How to Turn Off a Video iPod

If you just got an iPod Video and haven't had an iPod before, you may be looking for a very common button found on most consumer electronics: the on/off switch. Well, stop your search because the iPod Video doesn't exactly have an on/off button.

The iPod Video doesn’t work in terms of on and off. That's why there's no switch. Instead, it only deals in awake or asleep.

If you use your iPod for a minute or two and then set it aside, you’ll see its screen start to dim, and then eventually go black altogether. This is the iPod going to sleep. When an iPod is asleep, it uses much less battery power than when the screen is lit up and the music playing. By letting your iPod sleep you conserve your batteries for later.

If you're the impatient type, you can also force your iPod to go to sleep right away by holding down the play/pause button for a few seconds.

If you press any button on your iPod Video when it is asleep, the screen will light up quickly and your iPod will be awake and ready to rock.

If you plan not to use your iPod for a while and want to store it, you can make sure that you conserve battery power and keep your iPod from playing a concert to the inside of your backpack by using the hold switch.

The hold switch is at the top edge of the iPod Video near the headphone jack. Slide the hold switch to the on position when you put the iPod away. This will lock the Clickwheel the same way you lock a cell phone keypad. Now, your iPod won’t accidentally wake from sleep when a button is pushed and drain its power.

To start using your iPod again, just slide the hold switch into the other position and click any button to start it up again.