With the birth of the iPod, Apple forever transformed the way people listen to music. People no longer needed to carry cassettes or discs together with their bulky players on the go. Instead, people only needed to carry devices portable enough to fit inside a pocket, devices with more battery life, and devices capable of storing hundreds to thousands of songs on internal memory. However, the release of the iPad and the evolution of the iPhone has almost killed this iconic product. Although Apple is still selling the iPod Touch, we can at least bid farewell to the iPod.

old iPods

Part 1: What can you do with an old iPod

Because of the advanced evolution of the modern-day smartphone, things like the iPod have become somewhat obsolete, although they have uses. In the next section of this article, we will introduce six ways about what to do with old iPods, but for now, we will discuss Apple’s take-back program. Essentially, this program allows you to take back any iPhone, iPad or iPod that meets certain conditions. You can go to any Apple store physically or mail it. If your device meets the required conditions, you can get a certain percentage off for the purchase of a new product. If it does not meet the requirements, you can still send it to Apple to recycle it (it is good for our planet). More so, Apple has a strong policy regarding responsible recycling of electronic-wastes. Today, recycled tin from old logic boards is used in 11 different Apple products. Cobalt from old iPhones is being used to make new iPhone batteries. 100% recycled aluminum is also being used on the current generations of the MacBook Air and Mac mini. Therefore, taking back your old iPod to Apple is good for the environment and for future generations. You can read more about Apple and the environment here.

Part 2: 6 practical ways to recapture your old iPod

The iPhone can do more than your iPod can do, and it's natural to forget about your old iPod completely. It would be a shame if your iPod sits in a cold lonely place, only serving the purpose of collecting dust. You might think of selling it, but it might only get you little money, perhaps only enough to buy a decent meal. You might think of donating it, but who will accept an ancient peace of technology in this age of Instagram? The best thing to do is to reconsider its worthiness and make it useful by bringing life back to it. Here we present a list of what to do with old iPods.

old iPods
  • 1. Jailbreak it to enjoy more useful and modern apps
  • If you are one of those people who are afraid of jail-breaking their iPhone or iPad, this might be the chance for you with your old iPod. Since you pretty much have no use for your old iPod, you can get rid of your fear and jailbreak it right away. Jail-breaking will bring new possibilities to your old iPod which include themes, widgets, and a wide array of apps that you dream of opening on your iPod. For more information about jail-breaking, you can do a Google search as there are multiple ways of doing it.

  • 2. Turn it into a dedicated car music repository
  • Since the original purpose of the iPod is to be a music player, you can do your old iPod some justice and use it in your car instead. If you have an older car that does not have USB ports, you can get a charger that connects to the cigarette lighter. You can connect to your car stereo by using Bluetooth, and if your car does not have Bluetooth you can still utilize the headphone jack. When you want to update your music library, you can take it to your computer now and then to make the changes.

  • 3. Set it up as a video surveillance system
  • You can turn your old iPod into a motion-detecting monitor, and see what is happening at home when you are away. You will need a dedicated app like WardenCam Video Surveillance which will turn the old iPod into a surveillance camera. You will also need a dock, and cables that will keep it running while plugged in.

  • 4. Make it your backup drive or USB storage
  • While simple but very useful, enabling your old iPod’s Disk Mode can turn it into a portable hard drive. You can use it with most of the Windows backup programs which let you choose a save location. You can even boot your Mac from it, as long as you know how to do so (do a Google search). Programs like Leawo iTransfer can also utilize free storage on iOS mobile devices as USB storage.

  • 5. Load it up with games
  • Surprisingly, the Apple AppStore offers games for old and new generations of iPods. Games can kill time when you are on the transit, on a lunch break, on long flights and pretty much in any situation you want to utilize time. If you install iPod Linux on pretty much any iPod, you will be able to play even more appealing games that you cannot find in the AppStore for free.

  • 6. Use it as an iPod
  • No matter how old an iPod is, it will still make a great music player and in fact, it remains one of the best MP3 players on the market (Apple still makes iPod Touch). It is especially great when you want to go for a weekend getaway without distractions from phone calls. Because modern smartphones are becoming very expensive, you can also use it at places where you are hesitant to use a $1000+ phone. That way, you will still enjoy the music you like, on top of keeping your expensive phone safe.

    Part 3: How to transfer music from old iPod to computer

    Apple engineers products that can last a lifetime, and the iPod is no exception. Some old Apple 2 computers are selling at unbelievable prices in auction rooms, and that is partly because they last. However things happen, especially on the software side and its always wise to have a backup. You are probably thinking that iTunes can do that job for you, as its Apple’s in-house solution to content management on their mobile devices. However, iTunes is too basic and does not offer advanced functionalities like those which come with Leawo iTransfer. This professional software will efficiently manage files on your Apple mobile devices as well as transferring Spotify music to your iPod. With the exception of the original iPhone, all iPhone, iPad, and iPod models are supported, whether you are running the software on a Mac or PC computer. Another very unique feature of Leawo iTransfer from its competitors is its ability to edit the iTunes library without having to rely on iTunes. It comes equipped with advanced scanning and transfer technologies which will enable very fast and efficient moving of data between computers and iOS devices. Do you have the iPod classic with 160GB of storage? Well, you can utilize all that storage as USB storage by using this software. Even though this software is very advanced, it was designed with users in mind and as a result it offers a very simple user interface that is very clear and organized for the benefit of the user. We have shown you what to do with old iPods, and now we will show you how to transfer music from old iPod to computer.

    Download Windows Version Download Mac Version

    Step 1: Launch Leawo iTransfer on your PC

    Connect the iPhone to your computer via USB and the software should detect it. On the left sidebar of the software, there are libraries which include notes, music, messages, photos, podcasts, camera, USB storage, etc.

    Connect the iPhone to the computer

    Step 2: Choose the music you want to backup

    From the libraries, select Music. Hold the “Ctrl” or “Command” keys on your keyboard, depending on the operating system you are using, and click to select the music you wish to transfer. Right-click, hover to “Transfer To:” select My Computer.

    Step 3: Choose the output folder for your music

    As soon as you select “My Computer” from the previous menu, a window will pop-up. Check “Save to folder:” followed by clicking “Change” to select the output folder. Once you have finished selecting the output folder, click “Transfer Now” to start transferring the music.

    Select your output folder

    Step 4: Wait for the transfer to finish

    The progress bar shows the overall percentage of the progress. Please do not to disconnect the iPod from the computer before completion as it will interfere with the transfer. If you wish to cancel, click “Stop”.