Whether you want to have fun learning another language, or switch your iPod nano from English to your mother tongue, you do not need to install anything, download language packs, etc. Your iPod nano comes with languages built right in. The latest iPod nano comes with about 30 languages, even including regional/national variations like English US / English UK, and Portuguese (Portugal) / Portuguese (Brazil). This tutorial explains how to quickly change your iPod nano's language, and what to do against such a prank.
Tip: Note that some features do not work with some languages available on your iPod nano, including: VoiceOver (your iPod nano announcing track titles or artist names, etc.), cover flow in horizontal mode, spoken menus (an accessibility feature for visually impaired and blind users), searching, scrolling quickly through lists (when the current letter appears conveniently in overlay)
Change the language of your iPod nano
To change the language of your iPod nano, start by going back to the home screen (Main Menu).
- Scroll down to select Settings
- On the next screen, choose Language
- Your iPod now shows you a listing of all the languages currently supported: just scroll to find the one you like, and hit the Click Wheel's Center button to change language.
Within a couple of seconds, your iPod nano will bring you back to the Settings screen, now using the new language you chose. The rest of this tutorial explains how to revert to your native tongue (English or otherwise), if you accidentally switched language, or are surrounded by friends with a twisted sense of humor.
Help! My iPod nano language has changed by accident!
Whether someone played a prank on you, or you accidentally switched to another language, don't panic. We'll now show you how to get back to reverting to your favorite language without having to reset your iPod nano:
- Click and hold the Up button on the Click Wheel for 2-3 seconds: this will bring you back to the home screen (Main Menu), from wherever you currently are buried in menus
- Since you can show or hide items from the Main Menu, we don't know what you'll see, but here's a tip: the Settings menu is the only one that will include some blue text on the right of some items. So, try clicking on each of the items on the Main Menu until you find a list of menu items that includes blue text (and hit Up to go back to the Main Menu if it doesn't have blue text on the right)
- Once you have found the Settings menu, select the 8th menu item ("Languages" in English), 2 items before the last, and click on the Center button to select it
- You are now looking at your iPod nano's language listing, which fortunately is written in the appropriate language in each case (and scroll as needed to select your language)
A later tutorial will explain how to lock your iPod nano to prevent nosy friends and pranksters from your language settings!