Review Insights · Google Play
BBC Sounds: Radio & Podcasts
British Broadcasting Corporation · 96,831 ratings · ★ 4.6
4.6
★★★★★
96,831 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 22 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"update"
6 negative reviews mention this · 27% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Since last week, only certain times of the day able to play podcasts ('There was a problem playing this item' error message), whilst can play radio stations all the time. Update :- Bought a new phone, now drops out regularly when running in…" - Phil Maggs
2
"auto"
4 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great content, poor app! Still a disappointing experience, with missing basic features and annoying bugs that never get fixed! The worst thing at the moment is it marking new episodes as "listened-to" (which is completely false information!…" - Paul
3
"play"
4 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great content, poor app! Still a disappointing experience, with missing basic features and annoying bugs that never get fixed! The worst thing at the moment is it marking new episodes as "listened-to" (which is completely false information!…" - Paul
4
"radio"
4 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Since last week, only certain times of the day able to play podcasts ('There was a problem playing this item' error message), whilst can play radio stations all the time. Update :- Bought a new phone, now drops out regularly when running in…" - Phil Maggs
5
"listen"
4 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great content, poor app! Still a disappointing experience, with missing basic features and annoying bugs that never get fixed! The worst thing at the moment is it marking new episodes as "listened-to" (which is completely false information!…" - Paul
6
"available"
4 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Update May 26. I first wrote this in 2022. In 2026, it remains terrible. Frustratingly poor design. Given there is no choice but to use this app to listen to certain podcasts, it is frustrating that it is so poor designed. Features like not…" - Sarah Hall
7
"other"
4 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Since last week, only certain times of the day able to play podcasts ('There was a problem playing this item' error message), whilst can play radio stations all the time. Update :- Bought a new phone, now drops out regularly when running in…" - Phil Maggs
8
"poor"
3 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great content, poor app! Still a disappointing experience, with missing basic features and annoying bugs that never get fixed! The worst thing at the moment is it marking new episodes as "listened-to" (which is completely false information!…" - Paul
9
"annoying"
3 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great content, poor app! Still a disappointing experience, with missing basic features and annoying bugs that never get fixed! The worst thing at the moment is it marking new episodes as "listened-to" (which is completely false information!…" - Paul
10
"episodes"
3 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Great content, poor app! Still a disappointing experience, with missing basic features and annoying bugs that never get fixed! The worst thing at the moment is it marking new episodes as "listened-to" (which is completely false information!…" - Paul
11
"longer"
3 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "no longer let's me stream when travelling abroad" - Franko Covington
12
"since"
3 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Since last week, only certain times of the day able to play podcasts ('There was a problem playing this item' error message), whilst can play radio stations all the time. Update :- Bought a new phone, now drops out regularly when running in…" - Phil Maggs
📋 All 22 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
no longer let's me stream when travelling abroad
Since last week, only certain times of the day able to play podcasts ('There was a problem playing this item' error message), whilst can play radio stations all the time. Update :- Bought a new phone, now drops out regularly when running in the background, in spite of going into settings and setting appropriate flags. Bought another phone, worked fine until I installed Android 15 and then Android 16, both versions had drop out problems.
The worst app on my phone. It constantly cuts out. It takes a very long time to connect and play. update still the worst app on my phone.
Update May 26. I first wrote this in 2022. In 2026, it remains terrible. Frustratingly poor design. Given there is no choice but to use this app to listen to certain podcasts, it is frustrating that it is so poor designed. Features like not offering to automatically delete downloaded episodes once played are not available. Plus the app is far too enthusiastic to re-play the same podcast again, and again. It would be better to have a feature which hides podcasts once played. Overall very poor.
If the network drops out for more than 30 seconds when you're listening to this through Android Auto, it won't reconnect after the network returns. The only way is to wait a few minutes and listen to a different radio station before going back to the one you were listening to. It's a really poor app, if the BBC allowed Radio 4 on other radio apps I wouldn't even have it installed.
Signed me out unnecessarily. I hate when this happens because I then have to find my login and password.
Unfortunately this won't even load. I have used this app for a long time but now it just won't load on my mobile or my pad. I have uninstalled and re-installed a couple of times but with no success.
I really resent that I have to download this crapp just to get the occasional football match. Streaming through TuneIn was much better.
since recent update app doesn't reliably cast to Chromecast speakers. Cast now doesn't appear in the app as an option anymore.
What is going on at the BBC..Gone woke, but not broke as the tax payer keeps on paying. Such a shame and such a quick decline. iPlayer is good whilst sounds is an unfinished partially tested painful UX
BBC - EMPLOY DEVELOPERS THAT CAN DO THEIR JOB. I've swapped as much BBC content possible to Pocketcast app due to this shambles. This app is easily the worst designed, most poorly implemented of its genre. Downloading - WOEFULLY SLOW. Truly pitiful compared to ALL other media apps. NO auto-download feature either. ALL other apps have zero problems implementing these very basics. The developers should be truly ashamed of themselves for this shambles. How can you get it so, so wrong? AWFUL.
I only use this app to listen to 5Live. Since the most recent update the app loses the feed if my phone receives a notification. I've gone back to using the webpage.
Used to work, now it won't even open. I've reinstalled three times and more but still not working, won't even show me the log in page. Very disappointed as there are many interesting programs I would.like to listen to.
Needs artwork info when playing on Nest Hub!
Great content, poor app! Still a disappointing experience, with missing basic features and annoying bugs that never get fixed! The worst thing at the moment is it marking new episodes as "listened-to" (which is completely false information!) I even have auto play switched off! It has been doing this for years! The only reason I still choose to pay my TV licence is because of news & audio output. Please stop letting the side down, BBC management!
Radio 1's Rave-Up with Arielle 2026 05 07 Jeremiah Asiamah I think the track list is wrong on the app and website
Still worse than iPlayer Radio after all these years, even if it has improved. Casting is broken; can't rewind or restart programmes when casting. The Android Auto interface is diabolical. It's actually easier just to use a 3rd party podcast app.
Is easy to navigate. My problem is that casting drops out so often, I have to uninstall and install to get casting back. All other podcasting and music streaming apps cast beautifully. Of course then, my favourites disappear and I have to start again. SO frustrating from the BBC which I love!
Very annoying, auntie beeb is still treating us as children. Doling out weekly, why aren't all episodes of a series not available at once. SMUG AREN'T YOU. No indication of total episodes eg 5 of 6.
It's frustrating when an app becomes unusable due to a forced update, as updates are not always possible. It's also annoying that some podcasts are no longer available for download as MP3.
good when it works. spends far too much time buffering. not a connectuon issue as dont have the same problem with any other streaming app
use to love the app, unfortunately no longer available in my location
Sentiment summary
90%
Positive (4-5★)
1%
Neutral (3★)
8%
Negative (1-2★)