How to Stop Podcasts Automatically Downloading on MacBook
By default, the Podcasts app will automatically download new episodes of shows to which you’ve subscribed.
To turn off automatic downloads, follow these steps:
In the Podcasts app, click Podcasts in the upper-left Menu bar. Select Preferences. Under General > Automatic Downloads, uncheck the box next to Enable When Following. To ensure episodes aren’t downloaded when you save them, navigate to Preferences > Advanced and uncheck the box next to Download episodes when saving.
How to Delete Podcast Episodes on Your MacBook
Now that you’ve turned off automatic downloading, we can free up some space on your MacBook by deleting all these old, already downloaded podcasts.
Delete Downloaded Podcasts Using the Podcasts App
Open Podcasts and click Downloaded under the Library tab in the left-hand menu. Hover over a podcast and click the Three Dots (. . . ) icon. Click Remove Downloads. Click Remove Downloads again in the pop-up window that appears. Alternatively, you can delete individual episodes by clicking on a show, right-clicking the episode, and selecting Remove Download from the drop-down menu.
Delete Downloaded Podcasts Using the Mac’s Storage Optimization Tool
You can also manage your downloaded podcasts by using your MacBook’s built-in storage optimization tool.
From the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, select About This Mac. Click Storage. Select Manage. . . Click Podcasts in the left-hand menu. Select the episodes you’d like to remove and click the Delete… button. Alternatively, you can delete individual podcasts by right-clicking on an episode title and selecting Delete from the dropdown menu. To select multiple episodes in a group, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard. Confirm the selection by clicking Delete in the pop-up window that appears.
