If you have listened to the Mac & Forth Show podcast or read any of my reviews of numerous third Party Apple Watch Bands you may have possibly picked up on the fact I love my Apple Watch. I know it still has its detractors and that’s fine, not every piece of technology fits in with everyone's lifestyle, but for me, the Apple Watch has been a constant companion since the first one was shipped.

However, even though there are many aspects to the Apple Watch that I love it still has its limitations. One of the largest currently is the fact that where is no way to listen to podcasts while out exercising with just the Watch (at least with the Series 2 with its built-in GPS). Fortunately the latest update for Overcast: Podcast Player addresses this issue.

With the releases of version 3.1 (update: now 3.1.1) you can load up your podcasts onto the watch before heading out without your iPhone.

The upload process is very simple. From your playlists select the podcast you wish to transfer, then tap on the symbol with the little + symbol and three lines. This opens a menu displaying the option to ‘Send to Watch’. The App then ‘Prepares’ the podcast before ‘Transferring’ it over. Unfortunately, there is currently no progress indication for the transfer so you just have to wait, sometimes for quite a while depending on the length of the podcast.

Once the transfer is complete you can now open the Overcast App on your Apple Watch and you will see the default view, however, slide over to the right and you will see the screen for your local podcasts. If you haven’t connected Bluetooth Headphones to your Apple Watch yet you will first see a message to do so before you can continue.

The app has performed perfectly the few times I have tried it and it does feel very liberating to get out and about, leaving your iPhone behind whil still enjoying my podcasts while free of any interruptions.

As far as I am aware the app does have a few caveats, but the main one being that your progress within a podcast doesn’t sync back to the main app on the iPhone. However, until Apple bring a native Podcasts application to the Apple Watch then Overcast is definitely the app to have, especially if you like to head out without your iPhone and still enjoy your podcasts.

Overcast: Podcast Player is a free app but has the option for a £8.99 yearly subscription to remove ads and gain access to a few additional features.

App Update: Overcast: Podcast Player