How to Shuffle Music on My iPod

by Ashley Poland
Despite its name, the iPod Shuffle does not shuffle automatically.

Despite its name, the iPod Shuffle does not shuffle automatically.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Setting your iPod to shuffle ensures that you not only hear your favorite songs, but that you catch songs that you don't listen to very often. How you set your iPod to shuffle depends upon what version of the iPod you have.

iPod Shuffle

Step 1

Turn on the iPod shuffle by sliding the power button on the top right of the iPod shuffle over one notch, with the button in the middle of the track. This will set the songs on your iPod to play in order.

Step 2

Slide the power button over a second time, so that the background behind the button is completely green. This sets the songs on your iPod Shuffle to shuffle.

Step 3

Press the play button to start your music, or press and hold the VoiceOver button to hear your playlist options.

iPod Nano

Step 1

Tap on the "Shuffle" option at the top of your list of music. This should appear on every list, whether it is all of your songs or a specific playlist. If you change your mind about shuffling songs after selecting one, you can do so from the Now Playing screen.

Step 2

Flick the screen to the left to change from the skip and play buttons to the playback options. You will see three icons on the screen -- the "repeat" icon of two arrows making an oval, the "genius mix" icon that looks something like an atom, and the "shuffle" icon of two arrows crossing over. Tap the shuffle icon to shuffle the song list.

Step 3

Shuffle songs during playback by giving your iPod Nano a small shake to switch to a new random song. This feature is turned on in the iPod settings by default and will not work if the screen is asleep or turned off.

iPod Classic

Step 1

Select the "Shuffle Songs" option from the main menu of the iPod Classic.

Step 2

Set songs to shuffle during playback by clicking the center button on the iPod while on the "Now Playing" screen, until you see the shuffle options.

Step 3

Select either "Songs" to play all the songs on your iPod in shuffle, or "Album" to play all the songs on the current album in a random order. Use the click wheel to select your desired option.

iPod Touch

Step 1

Select the "Shuffle" option from the top of your chosen playlist -- it will appear at the top of any list of music.

Step 2

Tap the album cover of a currently playing song to see the additional playback options below the progress bar. On the far-right is the shuffle icon; tap this to have playback shuffle from this song forward.

Step 3

Shake your iPod any time during playback to shuffle to a new song at random. You can do this as many times as you want, but the screen has to be active (not in sleep mode) for the "shake to shuffle" feature to work.

Tip

  • You can turn off the "Shake to Shuffle" feature on the iPod Nano and iPod Touch by going to "Settings > Music."

About the Author

Ashley Poland has been freelancing since 2009. She has worked with local online businesses for their print and Web content, and pursues an active interest in the computer, technology and gaming industries. In addition to freelancing, Poland is also a fiction writer. She studied creative writing at Kansas State University.

Photo Credits

  • Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images