So close to awesome
When it works, it works great! I've experienced it not skipping the occasional ad, and once skipping a description of a nightclub that was actual content - but that's to be expected from on-device transcription / AI.
My main quibble is that sometimes when it does skip an ad, it'll just randomly start the episode over. Especially if the screen is off, it seems.
Other times it'll end an episode prematurely. It's not skipping an ad at the end - the time just indicates the podcast is over, but it isn't yet.
And finally, sometimes it will indicate that a podcast's time is over... but it's still playing lol. Like I'll be listening and glance to see where I’m at in the podcast and how much is left, and the time bar indicates I am at the end (say, 44:10 / 44:10) but it's still playing. If you scrub, it goes back to the visible portions of the time bar and there's no way to get back to where you were without just waiting since that portion exists... outside of time and space, apparently lol
Overall I think it was worth my $10. These are just bugs I'm sure they'll iron out eventually. But yeah there's definitely some actual bugs - not just misidentified ads (which I'd completely expect).
My main quibble is that sometimes when it does skip an ad, it'll just randomly start the episode over. Especially if the screen is off, it seems.
Other times it'll end an episode prematurely. It's not skipping an ad at the end - the time just indicates the podcast is over, but it isn't yet.
And finally, sometimes it will indicate that a podcast's time is over... but it's still playing lol. Like I'll be listening and glance to see where I’m at in the podcast and how much is left, and the time bar indicates I am at the end (say, 44:10 / 44:10) but it's still playing. If you scrub, it goes back to the visible portions of the time bar and there's no way to get back to where you were without just waiting since that portion exists... outside of time and space, apparently lol
Overall I think it was worth my $10. These are just bugs I'm sure they'll iron out eventually. But yeah there's definitely some actual bugs - not just misidentified ads (which I'd completely expect).
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Amazing App
I'm stunned by how well this app works: I've been an Overcast user for many years but switched to Skipper. The ad detection is accurate and unobtrusive after a few seconds of processing, and a list of the podcast's sponsors is available. The developer is responsive, and no subscription!
ok
I downloaded and immediately bought the Pro license because it was the only way to import my feeds from another app. An option to just import a few before buying would have been nice.
The 1.5x playback speed is weird and unlike other podcast apps. It makes everyone's voices sound "shaky". It is a dealbreaker for me at this point.
I would like options to customize the feed screen. One to show just the feed's artwork instead of per-episode artwork. One to include the feed name under the episode title. Both are needed because some episodes with per-episode artwork and weird titles make it impossible to guess what feed it's even from without tapping to view its details. Maybe some different application icon options? The ship wheel logo sticks out like a sore thumb.
Maybe I'm not seeing it but is there a way to automatically download new episodes and process ads in the background so I don't have to wait to start playback every time? Even if it processes just the first X number of seconds/minutes so the playback can start right away and finish analyzing during playback.
Please add some support resources in the app to at least provide feedback so I don't have to write all this in an app review. Even going to the app's website just bounces back to the App Store page.
The 1.5x playback speed is weird and unlike other podcast apps. It makes everyone's voices sound "shaky". It is a dealbreaker for me at this point.
I would like options to customize the feed screen. One to show just the feed's artwork instead of per-episode artwork. One to include the feed name under the episode title. Both are needed because some episodes with per-episode artwork and weird titles make it impossible to guess what feed it's even from without tapping to view its details. Maybe some different application icon options? The ship wheel logo sticks out like a sore thumb.
Maybe I'm not seeing it but is there a way to automatically download new episodes and process ads in the background so I don't have to wait to start playback every time? Even if it processes just the first X number of seconds/minutes so the playback can start right away and finish analyzing during playback.
Please add some support resources in the app to at least provide feedback so I don't have to write all this in an app review. Even going to the app's website just bounces back to the App Store page.
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Skipped actual material and did not skip advertisement
Tried Skipper with Marketplace podcast yesterday. It skipped the actual material around “lets do the numbers” section before the advertisements start. But it did not skip the advertisement at the end of the episode. I am trying multiple apps and am thinking of buying Skipper Pro version because it is developed by a company and not an individual. But other free apps are filtering the ads better at this point. I will keep trying Skipper Free for some time before either giving up on it or if you can update your AI Algos and improve Ad blocking, I will be more than happy to upgrade to Pro. Hope for the best.
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Love this
Great app. Wish I could sort oldest to newest on the podcast list and quickly filter by a single podcast.
Also the previous and next controls don’t work when I’m using my steering wheel controls in CarPlay mode
Also the previous and next controls don’t work when I’m using my steering wheel controls in CarPlay mode
Skipper does skip some ads...❗️
Updated Review in response to Devs post below: Fair enough, so, I tried again with a different podcast, "Crime Junkie", with a heavy load of ads. The February 16, 2026, ~30 minute episode, played on Apple's native Podcast app which had nine ads and it was very disruptive for listening to the story. ** Then I used Skipper to play the short episode again and happily, all of the ads were skipped -- Yay❗️With respect and in the interest of transparency, I encourage the Devs to consider editing their App Store description to include the disclaimer that Skipper is not 100% accurate and that users' mileage may vary. Anyway, I upgraded my rating from two stars to four and actually will likely fork over $10 for the app. ** Devs, thanks for taking the time to respond to my initial review. ********************************************* ******🚩Original Review: I downloaded the app (update 1.5.4) and used the trial offer (two podcasts with ad skipping enabled), to listen to two episodes on the "Intelligence Squared" show. However, on my iphone 16 pro running ios 26.4, I am still getting ads when listening. I have checked Skipper's settings and confirmed that automatic ad skipping is enabled and with the most aggressive setting -- but I am still being subjected to various ads. I would like to buy this promising podcast app but cannot justify doing so when it does not work as advertised -- This is DISAPPOINTING❗️
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Response from developer
We are sorry you had this experience. We just tested this podcast ourselves on an iPhone 16 and all the ads were detected for us. That being said, different listeners can be served different ads and Skipper isn't 100% accurate, nor is it ever claimed to be. Thank you for taking the time to try Skipper, we hope you give it another try in the future as we are always working to improve our models.
Potential but Flawed
The ad-skipping feature is innovative and works great when it does—finally a clean, private podcast experience.
But playback is unreliable: repeating sections, popping sounds, unresponsive controls, and a clunky interface. Support is basically nonexistent.
Not ready for the paid unlock yet. Huge 5-star potential if these get fixed soon—I’ll be back!
But playback is unreliable: repeating sections, popping sounds, unresponsive controls, and a clunky interface. Support is basically nonexistent.
Not ready for the paid unlock yet. Huge 5-star potential if these get fixed soon—I’ll be back!
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Response from developer
Please try v1.5.1 these issues have been addressed.
Amazing App
I'm stunned by how well this app works: I've been an Overcast user for many years but switched to earsay. The ad detection is accurate and unobtrusive after a few seconds of processing, and a list of the podcast's sponsors is available. The developer is responsive, and no subscription!
Sule
Doesn’t skip ads as was advertised.
Response from developer
Please make sure to go into the Settings area and enable ad skipping for each of your podcasts. Only English ads are detected at this time. Thank you for using earsay.
Earsay Podcasts
Great App but doesn’t stop all ads and won’t go to next podcast after first one finishes.. plus would be good if you could skip forward and backwards with Apple EarPods like other podcast apps..
Not worth the money
Ad detection is poor. Many of the most annoying ads get through on every podcast. Also some of the most recent
podcasts don't get downloaded. I have tried contacting support with other questions but no response. Not worth the
money and not recommended.
podcasts don't get downloaded. I have tried contacting support with other questions but no response. Not worth the
money and not recommended.
No interruptions
This is a great app. When I listen to deep podcasts, such as one on grief, it’s nice not to be interrupted by ads. This app is easy to navigate.
No more ads to skip through!!
I've been looking for a podcast app without ads, that is also cost effective, and this app is exactly what I needed. It’s so easy to use and has saved me from having to skip through all the ads, without a subscription. Highly recommend it to anyone looking to streamline their podcast listening!
Makes Listening to Podcasts Enjoyable Again!
I had almost given up on some of my favorite podcasts because there were just too many ads. This app really does reduce the number of ads and makes it more enjoyable to listen again. The usability of the app is great including the option to snooze after a set amount of time and also to remove silences. 100% would recommend!
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Game changer
I never thought something like this could exist, but here it is. I’ve listened to podcasts for a long time, but as some grew more popular may have started to include host-read ads that a difficult to discern what is a aside and what is a true ad break. While I would love to support these podcasts with a subscription to remove the ad reads, it simply isn’t feasible for me on my budget. This app lets me listen to my podcasts essentially ad free (it intelligently scans for the ad reads and then fast-forwards through them during playback), but still support the podcasts by giving me the opportunity to read about the products and services in the ads without interrupting my episode listening. The UI is a little spartan at the moment, but the basic functionality is there and stable. It allows you to build an “up next” queue and the ads are processed in the background. I’d love to see more nuanced playback speeds and CarPlay support in future versions, but given that this initial version gives so much without an ongoing subscription, this was an instant-buy for me.
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