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Songs playing repeatedly

When I choose shuffle on my Ipod touch it just keeps playing the same song in a loop! How do I fix this?

iPod, iOS 12

Posted on Aug 5, 2022 1:32 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 5, 2022 1:35 PM

If your iPod is using iOS 12, as suggested by the signature strip in your post, then the Now Playing screen looks slightly different to the later model (that I think is what Anastasia has posted). The Shuffle and Repeat controls are buttons underneath the Play controls. Drag the Now Playing screen upwards so that the additional controls are shown:


If this screen looks more like the one you see, the Shuffle and Repeat buttons are on when they are red with white text (and off when they are white buttons with red text). In the screenshot above, notice that both Shuffle and Repeat 1 are on. The Repeat button cycles through:

  • Off
  • Repeat - the same playlist repeats
  • Repeat 1 - the same song repeats
  • Off


You have to tap it twice to switch from Repeat to off.

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 5, 2022 1:35 PM in response to 2bowlchamp

If your iPod is using iOS 12, as suggested by the signature strip in your post, then the Now Playing screen looks slightly different to the later model (that I think is what Anastasia has posted). The Shuffle and Repeat controls are buttons underneath the Play controls. Drag the Now Playing screen upwards so that the additional controls are shown:


If this screen looks more like the one you see, the Shuffle and Repeat buttons are on when they are red with white text (and off when they are white buttons with red text). In the screenshot above, notice that both Shuffle and Repeat 1 are on. The Repeat button cycles through:

  • Off
  • Repeat - the same playlist repeats
  • Repeat 1 - the same song repeats
  • Off


You have to tap it twice to switch from Repeat to off.

Aug 8, 2022 8:51 AM in response to 2bowlchamp

I can assure you that an iPod Touch using iOS 12.5.5 does have a Now Playing screen like the one I have shown, but you need to drag that Now Playing screen upwards in order to see the Shuffle and Repeat buttons. The only difference is the song that I'm playing. However, you need to look at the full-size Now Playing screen, not just the ribbon at the bottom of the screen (and not the menu lists that have a Shuffle button/icon on them).


If you are browsing any of the music menus while a song is playing, there is always a Now Playing ribbon at the bottom of the screen:

    1. tap that ribbon (or drag it upwards) to display the full-size Now Playing screen.
    2. take your finger off the screen for a second, then as a separate task,
    3. tap-and-drag that full-size screen upwards to reveal the additional controls: Shuffle and Repeat as well as the current song's lyrics (if they are included) and below that is the Up Next list (songs that will be played next)


Regardless of which version of iOS you have running, your problem will be caused by the fact that the iPod is in Repeat 1 mode. As previously stated, each time you tap the Repeat button it cycles through:

    • Off - when the list finishes, the player stops
    • Repeat - the same playlist repeats
    • Repeat 1 - the same song repeats
    • Off - when the list finishes, the player stops


This means that if you had the iPod on Repeat, for any reason (including turning it on by accident), when you wish to turn it off again you need to tap the Repeat button twice, not just once. If you only tap it once, it puts the iPod into Repeat 1 mode, which plays the same song over and over again, which is the exact symptom you are reporting. So the fix is to find the Repeat function and make sure it is off (and not in Repeat 1 mode).


Your exact wording was:

2bowlchamp wrote:

When I choose shuffle on my Ipod touch it just keeps playing the same song in a loop!

Shuffle and Repeat are two different functions so it is not possible for the iPod to repeat the same song over and over if the only thing you did was to turn on Shuffle. This suggests therefore, that at some stage you have turned on Repeat and then presumably tapped Repeat a second time (which put the iPod in Repeat 1 mode) - hence your current problem. (If both Shuffle and Repeat 1 are on, the player will repeat the same song.)


All you need to do is locate the Repeat function (whether it's a button, badge or icon) and make sure that the Repeat function is off. Every iPod I've ever functions the same way: Repeat and Repeat 1 and each tap of the repeat causes the player to cycle from Off, Repeat, Repeat 1 and finally Off again (as I have mentioned above).


In my original screenshot (the one with the song Driver's Seat playing), note the very small 1 in the Repeat arrows. If the Repeat button is red, with white text, then Repeat is on - but if the small 1 is present too, then it's in Repeat 1 mode:



If the Shuffle or Repeat buttons are very light grey, with red text, that function is off, as shown below:




The only other model of iPod Touch that can use iOS 12.5.5 is a 7th generation model that is in need of an iOS update, but even if your iPod were to be a 7th generation iPod Touch (that originally came with iOS 12.3 installed), the way to control repeat is basically the same: find the control and ensure that repeat is off, not in repeat 1 mode. If your Now Playing screen looks like the one Anastasia posted (i.e. a colour background), then it looks as though there is a Repeat icon at the top of the Now Playing screen:


In the screenshot shown, I believe that Repeat is off.

Aug 5, 2022 2:15 AM in response to 2bowlchamp

Because shawtys like a melody :P


All jokes aside,


How to turn off repeat

  1. Open the Apple Music app.
  2. Tap the song that's playing at the bottom of the screen.
  3. In the screen that appears, tap the Playing Next button  in the lower-right corner.
  4. At the top of the Playing Next screen, tap Repeat One or Repeat All until it changes to Repeat Off. When the Repeat button isn't highlighted, repeat is turned off.


Have a wonderful day :)

Songs playing repeatedly

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