Updated February 10, 2017 Plug the iPod USB cable into the bottom of the iPod Shuffle. Insert the free end of the iPod USB cable into a free USB port on your Mac or PC computer. Open the iTunes application on your computer by using the Dock on a Mac or the “Start” menu on a PC. Click on the name of your iPod Shuffle underneath the “Devices” section on the left side of the iTunes window. Go to the “Summary” tab at the top of the iTunes window. Click on the “Restore” button in the middle of the window, and when prompted, choose the “Restore and Update” option. The iTunes program will begin to format your iPod’s memory, and when the process is completed, it will search for the latest iPod software update and install it on the device. Formatting an iPod Shuffle should take less than 30 minutes.
