How to Tell If Your iPod Touch Has Died

When you leave your office and head to a meeting, interview or seminar, you can take your important documents with you on your iPod Touch. When you arrive at your destination, you count on the drive working when you need access to those documents. Apple designed the iPod Touch to function smoothly for the life of the product, but like all electronic devices, there's always a small chance of failure. In most cases, a dying iPod Touch will exhibit one of several telltale signs.

If you charge your iPod Touch for several hours but it turns off shortly after you disconnect it from the charging source, the battery may be close to dying. Ensure that you are charging the device using a high-speed USB port on your computer. Don't use a low-powered USB hub for charging; if you do, the iPod Touch might not charge properly. The computer must also be awake and not in standby or sleep mode. As a troubleshooting step, try charging with a different USB cable. If the device still cannot hold a charge, send it to Apple for a battery replacement. You can replace the battery yourself but doing so will void your warranty.

If you dropped your iPod Touch in water and it will not turn on, it's likely the device has died. Your iPod contains sensitive components and exposure to moisture may cause it to short-circuit. If you dry the device immediately, you might be able to save it. Turn it off right away if it gets wet to avoid further damage, and then submerge the iPod Touch in a bowl filled with uncooked white rice overnight. The rice will absorb the moisture from the device.

To verify water damage, look at the water sensor inside the device's headphone jack. You may need a lighted magnifying glass to see the sensor. The sensor is normally white, but when exposed to moisture, it turns pink or red. This sensor alerts Apple to water damage, which is not covered by your warranty.

If your iPod Touch's display looks distorted, the LCD screen may be damaged. This often occurs if the device is dropped and the screen cracks; the iPod may be damaged even if you don't see any physical evidence. If the device powers on but you can't see an image on the screen, it's not completely dead. Connect the iPod to your computer and launch iTunes to verify that it still works. If the iPod Touch appears in the iTunes window, it is functioning. Send the device to Apple and ask for a screen replacement. If you dropped and cracked the screen, your warranty probably won't cover it; but the warranty usually covers a screen replacement if it stops working due to a manufacturer defect.

Hard drive failure is one of the most serious problems on the iPod Touch. Once the drive fails, you are likely to lose all of your data stored on the device. If you recently performed a backup with iTunes, you'll be able to restore your content when you repair or replace the device. The hard drive may be failing if it makes unusual noises during operation. An iPod Touch with a failing drive may display an exclamation mark, folder icon or sad face on the screen. This type of failure is typically covered by warranty unless it was caused by you dropping or otherwise damaging the device.