iPod: Charging icon appears but not recognized by computer

Products Affected

iPod (5th generation), iPod mini, iPod nano

Symptoms

When you plug your iPod into a power source, the charging icon appears—it's a lightning bolt over a battery. If the battery is fully discharged, you won't see an animated icon. Instead, you'll see the icon pictured below (even on a color screen). The icon indicates the battery is charging successfully, but it doesn't have enough charge to power up. When connecting an iPod with a fully discharged battery, it may take up to 30 minutes for iPod to have enough charge to turn on and be recognized by the computer and iTunes.

Resolution

This can happen with:

  • iPod mini (2nd generation)
  • Fifth Generation iPod
  • iPod nano

Find more information on the different charging icons.

Additional Information

If the charging icon is animated but the computer still doesn't recognize iPod, then check these documents:

If you have a Mac
If you have a Windows-compatible computer

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