Why Do Songs Keep Shuffling on My iPod?

By Tanya Watkins

Updated February 10, 2017

The Apple iPod line of products includes features that allow them to shuffle your selections. Using the shuffle option, your player will randomly select the next song that plays after a song ends. You can either choose to listen to the song that has been selected, or hit the double-right arrow button to shuffle to the next song. If your iPod keeps shuffling songs when you are not using the shuffle options, there are several items you can check to stop this process.

Prevention/Solution

Depending on the version of your iPod, there could be a shuffle switch. The iPod Nano, iPod Mini and iPod Shuffle all include a separate switch that is used to tell the unit to shuffle your songs. If you find that your iPod is shuffling songs when you don't want it to, make sure that the shuffle switch, if present, is set to the off position.

Software

The shuffle features can also be set within the iPod by using the iPod's software interface. The iPod Touch, iPhone and iPod Classic use software shuffle features that are built in to the menus contained on each unit.

Reboot

If your iPod continues to shuffle, turn your iPod off and then turn it back on. Rebooting your iPod may free up shuffling and allow your unit to function normally. If the shuffling continues to be a problem, you may want to consider checking Apple's website for new firmware updates to correct the problem.

Updates

Several times a year, Apple releases new versions of their iTunes software and iPod firmware. If you are having trouble with an iPod that has the shuffle feature through the software of the iPod, you should give a firmware update a try. Visit Apple's website, click the Downloads option and select iPod. Updater programs are listed by iPod model to update your device.

Warning

If you have tried updating your iPod, using software or hardware toggle switches and repowering your iPod, only to find you are still having trouble with your iPod shuffling your songs, consider resetting your iPod. Resetting your iPod will erase the contents on your iPod, including all of your content, and reset your device back to the way it was first purchased. If you use iTunes software with your iPod, all of your content should still remain in iTunes and can be synced to your device once the reset has completed. Resetting your iPod may clear any problems your unit is having with shuffling, but should only be considered as a last resort.

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