Apple's Podcasts app appears to be malfunctioning for many users, crashing directly after being launched on both devices running iOS 7.1.1 and devices running iOS 8 beta 2. Multiple reports of the crashes have surfaced on Twitter, and MacRumors' own testing also revealed the same crashing-after-launch issue.
While the app will temporarily open after being tapped, it closes automatically just seconds later. The Podcasts app was last updated to version 2.1.2 with minor bug fixes on May 29, so it is unclear what is causing the app to crash.
Podcasts is one of Apple's most poorly rated apps and has been widely criticized for performance issues, with users complaining about syncing problems, podcasts being deleted, and more. Apple attempted to resolve some of these issues with Podcasts version 2.1, which introduced improved episode browsing, Siri integration, and syncing fixes, but the app continues to have a two star rating in the App Store.
As of iOS 8 beta 2, Podcasts is a default iOS app that comes pre-installed on iOS devices, meaning it can no longer be deleted. This change is expected to make its way into the public release of iOS 8, coming later this year.
The crashing issue appears to have begun this morning and it is unknown when a fix might be available.
Update 2:30 PM PT: Some users have had success turning on Airplane Mode and then opening the Podcasts app. This prevents it from crashing, and the app appears to stay open for some users after Airplane Mode is turned off, allowing it to function normally.
Update 10:00 PM PT: Users are now reporting that the Podcasts app is functioning normally once again.
Update 7/1 11:00 AM PT: The Podcasts app appears to be experiencing crashing issues once more, but the Airplane Mode fix continues to work for some users.
