Turn off Your iPod

Turning off your iPod when you’re not using it can save you quite a bit of battery for when you need it the most. The method for turning off iPods has evolved over the years, but the process is fairly straightforward. Follow this guide to turn off any iPod, even an iPod that has become frozen and unresponsive.

Steps

Turning Off an iPod Touch

  1. Press and hold the Power button. This is located on the top of the iPod. After a few moments, the power slider will appear on your screen.
  2. Toggle the power off. Use your finger to switch the slider to OFF. Your iPod will shut down momentarily. Press and hold the Power button to turn it back on.

Turning Off an iPod Classic/Nano/Shuffle

  1. Hold the "Play/Pause" button. Wait until the display disappears.
  2. Toggle the Hold switch. This is located on the top of the iPod. Turning Hold on will keep your iPod from accidentally turning on if a button is pressed. Toggle the switch again to turn the iPod back on.

Turning Off an Unresponsive iPod

  1. Try resetting it. On older iPods, press and hold the Menu and the Center button (in the middle of the wheel). This should reset your iPod. Once it is reset, you can power it down normally.[1]
    • To reset an iPod Touch, press and hold the Power and Home buttons for about 10 seconds. You will see the Apple logo and the device will reset.[2]
  2. Restore your iPod. If you cannot get the iPod to reset by using the buttons, plug it into your computer and restore it using iTunes. This will return it to factory settings and you can recover your data by loading a backup.
  3. Get in touch with Apple. If your iPod still does not respond even after restoring it, or you experience similar problems soon after restoring, your iPod may be failing. Contact Apple to see if you qualify for warranty service or replacement.

Tips

  • It will take a while before it turns off, but don't worry.
  • You do not actually need to turn off your iPod. You pause the music, optionally slide the hold switch to "hold", put it down, and walk away. In a minute or two it goes to sleep by itself. Trust it.

Warnings

  • Don't press too hard!
  • Remember that the battery will drain slightly while your iPod is in hold mode.

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Sources and Citations