This is one of the most common questions people send to us. In fact, our last article was about frozen iPhones, so it seems to be a common problem for various Apple products. To be fair, most electronics devices as complex as the iPod will freeze up once in a while. It happens. So, what do you do when it happens to your nano? How can you reset / unfreeze your “paralyzed” iPod nano and get back to your music? Here’s how to do it.

Unfreeze / Reset Your iPod

We have consulted the nano gods (i.e., read the user manual) to come up with the following steps for success:

1. As with a computer, the easiest way to unfreeze your nano is by restarting it. This if also referred to as “rebooting” the device. This will fix most of the common glitches associated with iPod devices.
2. “But how do I turn my nano off when it’s frozen and won’t respond?” Good question. Here’s what you need to do…
3. Make sure the “hold” switch is set to the unlocked position. It only has two positions, so this should be pretty straightforward. Just slide the switch away from the headphone jack, so that the orange disappears. I repeat — you should not see any orange. Once you have done this, you can move on to the next step.
4. Next, you would press and hold the “Select” and “Menu” buttons, simultaneously. The “Menu” button is clearly labeled and easy to find. The “Select” button is the center button. You need to press both of them at the same time, and hold them for about 10 seconds (until the nano unfreezes / resets).
5. After a few seconds of holding the buttons, the Apple logo should appear on your device. This tells you that it’s about to reset itself. If you get the logo, you should be all set. Yay!
6. The steps outlined above will unfreeze a frozen iPod nano about 90% of the time. If this does not work for you, then you should visit the nano support section of the Apple website for more information. Or else use the device as a paperweight.

Big Fat Disclaimer: These are the same steps recommended by the user manual that should have come with your iPod. I do not recommend using any other steps than those outlined above, nor do I recommend that you try to “rig” your nano because your buddy told you to. If you do this, you could void the warranty. If you slip into a fit of rage and throw your iPod against a wall, I am not responsible for any damages.

This article explains how to reset or unfreeze an iPod nano properly. We have dozens of other tips and tutorials on this website, as well. Remember, when in doubt refer to your user manual. If you do not have one, you can download the manual in PDF format from the Apple website.