How to Turn on Your iPod: Touch, Nano, Classic, and Shuffle

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An overview of every type of iPod and how to turn them on

Co-authored by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: April 6, 2024 Fact Checked

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iPod Touch

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iPod Nano

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iPod Classic

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iPod Shuffle

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Troubleshooting

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Tips

There are four different kinds of iPods: iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle. While the method for turning an iPod on or off varies a bit depending on the type and generation, most of them are pretty simple. This article covers how to turn on every kind of iPod.

How to Turn on Your iPod

Turn on an iPod touch or an iPod nano (6th-7th gen) by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button.
Press any button on an iPod nano (1st-5th gen) or iPod classic to wake it up.
Slide the three-way switch to the on position to turn on an iPod shuffle.
Make sure your iPod is fully charged and that the Hold switch is unlocked, if it has one.

Section 1 of 5:

iPod Touch

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Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button. The Sleep/Wake button is at the top of the iPod touch. Hold it down until you see the
Apple logo on the screen.^{[1]
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Research source}
- If your iPod touch isn’t turning on, the battery may be drained. Plug it into a charger and try again.
- To turn off your iPod touch, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again until the power slider appears, then drag the slider to power down.
  - Alternatively, navigate to
    Settings > General > Shut Down and then drag the power slider.

Section 2 of 5:

iPod Nano

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1
Hold down the Sleep/Wake button (6th-7th generation). If you’re using a newer iPod nano, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the screen lights up. This button is located at the top of the iPod nano on the right side.
- To turn your iPod Nano off, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the screen goes dark again.
2
Press any button (1st-5th generation). On all other models of iPod nano, press any button on the iPod to wake it. Make sure the Hold switch is in the unlocked position (no orange should be visible on the switch).
- To turn it off again, either let it fall asleep on its own or press and hold the Play/Pause button until it goes dark.

Section 3 of 5:

iPod Classic

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Press any button to turn on your iPod classic. Turning on an iPod classic is simple. With the Hold switch in the unlocked position, press any button and the screen should light up.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- To turn off iPod classic, press and hold the Play/Pause button.
- You can tell if the Hold switch is unlocked by looking at the switch. If any orange is visible next to the switch, it’s locked.

Section 4 of 5:

iPod Shuffle

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Slide the three-way switch to the “on” position. There’s a three-way switch at the top of the iPod shuffle. You’ll see green next to the switch when it’s in the “on” position.
- Slide the switch the other way to turn it off.

Section 5 of 5:

Troubleshooting

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If your iPod isn’t turning on, the battery might be drained. Plug it into a charger, give it a little time to charge, and try again.
2
Make sure the Hold switch is off. If you have an iPod classic or an iPod nano generation 1 through 5, the Hold switch may be in the lock position, preventing it from turning on. If the Hold switch shows orange, it’s in the locked position. Toggle the switch to the unlocked position. Turn on the iPod.
- Even if the Hold switch is unlocked, it may prevent the iPod from turning on. Toggle the Hold switch firmly from unlocked to locked and back to unlocked.
If your iPod starts up but doesn’t work properly, it might need a force restart. The right way to do this depends on your model. To learn how to force restart your iPod, check out the instructions on the Apple Support website.

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Tips

Some types of iPods, such as the Nano 1st-5th generations, can’t be turned off—just put in sleep mode. They will power down completely if the battery runs out, however.

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