How to Use an iPod Shuffle

The iPod shuffle is an audio track player and a storage device. You can listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks and store data files on the iPod shuffle. The iPod shuffle works with Apple iTunes software to sync audio files from your computer to the iPod via the USB port. It's small size and long battery life make the iPod shuffle completely portable, and charging via USB means you don't need to carry an AC adapter around.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• iPod Shuffle
• USB 2.0 cable for the iPod Shuffle
• iTunes

Charging

1. iPod Shuffle USB Cable

   Plug the USB cable that came with the iPod Shuffle into the USB port on your computer.

2. iPod Shuffle with Dock

   Plug the other end of the USB cable into your iPod Shuffle earphones jack. On some models, this end of the USB looks like a little docking station.

3. iPod Shuffle Power/Status Buttons

   Check that the power button for the iPod is set to OFF, then check the status light on the iPod. Orange means it's charging. Green means it's fully charged. If you see no light, check that the USB cable is plugged directly into your computer's USB port (not through a USB hub).

4. Leave the iPod connected to your computer to charge. The first time you use it, it needs about three hours to fully charge. iTunes should automatically launch on your computer once it detects the iPod's presence, or you can double-click the application to launch it yourself. You can add music to the iPod (drag and drop) while it is charging.

Disconnecting

1. iPod Shuffle Eject Button

   Check the status of the iPod Shuffle in the iTunes panel. If it shows a circle with arrows spinning next to the iPod Shuffle name, that means the iPod Shuffle is still synching. Don't do anything until you see only the eject button (small triangle) next to the name and no warning about disconnecting at the top of the iTunes screen.

2. Click the eject button to the right of the iPod Shuffle icon.

3. iPod Shuffle Port and Controls

   Unplug the USB cable from the computer and the iPod Shuffle.

Playing Tracks

1. iPod Shuffle with Earphones

   Push the earphones connector into the jack on the iPod Shuffle (same as used for connecting the USB cable).

2. iPod Shuffle Control Buttons

   Press the power button to the ON position and press Play in the center of the control button.

3. Press the + and - volume buttons to adjust the sound. Press the Previous or Next track buttons to move between tracks during play.

4. Shuffle or Play in Order buttons

   Play songs in the order they were downloaded to the iPod Shuffle or randomly shuffle the tracks by adjusting the play option slider button near the power button. Location of this button varies by iPod Shuffle model.

5. Pause music by pressing the center of the control button during playback. Press again to remove pause.

6. Press the power button to OFF to shut off or to connect the iPod Shuffle to the computer.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the battery status light just before you shut off the iPod to see if the iPod needs recharging while you're not using it. Green is fully charged, Orange is low charge and red means the battery is nearly depleted. To enable the iPod Shuffle to store data, select it in the iTunes window and click the Settings or Summary tab, check "Enable Disk Use" (scroll down to see this option) and click "Apply." The iPod Shuffle will now appear as an icon in the Finder that you can use like a flash drive.

• Never disconnect the iPod while it is still synching tracks or communicating with iTunes.

Resources

• iPod Shuffle Home Page
• 1st and 2nd Generation iPod Shuffle
• iPod Shuffle Troubleshooting