Podcasts no longer working on Watch OS 10.0.1

my phone is also updated to 17.0.3 and watch OS 10.0.1 but I still have the same problem. I have series 8 watch with cellular.

Ive restarted phone and watch.

Note that I am trying to play any podcast from my watch to my AirPods using cellular signal only. No wifi and I am not near my phone.

my watch will not stream any new podcasts. I also downloaded some podcasts to the watch and the watch will not play downloaded podcasts either. It will attempt to open the podcast for 1 sec and then immediately default back to the previous screen.

if I am on WiFi or if my phone is near to my watch then it works. But this defeats the purpose of having (and paying extra) for a watch with cellular….

interestingly the watch will stream Apple Music just fine on cellular. It will also text or make calls. Only podcasts app does not work.

Apple's website states that Watch OS 10.0.2 is only available for Series 9 and Ultra.

Series 4-8 can only download Watch OS 10.0.1

I have the exact same problem. There are alot of people with the same problem, there appears to be no fix yet to use the watch as it's intended to be used. Pretty disappointing for such basic functionality.

Hi there Zemble2,

We'd suggest starting by updating your Apple Watch to the latest software version, which is watchOS 10.0.2. If needed, learn how to do that here: Update your Apple Watch - Apple Support

If this behavior persists, you'll want to reach out to Apple Support directly for further assistance. They're best-equipped to take a closer look at the issue and provide some additional guidance. This link will help you get started: Apple Support

Take care.

look for the auto launch setting in your Apple Watch app settings and turn it off. I was able to listen to podcasts downloaded to my watch after I did that