cannot stop shuffle on iTunes

Neither the Shuffle All nor the blue button are "Shuffle off" buttons. They are two options related to Playlists:

1. 1. the text saying Shuffle All and the intertwined arrows: - start playing this list in shuffle mode. If you are already playing the list in Shuffle mode and you tap that text, it will re-start the same list, again in Shuffle mode
   2. the blue three-dot button: - is the Playlist Menu button - (and it's always in blue in the same way that the word Library is in blue and because Apple chose to make it that way. I don't know why). Tapping on the three-dot button reveals a menu specifically designed for Playlists*:

• • on the menu are options specifically tailored for Playlists. If the player is already in shuffle mode:
    • when you tap the Shuffle "Play me some: ~ good stuff!" line, the player will start shuffling that list again (in other words, every song will be listed to be played)
    • if you tap the Play "Play me some: ~ good stuff!" line the player will start playing a different song but still in Shuffle mode, because you have not turned Shuffle off
    • if you tap the Shuffle All (double arrow) icon, the list will start again, still in Shuffle mode

You cannot turn off shuffle mode from either of these two options

The way to turn Shuffle off is either:

• • to use the top bar menu option Controls/Shuffle>Off (as pictured in a previous post) or
  • to tap the Shuffle on/off icon in the Now Playing window (as shown below):

• • When the arrows are white on a dark grey background (as shown above), Shuffle is on.
  • When the arrows are grey with the standard background (as shown below),Shuffle is off:

* Note that the Playlist Menu button is tailored specifically for Playlists and even then, it will be different depending on whether you are looking at a Regular Playlist or a Smart Playlist. Smart Playlists have rules, which can be edited, so there is an option in the menu to Edit Rules. That command is not present in the same menu when looking at a Regular Playlist

Its use is to start playback in shuffle mode. You may well have no use for it, in which case ignore it. If the crossed arrows icon next to the art thumbnail at the top of the iTunes window isn't highlighted then shuffle is off. You can click that icon to toggle its state, or use the Controls > Shuffle menu to turn shuffle on or off, and select between different shuffle modes. If shuffle is off, but iTunes still plays tracks from the current view out of sequence that would be odd, unless you had somehow previously queued up tracks in a different order.

tt2

Shuffle All is a button that that plays a random track from the current view and enables shuffle mode if not already engaged. It doesn't provide state information. That is provided in the area at the top of the screen, or in the Controls > Shuffle submenu. If there is a Play button that plays the first item and turns shuffle off.

tt2

I'm not aware of a blue shuffle button, it's usually grey when Shuffle is on. Tapping that button should turn it off and the button is simply the two intertwined arrows on the off-white background:

Tapping that button should turn it it off. If it doesn't, try the menu at the top of the window, Controls/Shuffle>Off:

I'm still not familiar with a blue Shuffle icon in iTunes, or why Shuffle will not turn off. Have you tried the menu option (Controls/Shuffle>Off)?

Can you provide a screenshot showing the top of the iTunes window? Perhaps that will reveal the cause.

richardfromnew port richey wrote:

My inability to work around this shuffle issue on iTunes is probably why I am only capable of mastering an Android phone, and PC.

Well, no.

Think of it this way:

1. 1. what is it you want to do?
   2. is it a basic thing, such as turning off something that was turned on (i.e. the Shuffle feature)?
      1. if the answer is "yes", then all you need to do is think about where that command or option is likely to be in iTunes
      2. if the answer is "no" (such as... oh, I can't think of anything that unusual), then it's possible that you've stumbled upon one of the few major differences between iTunes and any other application and perhaps something that iTunes cannot do (unlikely scenario)

You can be certain that anyone moving from iTunes to Android would have the same issues as you've had coming from Android to iTunes:

• • What for example, would a well-known alternative to iTunes call a Smart Playlist (an iTunes feature) and can it even do what iTunes' Smart Playlist does? Yes it can - it's an Auto-Playlist and it works in the same way as iTunes but with slightly different names for some of the options
  • In the alternative programme I'm thinking of, it's possible to study a song and find the location of the file for the song, as well as edit most of the tags (song title, artist name, genre etc.). Can iTunes do any of that? Yes, of course, but the menu options may have slightly different names and be in different places

That's why you come here - to ask how to find what you what.

richardfromnew port richey wrote:

I struggled with FORTRAN and C, after all LOL.

Haha.

iTunes is designed to be intuitive and user friendly, for use by the general public. FORTRAN and C were intended for computer wizards and not intended for use by the general public. I wouldn't know where to start with either and I worked in computing for some years.

richardfromnew port richey wrote:

So that blue Shuffle All button is pretty useless then. Anyway, I still have found no way to turn shuffle off.

See my posts. You can turn Shuffle off.