I recently ran into an issue with Apple iPod Shuffle not turning on. One day it just worked correctly, and the next day it refused to turn on. At first I thought that the device was covered with brick and it was time to throw it in the trash. However, due to an unusual fix, the iPod started working again.
This particular iPod Shuffle model was second generation (pictured above). However, this simple fix may work on other iPod Shuffle models as well as on the iPod Nano and Classic.
When trying to turn on the what appeared to be a dead iPod Shuffle, I got absolutely no playback, activity indicators, or anything else from the device. I’ve even tried manually unfreezing / resetting:
Since this didn’t fix the iPod Shuffle, I assumed the device was locked. The iPod showed no signs of activity, and even when it was docked and plugged into the USB power adapter, the iPod Shuffle simply didn’t blink any activity lights.
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Then I tried the caveman method, took the iPod shuffle and tossed it on the table (trying to stir the Shuffle), believing that there might have been a loose connection or the inside was out of order.
I quickly noticed something as this is not an iPod fix and manual reset did nothing. This particular iPod Shuffle sat there charging from wall outlet to USB connection. The outlet may have been faulty.
Well, I tried plugging another device into the same outlet and everything went fine, so this is not the case.
However, after unplugging the iPod Shuffle and the dock from the power adapter, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try and see if it responds to iTunes. So I opened iTunes on my PC, plugged my iPod into an open USB port, and the problem was fixed.
The iPod Shuffle was automatically detected by iTunes and started charging instantly, the activity indicators were working properly, etc. After testing, the iPod is now fully functional and working perfectly. So, if you have an iPod Shuffle that you think might be locked and you are using a USB power adapter to charge your iPod, try downloading the latest iTunes and connecting your iPod to your computer. This could be a fix!
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