Add a contextual Play/Shuffle button to podcast pages for instant playback based on active sort/filters

[obakha]

Description

Current Behavior:
On a podcast’s main page:

• Users can sort episodes (e.g., Oldest to Newest, A-Z, duration).
• To play all episodes or shuffle them, users must:

Method A: Manually select multiple episodes, then rely on Up Next shuffle feature (tedious for large libraries).
Method B: Leave the podcast page:

1. Navigate to Filters → “Play All”.
2. Reconfigure sorting/filters again (even if already set on the podcast page).

Issues with the Existing “Play All” in Filters:

• ❌ Requires navigating away from the podcast page.
• ❌ Does not use the podcast page’s active sort/filter settings (users must reconfigure).
• ❌ Lacks a “shuffle” option without additional steps (e.g., Up Next shuffle feature).

Suggested Improvement:
Add a floating play button directly on the podcast page:

• Single tap: Starts playback from the first episode in the currently visible list (respecting active sort order, e.g., “Oldest to Newest”).
• Long press: Shows a menu with:
  • Play All (entire podcast, in sorted order).
  • Shuffle All (entire podcast, ignoring order).
• The button honors filters applied on the podcast page (e.g., unplayed episodes, downloaded-only).

Example Workflow:

1. User sorts a podcast’s episodes by “Oldest to Newest” on the podcast page.
2. Taps the play button → playback starts from the oldest episode, continuing in order.
3. Long-presses the button → selects “Shuffle All” → all episodes play randomly.

Why This Matters:

• Faster access: No need to leave the podcast page or recreate settings.
• Context-aware: Uses the user’s current view (sort/filter) instead of redundant setup.
• Consistency: Matches patterns in apps like Spotify/YouTube, where play/shuffle buttons are prominently placed.

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Additional Context

• Related to Play a random episode from a podcast without manually adding each one to Up Next #3503 (request for random/shuffle playback), but focuses on leveraging existing user context (sort/filter) for a seamless experience.
• Mockup example: Place the button near the podcast artwork or above the episode list (similar to Spotify’s “Shuffle Play” button).

Screenshots or screen recording

No response

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[CookieyedCodes]

Would an option called "Shuffle all" archive the same thing 🤔 🤔 In these two menus

I could see this working great with the autoplay functionality tbh, hopefully you can convince the team to do it 🤔🤔

[CookieyedCodes]

I would recommend you do a UI mockup on your idea tho because then I can keep pushing for it 🤔🤔

[obakha]

Below is a simple mockup. It needs some polish, but hopefully it gets the idea across!

record.mp4

Edit: Fixed 'Play All' appeares twice.

[CookieyedCodes]

Well a similar show bar is gonna added soon so I actually think next to the 3 dot ontop of the episode search might be better 🤔🤔, the PC designer is gonna have a whirl tho 😉

[obakha]

Thanks for the heads-up! Grouping it with the 3-dot menu makes a lot of sense, also it keeps the UI clean while maintaining quick access. Love that this is already on the team’s radar, and I’m excited to see how the designer implements it. Appreciate the insight!

Additionally, I've attached a super minimal alternate take (of course it still needs settings, notifications, etc) but the play button feels natural:

[CookieyedCodes]

Ah it's no bothers, I am always willing to push good ideas to the team, I would love a shuffle all button in filters too tho 🤔🤔