iPod nano - General suggestions

If iPod nano doesn’t disappear from the device list in iTunes, drag the iPod nano icon from the

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desktop to the Trash if you’re using a Mac. If you’re using a Windows PC, eject the device in
My Computer or click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the system tray and select iPod nano.
If you still see the “Connected” or “Sync in Progress” message, restart your computer and eject
iPod nano again.

If iPod nano isn’t playing music
Make sure the earphone or headphone connector is pushed in all the way. To see an illustration,

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go to support.apple.com/kb/ts3700.
Make sure the volume is adjusted properly. A maximum volume limit might be set. You can

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change or remove it in Settings. See “Setting the maximum volume limit” on page 24.
Make sure you’re using iTunes 10.0 or later (available at

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www.itunes.com/downloads). Songs

purchased from the iTunes Store using earlier versions of iTunes won’t play on iPod nano until
you upgrade iTunes.
If you’re using the Apple Universal Dock, make sure iPod nano is seated firmly in the dock and

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make sure all cables are connected properly.

If you connect iPod nano to your computer and nothing happens
Make sure you have installed the latest iTunes software from

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www.itunes.com/downloads.

Try connecting to a different USB port on your computer.

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Note: A USB 2.0 port is recommended to connect iPod nano. USB 1.1 is significantly slower than
USB 2.0. If you have a Windows PC that doesn’t have a USB 2.0 port, in some cases you can
purchase and install a USB 2.0 card.
iPod nano might need to be reset (see page

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52).

If you’re connecting iPod nano to a portable computer using the Apple Dock Connector to

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USB Cable, connect the computer to a power outlet before connecting iPod nano.
Make sure you have the required computer and software. See “

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If you want to check the system

requirements” on page 55.
Check the cable connections. Disconnect the cable at both ends and make sure no foreign

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objects are in the USB ports. Then reconnect the cable. Make sure the connectors on the cables
are oriented correctly. They can be inserted only one way.
Try restarting your computer.

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If none of the previous suggestions solves your problems, you might need to restore iPod nano

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software. See “Updating and restoring iPod software” on page 56.

If music stops when the iPod nano screen turns off
Make sure the earphone port is free of debris.

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Make sure the earphone or headphone connector is pushed in all the way. To see an illustration,

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go to support.apple.com/kb/ts3700.

If iPod nano displays a “Connect to Power” message
This message may appear if iPod nano is exceptionally low on power and the battery needs to be

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charged before iPod nano can communicate with your computer. To charge the battery, connect
iPod nano to a USB 2.0 port on your computer.
Leave iPod nano connected to your computer until the message disappears and iPod nano
appears in iTunes or the Finder. Depending on how depleted the battery is, you may need to
charge iPod nano for up to 30 minutes before it will start up.
To charge iPod nano more quickly, use the optional Apple USB Power Adapter.

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If iPod nano displays a “Use iTunes to restore” message
Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes on your computer (download it from

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www.itunes.com/downloads).
Connect iPod nano to your computer. When iTunes opens, follow the onscreen prompts to

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restore iPod nano.
If restoring iPod nano doesn’t solve the problem, iPod nano may need to be repaired. You can

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arrange for service at the iPod Service & Support website at www.apple.com/support/ipod.

If you can’t add a song or other item to iPod nano
The song may be in a format that iPod nano doesn’t support. The following audio file formats are

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supported by iPod nano. These include formats for audiobooks and podcasting:

AAC (M4A, M4B, M4P, up to 320 Kbps)

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Apple Lossless (a high-quality compressed format)

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MP3 (up to 320 Kbps)

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MP3 Variable Bit Rate (VBR)

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WAV

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AA (audible.com spoken word, formats 2, 3, and 4)

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AIFF

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A song encoded using Apple Lossless format has CD-quality sound, but takes up only about half
as much space as a song encoded using AIFF or WAV format. The same song encoded in AAC
or MP3 format takes up even less space. When you import music from a CD using iTunes, it’s
converted to AAC format by default.
If you have a song in iTunes that isn’t supported by iPod nano, you can convert it to a format
iPod nano supports. For more information, see iTunes Help.
Using iTunes for Windows, you can convert nonprotected WMA files to AAC or MP3 format. This
can be useful if you have a library of music encoded in WMA format.
iPod nano doesn’t support audible.com format 1, MPEG Layer 1, MPEG Layer 2, or WMA audio files.

If iPod nano displays a “Connect to iTunes to activate Genius” message
You haven’t turned on Genius in iTunes, or you haven’t synced iPod nano since you turned on

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Genius in iTunes. See “Creating Genius playlists” on page 27.

If iPod nano displays a “Genius is not available for the selected song” message
Genius is on but is unable to make a Genius playlist using the selected song. New songs are

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regularly added to the iTunes Store Genius database, so try again soon.

If iPod nano can’t receive a radio signal
Make sure the earphones or headphones are fully connected.

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Try relocating the earphone or headphone cord, and make sure the cord isn’t coiled or twisted.

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Move to an area with better reception, such as near a window or outside.

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If you accidentally set iPod nano to use a language you don’t understand
You can reset the language:

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1

From the Home screen, tap Settings.

2

Tap the third menu item from the top (General).

3

Flick to the end of the list and tap the last menu item (Language).

4

Tap your language, and then tap the button at the top of the menu (Done).

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You can also reset all settings (your synced content isn’t deleted or modified). Tap Settings, then

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tap the last item in the menu (Reset Settings), and then tap the red button (Reset).
If you can’t recognize the Reset Settings menu item, you can restore iPod nano to its original state

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and choose a language. See “Updating and restoring iPod software” on page 56.

If iPod nano is unresponsive and you see a box around items on the screen
VoiceOver may be turned on, and you must use VoiceOver gestures to turn it off (see “

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Turn off

VoiceOver on iPod nano using VoiceOver gestures:” on page 50).

If iPod nano speaks the text on the screen
VoiceOver may be turned on, and you must use VoiceOver gestures to turn it off (see “

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Turn off

VoiceOver on iPod nano using VoiceOver gestures:” on page 50).

If you want to check the system requirements
To use iPod nano, you must have:
One of the following computer configurations:

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A Mac with a USB 2.0 port

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A Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port or a USB 2.0 card installed

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One of the following operating systems:

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Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later

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Windows 7

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Windows Vista

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Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later

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iTunes 10.0 or later (download it from

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www.itunes.com/downloads)

If your Windows PC doesn’t have a USB 2.0 port, you can purchase and install a USB 2.0 card.
For more information about cables and compatible USB cards, go to www.apple.com/ipod.

On the Mac, iPhoto 8.1 or later is required in order to use all iPod nano photo features.
This software is optional. iPhoto might already be installed on your Mac, so check in the
Applications folder.

On both Mac and Windows PC, iPod nano can sync digital photos from folders on your computer’s
hard disk.

If you want to use iPod nano with both a Mac and a Windows PC
If you’re using iPod nano with a Mac and you want to use it with a Windows PC, you must restore

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the iPod software for use with the PC (see “Updating and restoring iPod software” on page 56).
Restoring the iPod software erases all data from iPod nano, including all songs.

Important:

Restoring the iPod software erases all data from iPod nano, including songs.

You cannot switch from using iPod nano with a Mac to using it with a Windows PC, without
erasing all data on iPod nano.

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Tips and Troubleshooting