel sleep timer, What's playing
- Plain text and HTML transcript support with tap-to-seek
- Configurable Apple Watch sync interval (10s–2m) for improved battery life
- Share episodes, podcasts, or playback position
- gPodder session-based authentication
- Full subscription list import
- Device registration and sync group visibility
- URL rewrite conflict resolution
- Podcast spec metadata badges
- Expanded podcast detail with all links in one place
- Mark as Played from mini player
- Password manager AutoFill support
- Remove All in Up Next
- 17 bug fixes including crash-on-launch recovery and Apple Watch stalling

## What's New in Version 2.0.1
- Podcast author on Bluetooth displays
- Password-protected feed badges and editable credentials
- Queue removal preference
- Long press context menus
- Pull-to-refresh
- Customizable headphone controls
- Download cleanup policy
- 17 bug fixes and 13 improvements

## What's New in Version 2.0
- Complete native Swift rewrite (replacing Flutter-based v1.x)
- Streaming resilience with exponential backoff
- 50+ reliability fixes for queue persistence, thread safety, and recovery
- 10 Siri voice commands
- Podcasting 2.0 chapters and transcripts
- OPML import and export
- Password-protected feed support
- Per-podcast settings (now Listening Profile)
- CarPlay Recently Updated tab and chapter navigation
- Bluetooth and car display metadata
- Automatic Flutter migration for existing users

## Available Languages

This site is available in the following languages:

- English: https://yourpods.app/
- Deutsch: https://yourpods.app/de-de/
- Français: https://yourpods.app/fr/
- Italiano: https://yourpods.app/it/
- Español: https://yourpods.app/es/
- Nederlands: https://yourpods.app/nl/

Every page follows the same prefix pattern (e.g. /de-de/pro/, /fr/privacy/).

## Publisher

A Secret Company, LLC
Made in the Pacific Northwest (PNW)
Copyright © 2026