Restore iPod – here’s how

Resetting or restoring an iPod, with or without iTunes, is quick and easy with the right keyboard shortcut.

Reset iPod without iTunes: keyboard shortcut and alternatives

An iPod is easy to reset, often without even using iTunes. To restore your iPod, you should first try simple solutions to common problems. Sometimes, minor software problems can cause your iPod to freeze or respond abnormally.

• Perform a soft reset: Press and hold the Home and Power buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds. The Apple logo should appear and the iPod will restart. This can immediately fix many minor problems.

• Check for software updates: Connect the iPod to iTunes on your computer and check for software updates. Updates often solve common bugs and stabilize functionality.

• Back up your data: Before proceeding to the final recovery, back up all important files, as the recovery will delete all data and settings on the device.

Put your iPod into recovery mode – the solution for stubborn problems

If your iPod is still causing problems after a soft reset or software update, recovery mode may be the next step. Here, you will go into more detail about thoroughly cleaning and reconfiguring your iPod.

• Connect the iPod to your computer and open iTunes (or Finder if you’re using macOS Catalina or later).

• Press and hold the Home and Power buttons at the same time until the recovery mode screen appears. You will see an icon or message that your device is now in recovery mode.

• A popup will appear in iTunes or the Finder asking if you want to restore or update your iPod. Select the “Restore” option.

• The restore process will start automatically. This may take a few minutes, depending on the speed of your Internet connection, because iTunes downloads the latest software version for your iPod.

• Restart and configuration: Once the restore is complete, the iPod will restart. You can now set up the iPod as a new device or restore a previous backup.