Podcast queue still starting new podcast even though continuous playback is off

This major bug has been reported several times in the Apple Podcasts app community forum. There are other major bugs as well. All were introduced with iOS 18. I am also experiencing the continuous playback bug along with episodes in my Up Next queue being marked as played before I’ve played them and then the episode disappears. It’s quite a mess and I’m really surprised it made it to the final version of 18 with all these major bugs. I really hope APPLE rolls back Podcasts to the way it worked before 18.

The same is happening to me and the one workaround I knew is no longer an option. Previously, I figured out that continuous playback got turned on if you used the "play next" option, even with the setting toggled off. But the workaround I found was to only use the "add to queue" option. However, the add to queue option is no longer available unless you already have a queue started. As in, if I am trying to start a queue, the only option now available is "play next". Only after there is one show in queue can I use the "add to queue" option. But by then it doesn't matter, because continuous playback in back on.

So far, the only fix I found was deleting the app completely and re-downloading it.

I'm coming here to report the same problems. Next podcast ist played even if I didn't want this and podcasts are vanished from my "Play next" list after I've start listening to them.

@amalia2345: We’re talking about the Apple Podcasts app here…these bugs were introduced to the Apple Pdcasts app in iOS 18. How do we report this to Apple??? I thought that’s what we were doing in this forum.

Others have said they have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Podcasts app, and it has not fixed this and other Podcasts bugs introduced with iOS 18.

It sounds frustrating! Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the issue: First, ensure that continuous playback is truly turned off in the app's settings, as sometimes settings might reset or not save properly. If you're using an app, try clearing the cache or data, as this can help resolve any bugs or glitches. You might also consider uninstalling and then reinstalling the app, which can reset any settings and clear out unwanted data. Double-check your subscriptions to make sure the podcast you’ve deleted is fully removed from your library. Additionally, ensure you’re using the latest version of the podcast app, as updates often fix bugs and improve functionality. Finally, check your device-level settings, as sometimes they can interfere with app behavior. If the problem persists, reaching out to the app's support team for further assistance might be necessary.