How to Use the iPod Touch
Unpack your hardware., Prepare the USB cable for use in a later step., Prepare the earphones for your device., Get familiar with the buttons., Follow the onscreen set-up guide to fully activate your new iPod Touch., Learn how to manage the touch...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Unpack your hardware.
The iPod touch comes packaged with a USB cable, earphones, a small instruction booklet, and Apple logo stickers. , The larger part of the USB cable (30-pin connector) plugs into the bottom of the iPod (the side with the gray icon facing forward) and the thinner end goes into a USB port on your computer.
You will use the USB cable to sync your iPod with iTunes, or to charge its battery.
In the case of the new 5th generation iPod Touch you will use a lightning to USB connector for syncing and charging instead of a 30-pin.
Just plug the reversible lightning connector into your iPod anyway you like and the other USB end into a USB port on your computer. , The earphones plug into the jack at the top. (For new 5th generation iPod Touch users the jack is at the bottom of the device) You'll notice a small white bar on the cord connecting to the right earbud, with a grey plus sign at the top and a minus sign at the bottom.
You can use these buttons to control the volume of the earphones.
Additionally, there's a small, metal mesh circle on the other side of the bar; this is a microphone.(Older models never had a microphone at the bottom, but as of the 4th generation, one has become available too.) , There are only three buttons on an iPod Touch.
They're easy to use once you know what they do, and can perform a variety of functions.
The sleep/wake button at the top.
When you first open the iPod, hold this button down to turn it on.
Do the same thing later to turn it off.
Tap it once to lock the screen and or put the iPod into sleep mode. (Note: the iPod will still use battery power in sleep mode.) The volume buttons on the left side can be used to turn the sound up or down.
The home button, located on the bottom of the screen with the grey box in a circle.
The home button has two functions.
Tapping it once will bring up the main screen.
Two quick taps will bring up a task bar at the bottom of the screen.
Tap an app once to switch to that app from the one you are currently in.
Hold down your finger on an app until they all begin to wiggle and have red minus icons in their top left corners.
Tap the minus icons to close the apps.
Doing this periodically will help preserve battery power. , Select a language.
English is already preset, but Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and other languages are available from the drop-down menu.
Choose your country or region.
Your country (e.g., United States) should be already preset, but other countries are available to select.
Enable Location Services.
This will allow the iPod to use your current location for apps requiring that information, as well as for geotagging photos and videos.
Choosing to enable or disable the functionality is your choice.
Connect to a Wi-Fi network.
You may need to enter a password.
Choose how to set up the iPod.
You can set it up as a brand new device, or sync your apps, music, photos, and other information from a previous iTunes or iCloud backup.
If you select "Restore from iCloud Backup" or "Restore from iTunes Backup"
your iPod should begin to sync the information.
This article assumes you are setting up the device as new.
Sign in with your Apple ID.
If you don't have one, select "Create a Free Apple ID".
Determine if you want to use iCloud.
Launched in October 2011, iCloud allows users to wirelessly sync any downloaded apps, books, photos or videos to all their Apple devices.
It's a free service, but purchasing more storage space "in the cloud" requires a fee.
Again, choosing to use the service or not is up to you.
If you'd like to use it, select "Use iCloud".
Choose between backing up the iPod to iCloud or to your computer.
Backing up to iCloud is wireless but uses your free "cloud" storage allotment; backing up to your computer requires connecting the device to a Mac or PC via USB cable (but is free).
Decide if you want to use Find My iPod.
If your iPod is stolen or you happen to lose it somewhere, the Find My iPod feature can help locate it, remotely set a passcode, wipe all of its data, and more.
Using the service is optional as well.
Select between sending diagnostic data to Apple automatically, or not at all.
If your iPod crashes, it will send a report of the crash to Apple for analysis.
If you'd rather not have your device do this, tap "Don't Send".
Tap "Register with Apple" to officially activate the device.
Select "Start Using iPod".
You're good to go! , "Buttons" on the screen can be activated by a short tap with one finger.
To move up or down a list, swipe your finger up or down the screen in one movement.
To zoom in on a web page or photo, put two fingers in the middle and move them apart diagonally, keeping your fingertips on the screen.
To zoom out, place two fingers two inches apart and "pinch" them together, keeping your fingertips on the screen. -
Step 2: Prepare the USB cable for use in a later step.
-
Step 3: Prepare the earphones for your device.
-
Step 4: Get familiar with the buttons.
-
Step 5: Follow the onscreen set-up guide to fully activate your new iPod Touch.
-
Step 6: Learn how to manage the touch screen.
Detailed Guide
The iPod touch comes packaged with a USB cable, earphones, a small instruction booklet, and Apple logo stickers. , The larger part of the USB cable (30-pin connector) plugs into the bottom of the iPod (the side with the gray icon facing forward) and the thinner end goes into a USB port on your computer.
You will use the USB cable to sync your iPod with iTunes, or to charge its battery.
In the case of the new 5th generation iPod Touch you will use a lightning to USB connector for syncing and charging instead of a 30-pin.
Just plug the reversible lightning connector into your iPod anyway you like and the other USB end into a USB port on your computer. , The earphones plug into the jack at the top. (For new 5th generation iPod Touch users the jack is at the bottom of the device) You'll notice a small white bar on the cord connecting to the right earbud, with a grey plus sign at the top and a minus sign at the bottom.
You can use these buttons to control the volume of the earphones.
Additionally, there's a small, metal mesh circle on the other side of the bar; this is a microphone.(Older models never had a microphone at the bottom, but as of the 4th generation, one has become available too.) , There are only three buttons on an iPod Touch.
They're easy to use once you know what they do, and can perform a variety of functions.
The sleep/wake button at the top.
When you first open the iPod, hold this button down to turn it on.
Do the same thing later to turn it off.
Tap it once to lock the screen and or put the iPod into sleep mode. (Note: the iPod will still use battery power in sleep mode.) The volume buttons on the left side can be used to turn the sound up or down.
The home button, located on the bottom of the screen with the grey box in a circle.
The home button has two functions.
Tapping it once will bring up the main screen.
Two quick taps will bring up a task bar at the bottom of the screen.
Tap an app once to switch to that app from the one you are currently in.
Hold down your finger on an app until they all begin to wiggle and have red minus icons in their top left corners.
Tap the minus icons to close the apps.
Doing this periodically will help preserve battery power. , Select a language.
English is already preset, but Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and other languages are available from the drop-down menu.
Choose your country or region.
Your country (e.g., United States) should be already preset, but other countries are available to select.
Enable Location Services.
This will allow the iPod to use your current location for apps requiring that information, as well as for geotagging photos and videos.
Choosing to enable or disable the functionality is your choice.
Connect to a Wi-Fi network.
You may need to enter a password.
Choose how to set up the iPod.
You can set it up as a brand new device, or sync your apps, music, photos, and other information from a previous iTunes or iCloud backup.
If you select "Restore from iCloud Backup" or "Restore from iTunes Backup"
your iPod should begin to sync the information.
This article assumes you are setting up the device as new.
Sign in with your Apple ID.
If you don't have one, select "Create a Free Apple ID".
Determine if you want to use iCloud.
Launched in October 2011, iCloud allows users to wirelessly sync any downloaded apps, books, photos or videos to all their Apple devices.
It's a free service, but purchasing more storage space "in the cloud" requires a fee.
Again, choosing to use the service or not is up to you.
If you'd like to use it, select "Use iCloud".
Choose between backing up the iPod to iCloud or to your computer.
Backing up to iCloud is wireless but uses your free "cloud" storage allotment; backing up to your computer requires connecting the device to a Mac or PC via USB cable (but is free).
Decide if you want to use Find My iPod.
If your iPod is stolen or you happen to lose it somewhere, the Find My iPod feature can help locate it, remotely set a passcode, wipe all of its data, and more.
Using the service is optional as well.
Select between sending diagnostic data to Apple automatically, or not at all.
If your iPod crashes, it will send a report of the crash to Apple for analysis.
If you'd rather not have your device do this, tap "Don't Send".
Tap "Register with Apple" to officially activate the device.
Select "Start Using iPod".
You're good to go! , "Buttons" on the screen can be activated by a short tap with one finger.
To move up or down a list, swipe your finger up or down the screen in one movement.
To zoom in on a web page or photo, put two fingers in the middle and move them apart diagonally, keeping your fingertips on the screen.
To zoom out, place two fingers two inches apart and "pinch" them together, keeping your fingertips on the screen.
About the Author
Christina Powell
A passionate writer with expertise in pet care topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: