iPod not appearing in iTunes

Products Affected

iPod, iTunes

If your iPod does not appear in iTunes when you connect it to your Mac or PC, this article can help you get to the right place to resolve your issue.

If you have an iPod touch:

For Windows: See iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch: Device not recognized in iTunes for Windows
For Mac OS X: See iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Device not recognized in iTunes for Mac OS X

First, try the steps in the iPod Troubleshooting Assistant which applies to your iPod. If the issue remains after following your iPod's troubleshooting assistant, follow the steps below:

Specific issues or alerts

If the Troubleshooting Assistant does not resolve your issue and you have one of the iPod models listed below, follow steps in the related article:

iPod shuffle (4th generation)	iPod shuffle (4th generation: Not seen in iTunes
iPod nano (5th and 6th generation)	iPod nano: Error message saying that iPod 'could not be identified properly'

If the above articles do not apply to you or did not resolve your issue, choose an applicable article below that best describes your issue.

Windows	iPod appears in Windows but not in iTunes iPod not recognized in 'My Computer' and in iTunes for Windows iTunes reports that "iTunes cannot recognize this iPod at this time"
Mac OS X	iPod not recognized in iTunes and Mac Desktop MacBook and MacBook Air: iPod won't mount when connected via USB hub What to do if your computer won't recognize a USB or FireWire device

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