Hi, I'm Kaycee. Welcome to Hidden iPhone Tips, a weekly column where I dig into the best iOS features Apple doesn't tell you about.
For years, I've experienced podcasts the same way: audio-only. You throw on headphones while commuting, cooking or working out with just voices keeping you company.
But video podcasts have exploded recently, with the visual element becoming part of the format. When podcasters mentioned showing something or reacted to visuals, I'd miss it completely because I was listening through Apple Podcasts while the video versions lived on YouTube.
iOS 26.4 changed this. Apple finally added video podcast support directly in the Podcasts app. It's a small feature. But it's made all the difference in how I consume podcasts. Here's how it works and why I use it constantly now.
Why this is my favorite iOS 26.4 feature
iOS 26.4 added several new features, but video podcasts in Apple Podcasts is the one I use most. Before this update, watching video podcasts meant going to somewhere like YouTube Now everything stays in one place.
I subscribe to a podcast once in Apple Podcasts, and now, I get both audio and video versions automatically. I don't need to remember which podcasts have video or where to find them — if video exists, the option appears right in the app.
The flexibility is what makes this so useful. I can start listening to an episode when I'm out and about, then turn on video when I get home. Or I can watch video at my desk during lunch, then switch back to audio when I leave.
Battery life improves too. Streaming video drains your battery much faster than audio. Being able to toggle video off when you don't need it means you're not wasting battery on video playback when you're just listening anyway.
Picture-in-picture works with video podcasts as well. If you turn on video and then leave the Podcasts app to check messages or browse the web, the video continues playing in a small floating window so you can watch and listen while using other apps.
How to watch video podcasts in iOS 26.4
1. Find and play
Open the Apple Podcasts app and browse for shows. If an episode has video available, you'll see a small video player icon in the top right corner of the episode's title card.
Tap the episode to start playing it. It begins as audio-only by default, just like regular episodes. But now there's a new option in the playback controls.
2. Turn on and off
Once you're listening to an episode with video, open the Now Playing screen by tapping the media player at the bottom of the app.
Near the progress bar, you'll see a "Turn Video On" button. Tap it, and the podcast artwork is replaced with actual video from the episode. The video plays in sync with the audio.
When you want to switch back to audio-only, tap "Turn Video Off."
