One of our favorite third-party podcast clients, Castro, was updated today with improvements aimed at offering a better discovery experience. Through curated podcast collections, new buttons to add podcasts to your library, and instant search, Castro’s development team has brought positive change in several connected areas.

Castro’s Discover tab previously played host to a simple list of podcast categories you could browse to find new shows in your areas of interest. Visually, the old Discover screen was bland and uncompelling, a poor indicator of the myriads of interesting and diverse podcasts hidden behind those text categories. Castro’s new Discover screen has an entirely different feel. It combines charming illustrations, curated collections, and featured podcasts to create an inviting discovery experience. The previous categories are still here, but each now highlights a different podcast per category, aided by show artwork. The biggest addition though is the curated collections, which Castro’s team will be adding to each week. Right now there’s a collection of Apple-related podcasts and one highlighting a handful of newly published shows. As you browse a collection, podcast category, or even search results, you can now add a show to your library with a simple tap of a plus button; any shows you’ve already added display a checkmark.

Discover tab: new (left) and old (right).

Discovery upgrades are just one way Castro has made it easier to find new podcasts. The other way is through improved search. Castro’s search function now works instantly as you type, so with each keystroke you’re provided a new, more relevant list of results. Combining instant search with the new plus buttons for quickly adding a show to your library, it’s never been easier to find and save the shows you’re looking for.

Besides functional improvements to discovery and search, Castro’s latest update also brings a few changes in terminology to make the app more accessible to new users. The Inbox tab is now simply called New, and Archive is now Library. There are new icons for the Library and Discover tabs as well. Everything works the same as before, but these tweaks help make the app easier to understand for those unfamiliar with GTD-style terminology like ‘Inbox’ and ‘Archive.’

Castro is available on the App Store as a free download, with an optional subscription service that unlocks advanced features.