Putting an iPod on Hold

The Hold switch disables all the controls on an iPod so that you don't inadvertently press a button, such as if you carry your iPod in your pocket.

To disable the iPod's controls, slide the Hold switch to the left on an iPod or to the right on an iPod mini (these directions assume you are looking at the iPod's face with its top pointing up). When you do so, the area underneath the switch that was exposed when you slid it will be orange to indicate that the iPod is in the Hold mode. You'll also see the Lock icon on the iPod's screen (see Figure 3.6).

Figure 3.6. When you see the Lock icon, the Hold switch is active and you can't use any of the iPod's controls.

To reenable the iPod's controls, slide the Hold switch to the right on an iPod or to the left on an iPod mini (these directions assume you are looking at the iPod's face with its top pointing up). The orange area of the Hold switch and the Lock icon on the iPod screen will disappear and you can again control your iPod.

tip

If your iPod isn't responding to your attempts to control it, check the Hold switch to make sure it isn't active. It is amazing how easy it is to forget that you put your iPod in Hold mode and then start troubleshooting to figure why the iPod isn't working. (Not that this has happened to me of course.)