The Sudden Audio Problem
Apple’s ecosystem is heavily built around Continuity. If you are listening to a podcast on your iPhone using the native Apple Podcasts app during your commute, and then you sit down at your Mac and put on your AirPods, macOS might assume you want to immediately resume listening right where you left off. The desktop Podcasts app will launch in the background and suddenly blast audio into your ears.
While this seamless handoff is great for some users, it is incredibly annoying if you sat down at your Mac intending to jump onto a quiet Zoom call or watch a YouTube tutorial. Having your Mac automatically resume media from another device disrupts your workflow. You can stop the Podcasts app from behaving so aggressively.
How to Stop Automatic Podcast Resumption
You must dive into the specific settings of the Apple Podcasts app on your Mac.
- Open the Podcasts app on your Mac.
- In the top menu bar, click on Podcasts and select Settings… (or Preferences).
- In the popup window, ensure you are on the General tab.
- Look for the section labelled Continuous Playback or Automatic Downloads.
- If you see a checkbox for Play next episode automatically, uncheck it.
- To stop the cross-device resuming, look for Sync podcasts across devices (sometimes located under the Advanced tab) and uncheck it.
- Alternatively, to stop Bluetooth devices from triggering playback, go to the Apple System Settings… > Bluetooth, click the ‘i’ icon next to your AirPods, and ensure “Automatic Ear Detection” is functioning correctly, or turn off “Connect to This Mac Automatically.”
By breaking the sync link or disabling continuous playback, you force the Podcasts app to wait for your explicit command (clicking the “Play” button) before it routes any audio through your speakers.