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How to Unlock an iPod If You’ve Forgotten the Password
Thursday, October 30, 2008 / iPod / iTunes
My son has an iPod that is locked. He can’t remember the combination. What can I do to get unlocked?
A forgotten password is a common occurrence on iPods, so Apple has a few ways to help get you past a locked iPod. The first way you can connect the iPod to the computer it was originally configured on, and open iTunes. When you disconnect iPod from the computer, it will no longer be locked. You then can go into the preferences and turn off the lock. If you don’t have access to the original computer or it just does not work, you can jump to the second method. The best fix for any iPod problem is the classic “restore your iPod to factory settings.” That this will erase all data on your iPod and take you back to day one, but you can just add your music and data back to iPod from iTunes. This is the true benefit of the iPod / iTunes relationship.


December 2nd, 2008 at 8:36 pm
i still can’t unlock it, i plugged it into itunes and yet it still asks for a password and i cannot remember! :[
December 29th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
how do you get to itunes
December 29th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
So if I hit restore will it erase all my music and stuff on iTunes too?
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:32 am
@sydney – iTunes is an application you’ll need to download from Apple: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ This program runs on your desktop and syncs your music library to your iPod.
@Natasha – No, restoring an iPod erases the files stored on the iPod and resets all settings to their defaults.
August 17th, 2009 at 5:50 am
It worked! Thank you!
I pluged it in my comouter and opened up iTunes, after that I had to earas and sync the new music into my iPod then when it was done I disconnected and it reseted everything that was done to my iPod, it worked!
Thanks again!
September 21st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Good to hear – thanks for letting me know this worked for you!
- Jacob
December 4th, 2009 at 12:39 am
My ipod won’t unlock… I’ve tried to plug it in the computer to see if Itunes would read but it wouldn’t I don’t know what I can do to unlock it