iPod Nano 1st Generation Battery Replacement Guide
Is your iPod Nano 1st Gen losing its charge faster than you’d like? Would you like to know How to Replace the Battery in an iPod nano 1st gen? Don’t worry—you don’t have to let it gather dust. Replacing the battery is a quick and rewarding DIY project that can bring your device back to life. Follow this guide for an easy, step-by-step process, and get ready to enjoy your iPod for many more years to come. Let’s power up and get started!
Step 1: Opening the iPod Nano 1st Gen
To open it up, first grab an iPod opening tool or, preferably, a dull box cutter blade. The blade’s edge is sharper and easier to get in between the gap. Pry it open, starting from either side at the bottom and then working your way up to the top.
After removing the back cover, you’ll likely see a few clips sticking up. Don’t worry—just grab a pair of tweezers or pliers to gently push them back down and keep things on track!
Next, carefully remove the Kapton tape covering over the wires —just peel it off gently to avoid any damage and make way for the next steps!
Step 2: Carefully pry out the battery
Gently pry out the battery—take your time and be cautious, as you don’t want to damage any internal components while freeing the power source!
Step 3: Prepare and Desolder the Wires
At this point, take note of which pads the wires are connected to—white on the left, red in the middle, and black on the right. I’ll include a reference picture on the screen for clarity. Before desoldering, apply a bit of flux paste to the solder joints to help the solder flow more easily. Then, carefully hold the soldering iron on each joint and remove the wires one by one. I also added a touch of extra solder to the tip to make the process smoother.
TIP: Be careful not to pull too hard on the wire while removing it—yanking too much could tear the pad off the logic board, leaving you unable to solder the new wire in place!
Before installing the new battery, it’s a good idea to add fresh solder to all the joints. The old solder might be a bit oxidized and could cause poor flow, so a little fresh solder will ensure a clean and strong connection!
Step 4: Solder the Wires In
Now it’s time to solder each wire, one by one. You’ll notice there’s a small hole in the middle of each pad where you can thread the wire through, just like I’m doing here in the video. If that’s a bit tricky, don’t worry—you can also solder the wires sideways, right on top of the pads, to make the connection!
Step 5: Tuck and Secure the Wires
Once the wires are soldered in, it’s time to tidy up! Find a spot to tuck away the excess wires—I like to hide them under the BMS, in the slot where the battery goes. The BMS is usually a bit thinner than the rest of the battery, so there should be just enough room. To keep everything in place, add a strip of Kapton tape over the wires, just like the original setup!
Step 6: Reattach the Back Cover
Now, carefully reattach the back cover. Be sure the lock switch on the cover aligns perfectly with the one on the circuit board—if they’re misaligned, you risk snapping the little black nub off the logic board, and that means losing lock switch functionality!
And that’s it—you’re all done! Give it a quick test to make sure everything’s working perfectly, and for that extra clean finish, wipe it down with some isopropyl alcohol. As you can see, this repair was much simpler than some of the others we’ve tackled in the past. The design is more straightforward, and it’s actually quite similar to the iPod Classic 5th Gen in terms of ease.
If you need to buy a replacement battery for your iPod nano 1st gen you can do so by clicking here. Or alternatively if you think this looked to dificult and you would prefer to send it in and have us repair it for you you can book a mail in repair by clicking here. (we are located in Australia although we accept mail ins worldwide)
If you want to buy other parts for the nano 1st gen you can find them here also (affiliate links):
Battery: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EGNj49D
Screen: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mNKO3N8
Front plastic: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0HtuLk
Front plastic + rear housing set: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_okIR2sq
Click Wheel: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqMpn6O