How to Fix a Slow iPod Touch

If your iPod Touch is not running quickly, you can take several steps to improve its performance. First, you can check that you are running the latest iTunes software and operating system (OS). If you do not have the latest updates, your iPod will not operate at its peak. Second, you can remove some of your data to free up memory. If you have too much music, video and app data on your iPod, it will run slowly, just like a computer with too many programs open at once.

Open iTunes. Click "iTunes" in the upper-left corner, then select "Check for Updates." This ensures that you have the latest iTunes software.

Connect your iPod to your computer with the USB docking cable. Select your iPod's name under "Devices" in the left panel of the iTunes window. Click "Check for Updates" in the main section of the iTunes window. If you need an update, download and install it. This may take several minutes.

Look at the capacity bar at the bottom of the iTunes window to see how much free memory your iPod has. If it is almost full, remove some of your music, videos, books or photos. Videos take up the most memory, so if you have movies or TV shows, remove some of them to speed up the device. To remove data, click the corresponding tab at the top of the main section of iTunes, and deselect the data that you want to remove. Click "Apply."

Press and hold the "Sleep/Wake" and "Home" buttons simultaneously for eight seconds, or until the Apple logo appears. This resets the iPod, which can fix minor glitches.

Connect your iPod to your computer to perform a restoration if it is still running slowly. Open iTunes, click your iPod's name and click "Restore" in the center panel. Select the option to back up the iPod, then follow the prompts to complete the restoration. When the restoration is complete, click the option to set up your iPod from a recent backup.