The internet has been flung into all sorts after the discovery of an app that transforms your phone into an iPod classic. Well, not ~literally~ but close enough.
On Monday, an Aussie creator by the name of Elly Awesome posted a TikTok showing off the app Retro Pod.
@ellyawesometech iPod Classic on your iPhone tutorial!!! It’s called retropod! Follow for more vids like this 🤩 #ipod #iphone #apple #retro #techtok #tech
According to a quick TikTok search, the app has been around a little while but this seems to be the first time its legend has reached our shores via the medium of “influencer shoutout”.
In December of 2022, a Bahrainian TikToker named Ozair uploaded a demonstration video to TikTok which has since reached over three million views.
@ozairtriestech the app is called retro pod ! #apple #iphone #ipod #ipodsongs #retropod #retro #oldtech #techtok #techtoktips #carterpcs
To test if this is all legit, I did some in-field investigative journalism and downloaded the app onto my own iPhone.
Thankfully it hasn’t completely corrupted my device or shown any signs of being buggy. However, it is still super early days…
The app has four options on the home screen. “Random play”, “music”, “settings” and “now playing”.
The pitch is simple: You can scroll through these options as well as adjust the volume using the beloved clicky wheel, just like in the olden days.
Your iPhone will even let off a satisfying mini-vibration to simulate the click your old iPod used to make back in 2007!
Sadly, there’s no option to connect Retro Pod to your Spotify account just yet.
For now, the app can play tunes from your Apple Music account including songs you’ve got downloaded directly onto your device.
The first song that came up when I hit “random play” was Kevin Rudolph‘s 2008 banger “Let It Rock”.
This should give you a pretty good hint as to the last time I downloaded songs directly, rather than keeping them in streaming service clouds.
Come to think of it, the only thing I keep on my Macbook’s actual hard drive is the original Star Wars trilogy and Ali G In Da House. For emergencies only, obviously.
Retro Pod is currently sitting pretty at number three on the App Store’s “music apps” chart.
What’s more impressive is that it’s even beating my favourite app of all time — Shazam.
If you’re one of those people that has a couple of residual tunes downloaded on your phone from the good old days, or are one of those people who uses Apple Music, enjoy having a click!
