# How does the iPod click wheel work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-ipod-click-wheel-work/263166>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 5, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-ipod-click-wheel-work/263166 "2004-09-05T00:53:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![c2k4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@c2k4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c2k4)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-ipod-click-wheel-work/263166/1 "2004-09-05T00:53:03Z")

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Disclaimer: It 'seems like it should be a popular question (probably already answered here before) but I see no search link, nor does search.php work, so here goes:

How does the click wheel work on a iPod (I’m referring to the new generation but I suppose the same principle would work on the older models too)? I just bought one and the ability to flip through menus with only an incredibly light glide in a circular motion around the wheel is probably the most amazing part about the iPod. How does it detect the motion of your finger?

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**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-ipod-click-wheel-work/263166/2 "2004-09-05T01:59:44Z")

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[iPod’s new trackpad: How do they do that?](http://www.macminute.com/lib/020718ipodpad.shtml)

Something called “coupling capacitance” apparently. Same way a trackpad on a laptop works.