According to 9to5Mac, Apple is upgrading its built-in Podcasts app with three major changes starting with iOS 26.2. The company is automatically generating podcast episode chapters for the first time, eliminating the need for manual chapter creation by podcast producers. Apple is also improving podcast discovery through word-of-mouth by letting users see and follow mentioned podcasts directly from the player and transcript. Finally, the new From This Episode feature will allow users to quickly access links shared in podcasts directly from the episode page. These features are currently in the first beta release and appear to have limited initial support.
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The chapter automation gamble
Automatic chapter generation sounds fantastic in theory. But here’s the thing – AI-generated content can be hit or miss. Will it accurately identify topic shifts and create meaningful chapter titles? Or will we get generic labels like “Discussion” and “Interview” that don’t actually help navigation?
I’m skeptical about how well this will work across different podcast formats. Interview shows might get decent results, but narrative podcasts with complex storytelling? That’s where the real test lies. And what about podcasts with multiple hosts or rapid-fire conversations? This could easily become another half-baked AI feature that frustrates more than it helps.
The discovery problem
Now, the podcast discovery feature is actually clever. How many times have you heard a host mention another show and thought “I should check that out,” only to forget by the time the episode ends? Having those references available right in the player could be genuinely useful.
But there’s a catch – this only works if podcasters actually mention specific shows by name in ways the system can detect. Casual references or inside jokes won’t cut it. And will this create a rich-get-richer situation where only already-popular podcasts get recommended?
Finally fixing show notes
The From This Episode feature tackles a problem that’s been annoying podcast listeners for years. “Check the show notes” has become the podcast equivalent of “the check is in the mail.” Actually finding and using those links has always been clunky.
But limited support at launch worries me. Will this only work with certain podcast hosting platforms? What about independent creators who don’t use the major services? If history is any guide, Apple tends to roll out features that work best with their preferred partners first. Everyone else gets to wait.
The bigger picture
Look, these are all quality-of-life improvements that address real pain points. But they also feel like Apple playing catch-up. Other podcast apps have offered better chapter support and link handling for years. The automatic chapters are genuinely innovative though – if they work well.
What’s missing? Well, where’s the social features that apps like Spotify have been pushing? Or better analytics for creators? These updates feel practical but not particularly ambitious. Still, as 9to5Mac notes, it’s just the first beta. Maybe there’s more coming that we haven’t seen yet.
