Apple Support: Distressing under performance on simple questions: new iPod Shuffle battery never gets charged.

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Level 1

9 points

Apple Support: Distressing under performance on simple questions: new iPod Shuffle battery never gets charged.

New in the mail the other day: iPod Shuffle. Works great, except it has never indicated that the battery is charged (orange lamp continuously blinks.) Should I send it back? Simple enough question right?

So I go to the Support site, enter a ticke with my Apple ID and the S/N of my new device, express via choosers that it's a battery issue ... but there is no ability to even say what I did above just now.

Of the support alternatvies, I schedule a call. The phone call came over 30 minutes later than was scheduled. And then! The operator didn't have the information that I'd taken time to enter in to the webforms -- critically, the S/N, etc. I expressed a bit of frustration, we ended the call after I'd recited as much as she could take notes for. Later I get an email from her (bless her spirit!) ... with all of the links I read BEFORE going to effort of filling the support documents out and scheduling the call.

I'm really wierded out by this. APPLE COMPUTER -- THIS IS BABY FOOD BASIC CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT!

So, do I send the little stinker back or just live with having purchased a defective device from a company incapable of supporting it?!!!!

iPod shuffle (4th generation late 2012), Battery indicator, flashing orange

Posted on Oct 13, 2013 2:03 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 15, 2013 7:34 PM in response to BlindBart

I don't think it is defective. The light will ALWAYS blink orange when connected to iTunes, if the shuffle is set to Manually manage music (or Enable disk use). You can check the setting on the shuffle's Summary screen in iTunes.

Blinking light - This means DO NOT DISCONNECT. Eject shuffle before disconnecting.

Solid light - This means OK TO DISCONNECT.

A solid green light does mean battery is fully charged, but it will never blink green. There is an eject button next to the shuffle in iTunes. When you eject the shuffle and leave it connected to the computer, you should see the light become solid green (if the battery is fully charged).

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Answer 2

BlindBart Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 15, 2013 9:46 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Thank you! Embarassing, but I really did try to ferret out those details from the online documents. As usual, I miss the section I need most somehow.

What a waste of time.

Thank you so much for tossing me a bone!

Oh, by the way -- it functions just as you said. It's all cool.

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Answer 3

Oct 15, 2013 11:40 PM in response to BlindBart

The shuffle is supposed to be simple, but it can be confusing because it does not have a screen to display a "Do not disconnect" message, or show a battery status icon. Instead of a screen, it just has a little LED light.

FYI - If you use automatic syncing to load the shuffle (instead of Manually manage music), the light only blinks when the shuffle is syncing. The rest of the time (because iTunes unmounts the shuffle's disk when not syncing), the light is solid and turns green when the battery is fully charged. And you can therefore disconnect the shuffle without bothering to eject it first.

Thanks for reporting back with the outcome.

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