We know that the rise of the iPhone has impacted the popularity of iPods. Still, some people use it. You could be one of them and still have an iPod nano or an iPod Classic. Or you may have the latest generation iPod Touch.

This post should give you a good refresher on factory resetting your iPod, especially iPod Touch.

iPod Touch: and Why You May Want to Reset It

iPod has digitized the entire music-listening experience with the launch of iTunes. Although iPhone can do the same, iPod is dedicated to sound and music. So, unlike iPhone, it won’t distract you in the middle of your favorite song.

This could be the reason why so many people still use the device. And they might need to reset their iPods for various reasons; like:

  • If the iPod goes unresponsive
  • If it often freezes
  • If you’ve decided to sell it

How to Reset Your iPod Touch

When it comes to iPod Touch, there are three types of resets:

  • Force restart (or hard reset)
  • Soft reset
  • Factory reset

When to Use Soft Reset and Hard Reset

If your iPod Touch hangs or freezes more often, you can use the soft reset technique to troubleshoot this issue. But sometimes, soft reset fails to remove software glitches.

This is when Force Restart or hard reset can help remove the unresponsiveness issue. It’ll restore the iOS and reboots your iPod completely.

When You Should “Factory Reset” the iPod

When selling your device to someone, ensure it has all the default functions so the buyer can personalize it according to their preferences. In this situation, the Factory Reset technique can help.

Moving ahead, we will talk about how you can reset the iPod touch using these methods and a few other ways.

Soft Reset a Device

Your device may need a reboot if:

  • It freezes more often
  • It crashes now and then, or
  • It becomes unresponsive whenever you open any app

You can reset it to resolve any of the above issues.

Follow the below steps

  1. iPod features a sleep/wake button available at the top corner. Press this button and hold till you see a slide bar on your screen. It displays a message telling you to power off your iPod.
  2. When the display shows “Slide to Power Off”, release the button.
  3. Shut down your iPod by right-swiping the bar.
  4. Next, you’ll see a spinning wheel on the home screen for a short while then your screen will dim.
  5. Wait a few seconds to ensure your iPod Touch has shut down properly. Then, move to the next step.
  6. Repeat the same process discussed in step 1. But this time, you’ll see the Apple logo instead of the slide bar. Release the button.

Once your device starts, ensure that the malfunctioning has been removed. If the problem persists, try the next technique.

Hard Reset iPod Touch (aka Force Restart)

Force Restart is recommended when the iPod continues to malfunction even after resetting it via soft reset. The problems you can face include:

  • Your iPhone is stuck in an application
  • It freezes up after sometime
  • It becomes unresponsive for far too long

Rest assured, hard reset or force restart won’t delete any of your data, files, or settings.

Steps to force restart (Till the apple logo appears):

  • If you have a 6-generation or below model, press and hold Sleep-Wake and Home buttons together. If it’s a 7-generation iPod Touch, use the Volume Down instead of the Home button.
  • Wait for a few seconds, and don’t release any buttons even after the Power Slider appears.
  • Keep holding the buttons while the screen lights up for a bit, goes black, and re-flashes.
  • Once the Apple logo appears, let go of the buttons.

This way, your iPod Touch should boot normally, and all the apps should be back to full functionality. Your music is still there and should now work as it used to before the malfunctions started.

The Factory Reset Method

If you’re planning to sell your iPod Touch or dispose of it, this method will be more effective. It cleans the device off your data and reinstates it to its original form.

Remember that if you factory reset your iPod Touch, you must backup all your files to your laptop or computer before going ahead.

There are two ways to factory reset when it comes to iPod. Either you can do it via iTunes or Settings Menu. We are going to mention a step-by-step guide for both methods below.

Through the Settings Menu

This process is quite simple, and it goes like that:

Settings App >> General and Reset >> Erase All Content and Settings

This way, you can wipe all your data from the iPod Touch as it should. But, of course, the iPod will eventually get its default settings.

Through iTunes

This is another way to factory reset iPod Touch effectively, which will wipe all the files on your device. After connecting your iPod to your PC, follow these steps.

Steps to Follow:

  • Launch iTunes on your PC and allow it to recognize the connected device.
  • Then, back up all your files onto your computer.
  • Click on Device and Summary available in the left pane in iTunes. The reset screen should appear. (You can also back up all the data on your iCloud account if your device isn’t synced to iTunes)
  • Now, click Reset Device. iTunes will take it from there. With your confirmation to reset iPod Touch, the software will take the necessary action.

You’ll get a renewed device in its original form regardless of your route.

However, it is very easy to factory reset iPod Touch via iTunes. Just make sure you have synced your iPod to your desktop device.

Rest assured that the iPod Touch won’t have any of your data.

Final Thoughts

So, this is everything we could gather to factory reset iPod Touch to default settings. As you can see, it is a pretty simple and easy process. But, of course, if none of these methods work, you can always contact Apple Support.

Hopefully, we have provided you with a sufficient amount of information on how to reset the iPod Touch. Depending on your iPod model, whether it is iPod Classic or iPod Nano, you should be able to follow these guidelines with just a few tweaks.

Do leave us with your feedback if this helps sort out your problems.