# My beloved iPod Classic.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915 "2017-08-06T13:36:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/1 "2017-08-06T13:36:21Z")
Why can I not turn you off? Seriously… why was this thing designed to be unturn-offable?\* \*If the internet is to be believed a state of turned-offness can apparently be achieved by using some convoluted 100 step process (exaggeration mine) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/2 "2017-08-06T15:18:27Z")
Steve Jobs apparently didn’t like “off” switches. iPhones weren’t originally “off-able.” You just had to wait until they turned themselves off, after a set period. I found that very irritating, as it increase the chance of accidentally dialing. After Jobs died, iPhones started to be “off-capable.” ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/3 "2017-08-06T16:32:18Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > You just had to wait until they turned themselves off, after a set period. But these ( I own two) don’t even do that! ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/4 "2017-08-06T18:01:29Z")
I recently had to force mine to turn off because it was acting up. You just have to hold down the menu button and the center button at the same time for several seconds. It’s easy enough to do, the only problem is that it’s far from obvious that pressing these two buttons will result in the iPod turning off. ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/5 "2017-08-06T21:08:51Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Steve Jobs apparently didn’t like “off” switches. > > iPhones weren’t originally “off-able.” You just had to wait until they turned themselves off, after a set period. I found that very irritating, as it increase the chance of accidentally dialing. > > After Jobs died, iPhones started to be “off-capable.” Sorry, that is 100% BS. I had the original with iOS 1.0 and the way to turn it off was the same as it is on the newest iPhone 7 running iOS 10: hold the screen-lock button until the power-off screen appears, then swipe the “slide to power off” widget. ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/6 "2017-08-07T01:00:44Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I recently had to force mine to turn off because it was acting up. You just have to hold down the menu button and the center button at the same time for several seconds. It’s easy enough to do, the only problem is that it’s far from obvious that pressing these two buttons will result in the iPod turning off. Don’t know about other iPod types but with the Classic this reboots it but does not shut it off. ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/7 "2017-08-07T01:09:23Z")
> [@andrewm](#): > > Sorry, that is 100% BS. I had the original with iOS 1.0 and the way to turn it off was the same as it is on the newest iPhone 7 running iOS 10: hold the screen-lock button until the power-off screen appears, then swipe the “slide to power off” widget. There is no screen lock button on an iPod Classic. There is, however, a switch on the top that locks the screen when moved to the right. Moving it to the right does not result in a power off screen appearing. Here’s a Youtube video with actual instructions: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq2E9ko5EkI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq2E9ko5EkI) ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/8 "2017-08-07T02:04:37Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > There is no screen lock button on an iPod Classic. There is, however, a switch on the top that locks the screen when moved to the right. Moving it to the right does not result in a power off screen appearing. > > Here’s a Youtube video with actual instructions: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq2E9ko5EkI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq2E9ko5EkI) I was replying to a post about iPhones. I’m not sure why the poster decided to try to bash Steve Jobs by posting misinformation about iPhones in a thread about iPods, but they did. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/9 "2017-08-07T03:33:01Z")
> [@2Bits](#): > > Don’t know about other iPod types but with the Classic this reboots it but does not shut it off. Hmm, I think you’re right – I probably did reboot my iPod rather than turn it off and (as a separate action) turn it back on again. ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/10 "2017-08-07T13:05:14Z")
To actually answer the question of why: Because there probably isn’t any benefit. With the device not playing music the power consumption should be extremely low (hard drive can spin down, screen is off, audio decoder doing nothing - just a controller waiting for button presses). This may be even lower than the battery’s normal self-discharge, meaning the battery life would not be extended at all by having a hypothetical zero-consumption “off” mode. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/11 "2017-08-07T15:45:39Z")
How I turn mine off (instructions quoted from WikiHow): _Turning Off Your iPod Classic Unlock your iPod, if it is locked. Slide the switch at the top of the iPod to have full access to your controls. Press down the Play/Pause button at the bottom of the wheel. Continue to press down on the Play/Pause button until the screen darkens on your iPod._ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915/12 "2017-08-07T21:05:12Z")
(One problem in discussing the “Classic” is that there were several models over many years. Some quite different from the others. I have a 4th Gen. YMMV.) Note that the “off” setting mentioned isn’t really off. It’s like a hibernate state which consumes power. A quick press and it’s back to where it left off. On mine, after a day or so it _actually_ turns off. So it has to reboot from scratch. And of course that means it doesn’t return to the last song played or anything. I never understood this. It’s a device with persistent internal memory and a HD. How hard is it to store the current song position, etc. before turning off???