Wheel, buttons & Hold

iPod hold switch not working

Hold switch stuck or broken, or the iPod stays locked with the switch off? Pick what happens and your model to see the free checks first, then the likely causes and what each fix costs.

What exactly happens?

Hold switch not working
Stuck on hold
Hold switch stuck
Hold switch powers off
Started after a repair or part swap
Not sure — free diagnostic

Which iPod do you have?

Not sure which one? Identify your iPod

Most common causes, by model

Also searched as hold switch · hold button · hold button not working · hold switch repair

The Hold switch locks every button: slide it firmly to the unlocked position (Apple). The Hold switch is part of the headphone jack assembly, so a broken or stuck switch is fixed with a new headphone jack assembly. On the 4th Gen and Photo a faulty headphone jack cable can also keep it locked: check the cable first there.

Free checks first

Put the Hold switch firmly in the unlocked position. A locked iPod ignores every button.
Using an iPod Remote? Its own Hold switch must be off too: Apple says the iPod's and the remote's Hold switches work separately.
A lock icon at the top of the screen means the Hold switch is on: slide it to the unlocked position.
On the 3rd Gen, a lock on the screen with dead controls is most likely a torn or unseated headphone jack cable (it is stuck on Hold even with the switch off): probably the most common damage to this model when the case is opened too hard, pried at the wrong seam or the cable is pulled out of its plug.
Reset it: press and hold Menu and the center (Select) button for 8 seconds, or until the Apple logo appears. If that fails, put the iPod on a table and press the center button without touching the wheel.
Reset the 3rd Gen: hold Menu and Play/Pause until the Apple logo appears.