This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions.
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Turning an iPod Classic off is really just putting it into a deep sleep state. Since the iPod Classic doesn't run any power-draining apps in the background like the iPod Touch, sleep mode is still an effective way to shut down your iPod and conserve power. It's also fine to use this mode on airplanes when instructed to turn off your electronics. This wikiHow teaches you how to shut down your iPod Classic, as well as how to make the iPod turn off automatically after a specific amount of time.
Quickest Way to Power off an iPod Classic
Press and hold the Play/Pause button at the bottom of the wheel for about 10 seconds. When the screen goes dark, release the button. Touching any of the buttons on the iPod will turn it back on again. Slide the Lock/Hold switch on the top of the iPod to prevent it from accidentally turning back on again.
Steps
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Unlock your iPod. When the Lock/Hold switch is enabled, you'll see a lock icon next to the battery icon at the top of your iPod's screen. If you see this icon, slide the switch at the top of the iPod away from the word "Hold" to unlock it.
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Press and hold the Play/Pause button at the bottom of the wheel. You'll usually need to hold the button down for about 10 seconds or so.Advertisement
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Lift your finger from the Play/Pause button once the screen goes dark. This turns off your iPod Classic.
- Don't touch any buttons on the iPod, as it will turn it back on.
- If this doesn't turn off your iPod, try playing a song and then pausing it. Once the song is paused, press and hold the Play/Pause button again until the screen turns off.
- If your iPod is not responding or the screen appears frozen, press and hold the Menu and Center buttons at the same time. After 8-10 seconds the iPod should turn off and then turn back on. You should then be able to use the Play/Pause button to switch it off.[1]
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Slide the Lock/Hold switch back into the locked position. Push the switch toward the word "Hold" at the top of the iPod to prevent you from accidentally turning it back on.
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Turn the iPod back on when you're ready. To do this, slide the Lock/Hold switch back to the unlocked position, and then press any button on the wheel.
- If you're having technical problems and just want to shut down and restart the iPod, wait a few minutes before turning it on again. This will allow the hard drive to cool slightly, and it may work better.
- If your iPod displays a "Connect to power" message, plug it into a power source and let it charge for a few minutes before turning it back on.
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Unlock your iPod. When the Lock/Hold switch is enabled, you'll see a lock icon next to the battery icon at the top of your iPod's screen. If you see this icon, slide the switch at the top of the iPod away from the word "Hold" to unlock it.
- Use this method if you want to set your iPod Classic to automatically turn off after playing for a specific amount of time.
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Press the Menu button until you're at the main screen. This is the screen that displays links to all of the things you do on your iPod, such as Music and Videos.
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Select the Extras menu. To do this, rotate the wheel until Extras is selected, and then press the center button. Another menu will expand.[2]
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Select the Alarms menu. It's near the center of the menu.
- If you don't see this option, select Clock.
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Select Sleep Timer. A list of suggested lengths of time will appear.
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Select how long you want your iPod to play. For example, if you select 60 Minutes, your iPod Classic will automatically turn off after playing for 60 full minutes. This will return you to the prior screen. The sleep timer is now set.
- To disable the sleep timer, return to the Sleep Timer menu and select Off.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I turn on a dead iPod 6?Community AnswerYou cant because if it's dead, it won't turn on. You should put a charger in the ipod for about 10 minutes.
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QuestionWhat do I do if my iPod classic isn't charging?Community AnswerTry using a different cord, power block, and/or wall outlet. If none of these options work, you may have to replace the battery.
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QuestionWhat can I do if I can't turn off my iPod Classic because it is frozen?Mo TateCommunity AnswerTo force restart your iPod classic, put the Hold switch firmly in the unlocked position. Press and hold the Menu and Center (or Select) buttons for 8 seconds, or until you see the Apple logo. This should release it.
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About This Article
1. Switch off the Hold button.
2. Press and hold Play/Pause for about 10 seconds.
3. Lift your finger from the button when the screen turns off.
4. Switch on the Hold button to prevent accidental power-up.
Reader Success Stories
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"My iPod classic has been unused for so long, I had forgotten all the little arcane tricks to get it going again. Your easy-to-follow instructions had me up and running again, thank you."..." more