Even though Apple discontinued the iPod in 2022, the once-retired music player is quietly making a comeback, especially among younger generations looking for a break from constant notifications and digital overload.
According to recent reporting from , search interest in classic iPod models surged last year. Google Trends shows spikes for the original iPod and iPod Nano, while eBay data reveals searches for the iPod Classic rose 25 percent and iPod Nano searches climbed 20 percent between January and October 2025 compared with the previous year, according to Axios.
The renewed interest is largely fueled by digital burnout. Smartphones have become all-in-one devices that bundle music, social media, news, messaging, and endless notifications. By contrast, older devices like the iPod serve a single purpose: playing music.
Experts say that simplicity is part of the appeal. With an iPod, users manually load songs onto the device and press play. There are no push alerts, no algorithmic feeds, and no ads interrupting the listening experience. For many young people, that focused interaction feels refreshing.
Some Gen Z users describe the experience as a mental reset. Listening to music on a standalone device allows them to disconnect from social media while still enjoying entertainment. Others say iPods evoke memories of calmer times, even if they only experienced the tail end of the device’s popularity in childhood.
The trend also reflects a broader cultural shift sometimes described as “friction-maxxing,” where people intentionally embrace slower, more hands-on technology instead of frictionless streaming platforms. Loading specific albums onto an iPod requires effort, but that effort can make the experience feel more personal and meaningful.
There are also practical reasons for the resurgence. In some schools with strict smartphone bans, students are turning to iPods as a workaround that still allows them to listen to music without carrying a phone.
Despite the revival, streaming remains dominant. On-demand audio streams in the United States reached 1.4 trillion plays in 2025, up from 1.3 trillion the year before. But the iPod’s return suggests that convenience alone is no longer enough for some consumers.
In a world defined by constant connectivity, the appeal of a device that does only one thing well may be stronger than ever.