Having trouble syncing your iPod shuffle with your Mac in 2023? macOS 13.5 will fix that

It’s been a few years since Apple discontinued its iPod lineup. While the iPod touch was discontinued last year, sales of the iPod shuffle and iPod nano ended in 2017. But of course, even in the streaming era, some people still keep their iPods alive for nostalgic reasons. And if you’re experiencing issues syncing your iPod shuffle with your Mac, Apple is fixing that with macOS 13.5.

Apple fixes bug affecting iPod shuffle owners (you read that right)

The company has been testing macOS Ventura 13.5 beta for a few months. While the update doesn’t come with any new features or other significant changes, there’s an intriguing bug fix coming with the update. The release notes for macOS Ventura 13.5 beta 5 (via MacRumors) mention that the update fixes a bug affecting iPod shuffle syncing.

“Fixed an issue where iPod shuffle (3rd and 4th generation) cannot be synced due to an unknown error (-244),” says the official update changelog. It’s unclear how long the bug has been affecting iPod shuffle owners, or even if it only affects a small number of users, but luckily Apple is working to fix it soon.

The 3rd generation iPod shuffle was introduced in 2009 and discontinued in late 2010 with the launch of the 4th generation iPod shuffle, which brought back the built-in control buttons. This model was the one that remained available until the end of traditional iPods in 2017.

For those unfamiliar, iPod shuffle was a specific model in the iPod lineup known for not having a display. Despite that, iPod shuffle was quite popular due to its really small form-factor and sub-$100 price tag. You can still find some refurbished iPod shuffle on Amazon.

As for macOS Ventura 13.5 beta, there’s no word on when Apple will release the update to the public. But considering that iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma are expected to be released this fall, it’s likely that the current betas of iOS 16 and macOS 13 will be released to everyone in the coming weeks.