In the previous tutorial, we saw how to setup a sleep timer on your iPod nano: in this tutorial, we will explain how to create reminders using your iPod nano ("Create Alarm"). This functionality lets you use your iPod to play audio reminders of things to do; we'll also cover the settings you can configure for an alarm, which are surprisingly sophisticated: your nano lets you repeat appointment or action reminders, set a custom sound / choose a custom alert for the reminder (the iPhone's signature ring, by default), label it…
Create an alarm reminder on your iPod nano
Follow these steps to add a reminder on your iPod nano:
- Go to the Main Menu, and choose Extras (if Extras is hidden, go customize your iPod nano's Main Menu)
- Choose "Alarms" from the menu
- Click on "Create Alarm - New Alarm", and your iPod displays the New Alarm settings and options
- To turn on the Alarm you are creating, click on the first item if it says "Alarm - Off"; for your reminders to work, that first item should read "Alarm - On", as it does by default: this setting allows you to turn off, without deleting, a previously created alarm.
- Then, choose Date to set the first date for your alarm reminder (you will be able to set the periodicity of the reminder later on). Rotate your Click Wheel to increase or decrease the day, date, and year of the alarm; use the Left and Right buttons to navigate between the date fields. Once you have selected a date for the reminder, press the Center button until your nano brings you back to the Alarms menu, with Date selected
- Select "Time" to specify a reminder's time (rotate your Click Wheel and use the Left / Right buttons), and click on the Up button to go back to the previous menu.
- By default, every alarm will play only once (no recurrence) - to instruct your iPod to repeat this reminder in the future, choose "Repeat": "Once" is automatically selected, indicating that this is a one-time event. You can make the alarm repeat Every Day, Weekdays, Weekends, Every Week, Every Month, or Every Year.
- Back in the Alarms menu, click on "Alerts": this menu lets you choose what sound to play when the alarm goes off. (Since your iPod nano comes with a built-in internal speaker, you will still hear the alarm's alert if your headphones are not plugged into the iPod.) Under Tones, you can choose "None" (in which case your nano will only send a visual reminder on screen), or "Beep", which is the same sound as the signature iPhone ringtone. Alternatively, you can choose under "Playlists" one of the playlists you have added on your iPod nano to play as the alarm's sound.
- Finally, you can add a label to your Alarm: if you create multiple alarms, doing so will make it easier to find the one you are looking for. Click on Label, and choose one of the presets available on the nano.
Temporarily disable an alarm / reminder
You have two choices in dealing with alarms you no longer need on your iPod nano: the first option to consider is to keep the alarm on your nano, but disable the alarm temporarily: to do scroll, go to Main Menu > Extras > Alarms, and select the alarm you want to turn off: scroll to the very top, and click once to make the first item read "Alarm - Off" - the alarm remains on your iPod, but will not display any reminders until you reactivate it later on.
Delete an alarm from your iPod nano
Follow the same steps to delete an alarm: Main Menu > Extras > Alarms, and select the alarm you want to delete. (Keep in mind that this action cannot be undone.) Once you have selected the alarm, scroll down and select Delete: your iPod nano brings you back to the Alarms menu, and the one you deleted no longer appears in the menu.