Popular third-party iOS podcast app Overcast reached version 4.0.1 on Thursday, bringing some much-requested features including a new true-black dark theme and sleep timer option.

overcast

New Black dark theme compared to Light theme with System font option enabled

The new Black theme, shown above, joins the existing Light and Dark themes, and has been designed with the iPhone X in mind, offering a slick new look for the smartphone's 5.8-inch OLED display as well as being easier on tired eyes.

As before, users who like to change things up depending on the time of day (or night) can swipe up or down with two fingers to quickly change between a light and dark interface – the only difference being that the Light-Switch gesture now simply chooses the most recently used dark theme.

In another neat UI appearance tweak, users can now also opt to turn on the system font for whichever theme they choose.

Elsewhere, there's a new sleep timer option that stops playback at the end of the currently playing episode, plus a bunch of smaller improvements including one that's supposed to fix auto-resume playback after taking a call.

Overcast 3.1 is available as a free ad-supported app for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

576316 Avatar
106 months ago
Argh. Dark themes must be so nice on the X. It’s almost like Apple should offer a system wide dark theme...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacGizmo Avatar
106 months ago
I purchased Overcast but fail to see how it’s better than Apple's Podcasts app.
I used to love Apple's Podcast app... in the last updates to it, I fail to see how it's even useable.

Overcast's ability to remove dead air in podcasts and speed up play speed in smaller increments than Apple's Podcast app makes listening to podcasts a much better experience. And the podcast management is a lot clearer... shows don't appear 2 or 3 times on a single screen, and deleting a podcast does just that instead of simply removing it from a list requiring you to navigate back to some arbitrary location where the actual file exists in order to delete it.

PS: Overcast is free. Always has been.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArcAngel66 Avatar
106 months ago
Overcast used to charge (I paid for it), then screwed over its paying customers by becoming ad supported even after you had paid full price for the app.

Apple's podcast app has always been free and has had no ads.

You decide which is better.
This.

I paid money for it as well. Since it went freemium, nobody who initially paid has had full access to every feature.

I get developers want to make a living (though it’s hard to feel bad for Marco in his $100K Tesla)...

But if you initially charged money for an app - and later decided to move to freemium... how dare you not give full “pro” access to those who were early adopters/supporters. No argument justifies what Overcast, and many other apps, did.

It’s one thing if a huge update comes along, such as Things releasing an all new version. But Overcast literally has gone back and forth on stupid UI decisions - and is constantly breaking (both UI and functionality) because Marco is too good to use standard iOS resources.

It’s sad... Instacast is still miles better than Overcast. And it’s general design hasn’t changes in years. But remains relevant because it adheres to iOS’s design standards. Glad Instacast Core is around now, and being maintained.

And ironically, Overcast looks more and more like Instacast with each UI refresh.

The silence skipping is the only thing I can find appealing... but honestly, what’s the point? What use is it, at the end of the day?

The EQ is no better than iOSs Late Night setting, which applies system wide.

Are these trade offs worth relying on a non-standing audio engine requiring ongoing fixes? I personally don’t think so.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
106 months ago
It’s good that the third-party podcast app developers are working to improve their apps, since Apple’s own app team seems hellbent on whittling the features of the company’s app down to nothing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacGizmo Avatar
106 months ago
I agree, I also used to love Apple's podcast app. However, in my opinion, Apple destroyed their podcast app in iOS 11. The navigation is horrible.
Was it only iOS 11? I thought it was earlier than that. Or maybe it just seems that way because I quickly adjusted to Overcast after switching.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcvaughan Avatar
106 months ago
I purchased Overcast but fail to see how it’s better than Apple's Podcasts app.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday December 24, 2025 8:40 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
maxresdefault

10 Mac Apps Worth Trying in 2026

Wednesday December 24, 2025 9:27 am PST by
2026 is almost upon us, and a new year is a good time to try out some new apps. We've rounded up 10 excellent Mac apps that are worth checking out. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Alt-Tab (Free) - Alt-Tab brings a Windows-style alt + tab thumbnail preview option to the Mac. You can see a full window preview of open apps and app windows. One Thing (Free) -...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Why Apple's Foldable iPhone May Be Smaller Than Expected

Tuesday December 23, 2025 5:21 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, rumored for release next year, may turn out to be smaller than most people imagine, if a recent report is anything to go by. According to The Information, the outer display on the book-style device will measure just 5.3 inches – that's smaller than the 5.4-inch screen on the ‌iPhone‌ mini, a line Apple discontinued in 2022 due to poor sales. The report has led ...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Samsung Developing 'Wide Fold' With iPhone Fold-Like Design Ahead of Apple's 2026 Launch

Tuesday December 23, 2025 11:55 am PST by
Samsung is working on a new foldable smartphone that's wider and shorter than the models that it's released before, according to Korean news site ETNews. The "Wide Fold" will compete with Apple's iPhone Fold that's set to launch in September 2026. Samsung's existing Galaxy Z Fold7 display is 6.5 inches when closed, and 8 inches when open, with a 21:9 aspect ratio when folded and a 20:18...
iPhone SE Cosmopolitan Clean

Apple Discontinued These 25 Products This Year

Wednesday December 24, 2025 7:24 am PST by
With the end of 2025 near, the time has come to look back at the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Most of the products that were discontinued this year were simply replaced by a new model with an updated chip. However, the iPhone SE line was entirely discontinued when the iPhone 16e launched, and the iPhone Plus line is being phased out. Below, we have...