The iPod touch 7th Gen was introduced May 2019 with the model number A2178, which you can find on the back of your iPod. The iPod nano 6th gen is square-shaped and was introduced in September 2010 with a model number A1366, which you can find on the back.

Let go when you see the Apple logo. If you have an iPod touch, you can prompt it to reset and restart in Settings by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. This is essentially like restarting your iPod and will not remove any data from your device, but all your settings (like Wi-Fi connections and your keyboard dictionary) will be reset. [1] X Research source

The iPod touch 6th gen was introduced in July 2015 with model number A1574 and the iPod nano 7th Gen came out in October 2012 with model number A1446. [2] X Research source

Let go when you see the Apple logo. If you have an iPod touch, you can prompt it to reset and restart in Settings by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. This is essentially like restarting your iPod and will not remove any data from your device, but all your settings (like Wi-Fi connections and your keyboard dictionary) will be reset. [3] X Research source

You’ll find the “Hold” switch on the top, side, or bottom of the nano.

Keep these buttons held down.

This takes at least 8 seconds. [4] X Research source

If your Shuffle is connected to a computer, disconnect it to continue. The reset cannot happen while the USB cable is being used. This only resets your iPod, but will not restore it to factory settings. In that case, you’ll need to use iTunes or Finder to clear your iPod.

Keep in mind that if you don’t wait at least 10 seconds, you will effectively have turned it off and turned it back on again which might not fix anything. The full 10 seconds are needed for the reset to happen.

If you’re using the iPod Shuffle 2G or 4G, slide the power switch to the “On” position instead of toggling the playlist button.

If you have an iPod touch and can still access the screen, you can restore your iPod without iTunes. Open Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings then enter your PIN and your iPod will restore to factory settings. Doing this will delete all the music on your iPod.

Make sure to back up to your computer instead of iCloud, as an iCloud backup doesn’t save everything.

The restore process can range from several minutes to an hour, so make sure that you have enough time to wait for it to finish.