Make the Most of the FM Radio App on Apple iPod nano 7G

A key feature of the seventh-generation iPod nano is the Radio application which allows you to tune in to your favorite radio station on the go and even skip back as much as 15 minutes. Here’s how to use it.

The player uses the headphone cord as the antenna, which means you are required to connect your shiny new EarPods every time you want to receive a radio signal. In other words, you can’t use wireless headphones with the Radio app. In fact, Apple says, “For better reception, make sure the cord isn’t tangled or coiled.” Listening to the radio on your new nano is dead-easy. Simply connect the EarPods or some regular headphones, then tap Radio on the Home screen, and tap the Play icon. Apple says “If you don’t see the Radio icon, swipe left.” Some radio stations support Radio Data System, or RDS, which displays the song title, artist name, and station information. If this type of info doesn’t appear on screen, the radio station you’re listening to doesn’t support RDS.

Here’s where it gets interesting. iPod nano supports Live Pause, which enables you to pause a radio broadcast and resume playback from the same point some 15 minutes later. No more, though. That’s the limit, according to Apple. “When Live Pause is turned on in Settings (it’s on by default), you can pause a live broadcast for up to 15 minutes. When the 15 minute limit is reached, the earlier recording is cleared as the recording continues,” the company explains in a support document. The Cupertino mammoth offers a lowdown of the circumstances in which Paused radio is cleared automatically (below).

• You change stations.
• You turn off iPod nano.
• You play other media content or record a voice memo.
• The battery is very low and needs to be charged.
• You pause the radio for 15 minutes without resuming play.

You’ll find more options for listening to paused radio behind the Live Pause controls, according to Apple. The company also outlines a few ways to control playback of paused radio, for example skipping back in 30-second increments by tapping the 30 second skip back icon.

iPod nano radio promo
Image credits to Apple

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