The short answer
Confirm that the public RSS feed points to the new artwork with a different filename. Check the file requirements and Last Refresh in Apple Podcasts Connect.
Trace three checkpoints
Your local design, the image in your host and the public image URL are different checkpoints. Apple’s guidance calls for a changed filename, an updated feed image URL, RGB color and no alpha channel.
Keep three columns: local filename; published image URL; image visible in the app. This helps locate the mismatch before you export again.
Compare the public files
For example, cover-v1.jpg and cover-v2.jpg are different filenames. This is a naming example, not an instruction to edit a live feed by hand. Use your host’s artwork controls.
Open the public image link and check the actual picture. A changed label inside a dashboard does not prove a different file is published. If your host keeps reusing the same URL, consult its documentation.
Record timing before escalation
Apple’s guide says artwork updates are detected within 24 hours and points to Last Refresh. It recommends support if changes are still absent after more than 24 hours. This is platform guidance, not a guaranteed countdown.
Keep the feed URL, old and new image URLs, publication time, refresh time and a screenshot of the mismatch. Use the official support channel if needed. Do not include passwords or private subscriber feeds.
A checklist to take with you
Tick items as you go. Checks reset when you leave this page.
Sources & scope
These original sources support the factual guidance above. Examples, diagrams and observation worksheets were prepared for this guide; they are not reports of hands-on tests.
Source check: October 23, 2026. Platform behavior can change. Check the linked official documentation when a control or requirement differs.
Keep reading
A published episode is missing from Apple Podcasts: a checking order →Replacing podcast audio? Keep the episode identity in view →