Why Does My iPod Shuffle Blink Orange 4 Times When I Plug it in to Charge It?

By Ellis Davidson

An iPod Shuffle uses its status light to alert you about various conditions with the device. Unlike other iPods that have display screens to indicate the iPod is charging or syncing with your computer, a Shuffle uses a combination of colored lights and blinking to keep you informed about what it is currently doing.

Blinking Orange

When you connect your iPod Shuffle to your computer, the light will blink orange for a period of time while your iPod is syncing with iTunes. When the light stops blinking, the sync is complete and the light will switch to solid orange to indicate that it is charging the iPod battery. The light will continue blinking orange if you have enabled the iPod Shuffle for USB drive storage, to remind you to manually eject the iPod before disconnecting it from your computer.

IPod Shuffle Charging

When connected to your computer or a power adapter, keep the iPod plugged in until the light turns solid green. This tells you the battery is fully charged. If you disconnect the iPod while it is still solid orange, the device will only have a partial charge.

Battery Indicator

When not connected to a computer, the iPod Shuffle light indicates your current battery charge. Solid green indicates at least a half-battery charge or higher. This will switch to solid orange when one-quarter to one-half of the battery remains, and solid red when it is lower than one-quarter.

Other Light Indicators

The light will blink orange three times when you lock the iPod Shuffle buttons by holding the Play/Pause button for a few seconds. Repeat this button press to unlock the buttons. A solid red light can also indicate that the iPod Shuffle has locked up. Turn off the iPod, then turn it on again after waiting for 10 seconds.

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