The old Limit Episodes setting is no longer part of the Podcasts app on current versions of iOS. Its job now belongs to Automatically Download, found under Settings > Apps > Podcasts, where you choose how many episodes to download or a timeframe, plus a per-show version of the same setting and Remove Played Downloads. It matters because every downloaded episode takes storage, and played ones can be cleared for you automatically.
What replaced Limit Episodes
Older versions of iOS had a Limit Episodes option in a Podcast Defaults section that capped how many episodes of each show stayed on the phone. Apple’s current help page on managing Podcasts downloads no longer mentions it. Instead, the number of episodes your iPhone keeps is controlled by four tools that work together:
- Automatically Download for all shows: how many new episodes download, or how far back in time downloads go, or Off.
- Automatically Download for one show: a separate number or timeframe for a show you follow closely or barely touch.
- Remove Played Downloads: deletes an episode’s download after you finish it.
- Remove Download and Remove All Downloads: clears what is already on the phone.
The steps below use the Settings layout from iOS 18 and later, where app settings sit under Settings > Apps.
Set how many episodes download for every show
This is the closest match to the old Limit Episodes menu. It sets the default that applies to every show you follow, unless you give a show its own setting later.
- Open the Settings app.
Older iOS version shown; current screens look different. - Tap Apps, then tap Podcasts.
Older iOS version shown; Podcasts settings now sit under Settings > Apps. - Under Automatic Downloads, tap Automatically Download.
The old layout with Limit Episodes under Podcast Defaults. Current iOS uses Automatically Download instead. - Choose how many episodes you want to download, or a timeframe. Choose Off if you would rather download every episode yourself.
The old episode limit list from an older iOS version; the current list offers episode counts or a timeframe.
Apple does not publish the exact values in that list, so pick the smallest count or shortest timeframe that still covers how you listen. If you play a daily news show every morning, the smallest count on the list is usually plenty. If you binge a weekly show on long drives, a larger count or a longer timeframe makes more sense.
Give one show its own download setting
The global setting rarely suits every show. Apple’s iPhone User Guide page on Podcasts download settings describes a per-show override:
- Open the Podcasts app and tap Library.
- Tap Shows.
- Touch and hold the show, then tap Settings.
- Tap Automatically Download and choose a number of episodes or a timeframe for this show only.
The same per-show screen also has Download Video for shows that publish video episodes and a per-show Remove Played Downloads switch. That makes it easy to give a long-running series a larger number or a longer timeframe before a trip, while a daily show keeps only a few recent episodes.
Stop automatic downloads for one show or all shows
Sometimes the cleanest limit is zero. To stop every show from downloading new episodes, go to Settings > Apps > Podcasts, tap Automatically Download under Automatic Downloads, and choose Off.
To stop just one show:
- Open Podcasts and find the show, either by searching or from Library.
- Tap the check mark at the top of the show’s screen.
- Tap Turn Off Automatic Downloads.
You can still stream that show or download single episodes by hand. To undo it, go to Library > Shows, tap the show, tap the button at the top, and tap Turn On Automatic Downloads. Apple also notes that new episodes may stop downloading on their own for a show you haven’t played in a while, so this is the same switch to use if a show you care about seems to have stopped updating.
Let played episodes clear themselves
An episode limit controls what arrives; Remove Played Downloads controls what leaves. With it on, Apple says episodes delete automatically 24 hours after they’re played. The switch is in Settings > Apps > Podcasts, and each show also has its own copy in the per-show settings described above.
Most people who want fewer episodes on the phone should leave it on. If you replay episodes or keep them for reference, see how to stop the Podcasts app from deleting played episodes.
Remove episodes that are already downloaded
Changing the download settings shapes what happens next. Apple’s pages don’t say whether lowering the number also clears older downloads right away, so check your library afterward and remove anything you don’t need. In the Podcasts app:
- One episode: tap Library, tap Downloaded, tap the show, touch and hold the episode, and tap Remove Download.
- Every episode of one show: on the Downloaded screen, touch and hold the show and tap Remove Downloads.
- Everything: on the Downloaded screen, tap the More button, tap Remove All Downloads, and confirm.
If you no longer listen to a show at all, consider unfollowing it rather than clearing its downloads again and again.
Check how much space podcasts take
To see whether the effort is paying off, open Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Apple’s storage help page explains that you can tap an app’s name to see what it uses, and downloaded podcasts also count toward the Media category in the storage bar. There’s more on reading that screen in how to check your iPhone storage, and on how Podcasts compares with other Apple apps in how much storage built-in apps use.
Which setting fits what you want
| What you want | Setting to use |
|---|---|
| Fewer episodes from every show | Settings > Apps > Podcasts > Automatically Download (a small number or short timeframe) |
| A different amount for one show | Library > Shows > touch and hold the show > Settings > Automatically Download |
| No automatic downloads at all | Automatically Download set to Off |
| One show stops downloading | Check mark on the show > Turn Off Automatic Downloads |
| Finished episodes disappear | Remove Played Downloads on |
| Free space right now | Library > Downloaded > Remove Download, Remove Downloads or Remove All Downloads |
On older versions of iOS
Before iOS 18, app settings were listed directly in the Settings app, so the Podcasts options were under Settings > Podcasts rather than under Apps. The screens shown in the images above come from a much older version, when the episode cap was called Limit Episodes. If your iPhone still shows that wording, the idea is the same: choose the smallest number that covers your listening.
Podcast downloads: common questions
Why did a show download an episode I didn’t ask for?
Apple notes that following a show downloads its newest episode automatically. If you don’t want that for a particular show, turn off automatic downloads for it with the check mark on the show’s screen.
Can podcasts download over cellular data?
Apple’s help page only documents a cellular choice for video. With Download Video on under Automatic Downloads, you can tap Allow Over Cellular and select Audio Only or Video. Streaming video has a separate Allow Over Cellular setting under the Video Streaming preferences.
Do these settings stop episodes from playing one after another?
No. Download settings only control what is stored on the phone. Playback is separate; see how to stop podcasts from automatically playing on an iPhone.
If the phone is still short on space after trimming podcasts, music is often the next biggest item: here’s how to delete music from your iPhone, and there are more ideas in these ways to free up iPhone storage.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.