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You are here: Home / iPod / Troubleshoot Your iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, or iPod Touch

Troubleshoot Your iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, or iPod Touch

By Dan Helyer 35 comments Last updated December 2, 2019

There are a lot of different iPod models and a lot of different things that can go wrong with them. But you can fix any problem—on any iPod—using the simple troubleshooting tips in this guide.

Whether your iPod won’t turn on or gets stuck on the Apple logo, we’ve got you covered. Follow the steps below to fix your iPod touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, or iPod classic, whatever the issue is.

Contents

    • Related:
  • Troubleshooting iPods Is Easy With The Five R’s
  • Some of the iPod Problems You Can Fix With Our Troubleshooting Steps
  • Step 1. Make Sure Your iPod Is Fully Charged Up
  • Step 2. Turn Off Your iPod Then Turn It On Again
    • How to Restart an iPod Touch
    • How to Restart an iPod Nano
    • How to Restart an iPod Shuffle
    • How to Restart an iPod Classic
  • Step 3. Force Restart Your iPod
    • How to Force Restart an iPod Touch
    • How to Force Restart an iPod Nano
    • How to Force Restart an iPod Classic
  • Step 4. Update the Software on Your iPod and Computer
    • How to Update the Software on a Mac
    • How to Update the Software on a Windows
    • How to Update the Software on Your iPod
  • Step 5. Erase the Content and Restore Your iPod
    • How to Erase and Restore an iPod to Factory Settings
  • Step 6. Contact Apple for One-to-One support
    • Related Posts:

Related:

  • Using Your iPad as a Flash Drive
  • iPod Touch Help and Troubleshooting
  • How to Know What iPad or iPod Model You Have

quick tips 2019Troubleshooting iPods Is Easy With The Five R’s

  1. Reset your iPod by turning it off and on.
  2. Retry the connection to your computer with a different port or cable.
  3. Restart your computer and try everything again.
  4. Reinstall the latest software updates on your iPod or computer.
  5. Restore your iPod to factory settings, erasing all the content from it.

Some of the iPod Problems You Can Fix With Our Troubleshooting Steps

All manner of things can go wrong with your iPod, which stops you listening to music when you want to. Most of these common problems are easily fixed using the troubleshooting steps in this guide.

Unhappy iPod and Exclamation Point icons
The tips below can fix most iPod warnings.

For example, the guide below can help when your iPod:

  • Won’t turn on or start up
  • Gets stuck on the Apple logo
  • Freezes or becomes unresponsive
  • Shows an unhappy iPod icon
  • Shows a folder with an exclamation point
  • Doesn’t sync music from your computer

Before following the iPod troubleshooting steps below, find out which model iPod you have. You need to know that to follow the appropriate instructions.

Step 1. Make Sure Your iPod Is Fully Charged Up

It’s possible your iPod won’t turn on because the battery is dead. Low battery can also affect performance, which might explain why your iPod is slow or unresponsive.

Plug your iPod in to charge for at least four hours. Make sure you use an official Apple cable and adapter with it.

Don’t charge your iPod from a computer port, as it may not provide enough power. Connect it to a wall outlet with a power adapter instead.

USB cable going into port
Computer USB ports don’t provide as much power as regular outlets.

If your iPod still won’t turn on after charging for a few hours, try charging it again with a different outlet, cable, and power adapter. If this doesn’t work either, you may need a battery replacement from Apple.

Step 2. Turn Off Your iPod Then Turn It On Again

Whatever problem you’re experiencing with your iPod, a good troubleshooting tip is to try turning it off and on. Don’t force restart it yet, as that can damage the software.

Slide to power off on iPhone or iPad.
Power off your iPod normally, then power it on again to restart.

Instead, follow the instructions below to power off your iPod safely. Then wait at least 30 seconds before powering it on again.

You should also restart any computer you want to sync your iPod with.

How to Restart an iPod Touch

iPod touch stock image

  1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button.
  2. When prompted, slide to power off your iPod.
  3. Wait 30 seconds, then press the Sleep/Wake button again to restart.

How to Restart an iPod Nano

iPod nano stock image

iPod nano (6th generation) and later

  1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the screen goes blank.
  2. Wait 30 seconds, then press the Sleep/Wake button again to restart.

iPod nano (5th generation) and earlier

  1. Turn off the Hold switch by sliding it so you can’t see any orange.
  2. Press and hold the Play/Pause button until the screen goes blank.
  3. Wait 30 seconds, then press any button to restart the iPod.

How to Restart an iPod Shuffle

iPod shuffle stock image

  1. Slide the power switch to the right, so that no green is showing.
  2. Wait 30 seconds, then slide the switch back to restart the iPod.

How to Restart an iPod Classic

iPod classic stock image

  1. Turn off the Hold switch by sliding it so you can’t see any orange.
  2. Press and hold the Play/Pause button until the screen goes blank.
  3. Wait 30 seconds, then press any button to restart the iPod.

Step 3. Force Restart Your iPod

iPod nano restarting with white Apple logo
Most iPods show an Apple logo when restarting.

If your iPod is stuck on the Apple logo or unresponsive, it might be impossible to restart it normally or perform other troubleshooting steps. In this case, you can force your iPod to restart using a specific set of button combinations.

When you force restart your iPod, it abruptly stops what it’s doing and turns off. There’s a chance this could damage the software on your device, but if your iPod isn’t working anyway, you have no other choice.

As the iPod shuffle uses a physical switch, you don’t need to force restart it.

How to Force Restart an iPod Touch

iPod touch stock imageiPod touch (7th generation) and later

  1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button.
  2. Keep holding both buttons until an Apple logo appears.

iPod touch (6th generation) and earlier

  1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button.
  2. Keep holding both buttons until an Apple logo appears.

How to Force Restart an iPod Nano

iPod nano stock imageiPod nano (7th generation) and later

  1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button.
  2. Keep holding both buttons until the screen goes blank.

iPod nano (6th generation)

  1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button.
  2. Keep holding both buttons until an Apple logo appears.

iPod nano (5th generation) and earlier

  1. Turn off the Hold switch by sliding it so you can’t see any orange.
  2. Press and hold the Menu button and the Center (or Select) button.
  3. Keep holding both buttons for eight seconds or until an Apple logo appears.

How to Force Restart an iPod Classic

iPod classic stock imageiPod models with a click wheel

  1. Turn off the Hold switch by sliding it so you can’t see any orange.
  2. Press and hold the Menu button and the Center (or Select) button.
  3. Keep holding both buttons until an Apple logo appears.

iPod models without a click wheel

  1. Turn off the Hold switch by sliding it so you can’t see any orange.
  2. Press and hold the Menu button and the Play/Pause button.
  3. Keep holding both buttons until an Apple logo appears.

Step 4. Update the Software on Your iPod and Computer

Depending on your computer software, you need to use iTunes or Finder to sync music to and from your iPod. Make sure the software on your computer is up to date for the best chance of syncing successfully.

After updating your computer software, troubleshoot your iPod by connecting it to Finder or iTunes and installing the latest available iPod software updates.

Follow the instructions for all of that below.

How to Update the Software on a Mac

  1. From the menu bar, go to  > System Preferences > Software Update.
  2. Wait for your Mac to check for new updates to macOS.
  3. Download and install any available updates for your Mac.
macOS checking for software updates in System Preferences
Check the box to automatically keep your Mac updated.

How to Update the Software on a Windows

  1. Click Start and go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
  2. Wait for your computer to check for new updates to Windows.
  3. Download and install any available updates for your computer.
  4. Open the Microsoft Store and search for iTunes updates. Or visit Apple’s website to download the latest version of iTunes.
Apple Software Update iCloud for Windows
Apple Software Update may also suggest iTunes updates.

How to Update the Software on Your iPod

  1. Use an official Apple cable to connect your iPod to the computer.
  2. In Windows or macOS Mojave and earlier:
    1. Open iTunes and select the iPod icon from the top-left corner.
    2. Go to the Summary page and click Check for Updates.
  3. In macOS Catalina or later:
    1. Open Finder and select [Your iPod] from the sidebar.
    2. Go to the General tab and click Check for Update.
  4. Download and install any available updates for your iPod.
Check for Update button from Finder for iPod
Connect your iPod to a computer to update it.

Step 5. Erase the Content and Restore Your iPod

Apple iOS backup icon
If possible, back up your iPod before you restore it.

The most effective troubleshooting step you can use against any iPod problems is to erase all the content and restore it to factory settings. This should resolve any software-related issues.

Restoring your iPod deletes all the music and content from it. Make a backup of your iPod touch before restoring it. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to back up other iPod models.

This is a particularly good step to try if your iPod is stuck on the Apple logo, won’t turn on, or refuses to sync with your computer. But it can fix most other issues too.

How to Erase and Restore an iPod to Factory Settings

  1. Use an official Apple cable to connect your iPod to the computer.
  2. In Windows or macOS Mojave and earlier:
    1. Open iTunes and select the iPod icon from the top-left corner.
    2. Go to the Summary page and click Restore iPod.
  3. In macOS Catalina or later:
    1. Open Finder and select [Your iPod] from the sidebar.
    2. Go to the General tab and click Restore iPod.
  4. Follow the on-screen prompts to restore your iPod, then set it up again.
Check for Update button from Finder for iPod
Click Restore iPod to erase your iPod and reinstall the software on it.

Step 6. Contact Apple for One-to-One support

If you can’t fix your iPod using the troubleshooting steps above, it’s possible you need to book it in for a physical repair. When your iPod is less than one year old, Apple should cover it under the limited manufacturer’s warranty.

Even if your iPod is older than that, speak to Apple directly to find out if any quality programs or consumer law issues apply to your iPod. Let us know what Apple says in the comments!

Dan Helyer( Senior Writer )

Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.

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Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Show 35 Comments

  1. Michael Field says

    April 5, 2021 at 8:21 PM

    Hi

    I have an iPod Classic, about 5 years old, which has been brilliant, but recently just stopped syncing and wiped all the music.

    I have tried steps 1 to 5 in the Apple Toolbox , but no joy, do I need to book it into my nearest Apple Store (Bondi Junction) for repair?

    Mike

    Reply
  2. Jay Tingle says

    March 18, 2021 at 8:55 AM

    I just ordered and ipod shuffle 3rd generation. I charged it and loaded music and the charge held for about 10 days. I have since tried to charge it using the USB ports used previously with only about enough charge for playing 4 songs. When I moved it to an normal outlet, the same results happened. When I plug the charger in, the light blinks for about 10 seconds and then goes dark. Is it supposed to blink during the entire charging process and change colors to note the % of charge complete. Your thoughts, thanks. I had one previously that I lost and never had any issues

    Reply
  3. Kristen says

    January 24, 2021 at 6:32 PM

    Hi!
    I have an iPod Classic – 160 GB. My car erased all my music. I have connected it to finder (Mac Catalina) and do not get the settings screen – instead under “iPod” the screen on the right only says Software: Loading…

    It has been stuck on this for 24 hrs. I removed it – rebooted my iPod and my computer. Same thing when I plugged it in again. Can you please help? I love my iPod! (click wheel, model mb145LL, fully charged, software version 1.1.2 – no longer supported)

    Reply
  4. Brenda Lodge says

    November 26, 2020 at 1:49 PM

    Hi…Love my little iPod shuffle, but lately, if I fast forward through more than 3 or 4 songs the iPod stops working. I can’t seem to find a fix on line for this. Maybe there isn’t one?
    Can you help me with this?
    Thank you for your time.
    Brenda

    Reply
  5. Fran says

    November 12, 2020 at 5:49 PM

    I have an iPod shuffle, and have just got some apple earpods to use with it, but I can hardly hear the music, even though I turn the volume control up it makes no difference

    Reply
  6. Fran says

    November 12, 2020 at 3:12 PM

    I have an old iPod shuffle, and have just bought some apple earpods to use with it, but I can hardly hear the music and turning the volume control up makes no difference. When I use the earpods with my iPad I can turn the volume up or down and it works no problem.

    Reply
  7. Maree Duniam says

    November 8, 2020 at 6:52 PM

    Hi, I have an ipod nano 3rd gen. It isn’t starting back where it finished the last time. The blue line isn’t moving down with each track so it starts playing at the same place each day

    Reply
  8. Don Chung says

    September 5, 2020 at 11:21 AM

    I have a question. My wife has a ipod nano (4th gen?} and wants to factory reset it and sell it. what can be done and is there a problem with not knowing if she had an apple id. BTW she sold the macbook pro with itunes she used to put music on it. Don’t want to sell it to someone and it not work.
    thanks

    Reply
  9. Gary says

    August 1, 2020 at 12:46 PM

    IPod nano, turn up the volume and instantly it takes the volume down by itself!!

    Reply
  10. John says

    June 3, 2020 at 12:35 PM

    Ipod Nano A1320 in 2018 Volvo V90. worked great then would not play audio books through IPod connection. works OK using 3.5mm jack, put on new cable and tried in another vehicle with no improvement. Help

    Reply
  11. Bradley Cummings says

    April 20, 2020 at 10:05 AM

    Hello,

    Please help! My iPod Classic is stuck on a white screen… What do I do to fix it??

    Bradley

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      April 20, 2020 at 11:38 AM

      Move the Hold switch to the off position, so that you don’t see any orange. Press and hold the Menu and Center/Select buttons until you see the Apple logo (usually around 10 seconds). Continue to hold until you see the Apple Logo, do not release those buttons.

      Reply
  12. David Kenney says

    April 20, 2020 at 6:39 AM

    I brought a few songs from the apple store and did a sync. In the process I removed all of the music that was on my Nano except for the songs that I had purchased. Please tell me there is a way to recover my music.

    Reply
  13. Marina says

    March 5, 2020 at 5:47 PM

    I need to restore an iPod nano gen 7. When I want to put music on the iPod, the computer says that it is already on it.

    How can I solve the problem?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      March 6, 2020 at 9:12 AM

      Hi Marina,

      Disconnect your iPod Nano from the computer, then follow these steps to force restart it.

      Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Home button until the screen turns off. Wait for your device to restart.

      Once restarted, power it off normally, wait 1-2 minutes, and power it back on.

      Next, connect to iPod to iTunes and backup your iPod Nano to your computer.

      Only after you back up the iPod Nano, should you restore it. When you restore, all data is erased from your iPod, including songs, videos, files, photos,
      and any other data. A restore sets your iPod Nano back to factory settings. Once done, you reconnect to your back up to restore all your data.

      If you don’t want to restore, you can also choose to update your operating system without erasing your data.

      1 Open iTunes
      2 Connect iPod nano to your computer
      3 In iTunes, select iPod nano, then click Summary
      4 Click Update, if available, to install the latest version available for your iPod
      5 Alternatively, click Restore to restore iPod nano to its original settings. Remember, restore erases all data
      6 Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restore process
      7 Connect your iPod Nano to your back up (if desired)

      Once you finish this process, you should then be able to sync your music using either Sync Automatically or Sync Manually in iTunes

      Reply
  14. Adam Reith says

    February 10, 2020 at 1:19 PM

    I have an iPod classic.

    The left track seems to be out when it is played through the thirty pin connector that hooks the thing up to the sound system in my car.

    Same thing happens when played through the docking station to the system in my house.

    However the thing works just fine when hooked up to my friends system (thirty pin) in her Subaru.

    When played through the headphone jack coupled with the Aux in car and home stereo things are fine.

    Any ideas?

    Reply
  15. rick none Patton says

    January 19, 2020 at 11:22 AM

    have a 7 or 8 year old nanopod that is about 1 1/2″ square, not sure what generation it is and it wouldn’t turn on one day so I thought it needed charging so I charged it and then kept holding down the on/off button and nothing and then set it aside and later I noticed that it was showing the apple icon in the screen and I couldn’t get it to do anything else or make it go away. Has anyone else ever herd of this?
    Rick

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      January 20, 2020 at 9:57 AM

      Hi Rick,

      Plug your iPod Nano (6th generation) into power, then try again to press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down button for at least 8 seconds until you see the Apple logo.

      If that doesn’t help, let us know

      Reply
      • rick none Patton says

        January 20, 2020 at 12:30 PM

        Hi Elizabeth
        Thanks for the reply. I am not sure what the sleep/wake button is? all I have are the two buttons on the top left for up or down volume and then one other button on the top right that you hold down to turn the unit off or on or do things like a menu after the unit is turned on.
        Rick

        Reply
        • Elizabeth Jones says

          January 20, 2020 at 5:38 PM

          Hi Rick,

          The on/off button is also the sleep/wake button. So try pressing both the on/off/sleep/wake button and the volume down button–hold these together until the Apple logo appears on screen–and make sure the iPod is connected to its charger during this process as well.

          If that doesn’t make any difference, let us know.

          Liz

          Reply
          • rick none Patton says

            January 23, 2020 at 10:35 AM

            Hi Liz

            I did what you said and the apple icon disappeared for a second and then came back.

            I did it a couple more times and it did the same thing and then on the 4th try the icon disappeared off the screen.

            I held down both buttons again and the icon returned again so I did it again and the icon disappeared and then clicked on the computer to tell it that I wanted to unplug it as you have to do and got the window that said ( eject device) and when I clicked on that, it took about 30 seconds and then a window appeared that said, (windows is unable to stop the device ‘USB Mass Storage Device’ Don’t remove this device while it is still in use. Close any programs using this device and then remove it)

            Rick

          • Elizabeth Jones says

            January 24, 2020 at 7:53 AM

            Hi Rick,

            First, try to eject your iPod using one of the steps outlined in this article.

            You might want to try putting your iPod Nano into Disk Mode–take a look at this Apple article outlining those steps.

            Disk mode is usually performed when you cannot restore your iPod Nano or if iTunes does not recognize the device at all.

            If you can see your iPod on your My Computer and you are okay with reformatting the iPod, try these steps:

            Right-click on your iPod and Format it in Fat32
            After formatting, open iTunes and see it if shows up. If not, try ejecting it first, restart your computer, and then open iTunes again to check if it sees it

            If your iPod Nano continues to not appear in iTunes then try disk mode.

  16. Andrew says

    October 28, 2019 at 6:39 PM

    Song shuffle keeps repeating same track continuously.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      October 29, 2019 at 8:32 AM

      Hi Andrew,

      It’s likely your repeat track button is pressed.

      Look at the top of the Apple Music’s Up Next screen, and turn repeat off–it looks like arrows in an oval.

      Reply
  17. Bob Matulac says

    May 2, 2019 at 7:30 PM

    My iPod 6th generation, suddenly play my song over and over, it used to play each song on the list once and would go on to the next song. how do I correct this?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      May 3, 2019 at 9:17 AM

      Hi Bob,

      It sounds like your music is stuck on Repeat.

      In the Music App, try to swipe up in the Now Playing view and tap the repeat button to turn it off.

      Reply
  18. kenneth Wanlin says

    November 26, 2018 at 7:49 AM

    Hi there,I have an old 160 gb Ipod Model A1238 that sat in storage for a long time and acts like it takes a charge but will only show the Apple icon.I also noticed it makes a very low audible sound when held up to my ear.Any ideas?

    Reply
  19. Janice M Torres says

    September 16, 2018 at 11:42 AM

    When I open Google the weather card is missing from feed; the weather forecast use to be the first thing to show up on homepage when I opened Google, now it is missing and I cannot get it back…Help!

    Reply
    • SK says

      September 17, 2018 at 8:31 AM

      Hi Janice,

      After opening your Google App, go to Settings and then tap Feed. Choose weather from the list.

      You can also search for weather in the google search bar and then when you see the card you want, tap the Follow (+)

      Hope that helps,

      Sam

      Reply
  20. Derek Maltby says

    October 25, 2015 at 11:02 AM

    Often when I try to sync a large work from iTunes to my iPod touch it savers to my iPod in the wrong order, What can I do to correct this?

    Reply
  21. Lauren says

    October 9, 2015 at 3:42 AM

    My entire toolbars bar has vanished! I can’t look at bookmarks’ history or go back a page!

    Reply
  22. Donna says

    August 9, 2015 at 7:49 PM

    My ipod says its disabled and to try again in 23,972,504 minutes. Also shows wrong date and time.
    ????????????

    Reply
  23. Tim Friedmann says

    May 17, 2015 at 8:44 AM

    Using an itouch I am unable to share photos from my camera roll
    I select the photo, select share, select mail, select to, add an address, and hit send
    I hear the swoosh but the picture is never received nor does it show in the sent file
    What am I missing ?

    Reply
  24. vasu says

    July 26, 2014 at 4:04 AM

    my ipod nano 4th ge brightness is not increasing , i tried alot to increase the brightness..but its
    not hapenning …rest evrything is working fine .what should i do

    Reply
  25. Trevor says

    March 4, 2014 at 12:02 PM

    My iPod is not syncing to my iTunes I don’t have the problem with any other of my apple devices just my iPod I have rebooted my iPod & re installed iTunes with no avail

    Reply

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