How to Delete iPod Touch Videos without a Computer

How to Delete iPod Touch Videos without a Computer
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How is This Process Possible?

“Can I delete videos on my iPod touch without a computer?” This is a question that many iPod touch users have, but don’t know the answer to. Technically, it is possible to delete the video without using the computer, yes, but it doesn’t necessarily delete it entirely, as it still shows up when you plug the device into iTunes.

Here’s how it works: when you delete the video on the device, it takes away the entry in the video application icon. That way, when you press the video icon, that video won’t even show up as being present on the iPod.

Why would you need or want this function? If you find that you need to hide a video from prying eyes or remove a video that you synced by mistake and do not want showing on your video line-up, you might want to delete its presence. However, this doesn’t free up space on the device, as it does not entirely remove its existence from the iPod.

How to Remove a Video

If you need to know how to delete iPod touch videos, you do not need to know anything more than how to open up the application. It doesn’t take any special software, nor do you need a specific app to do the job.

Power on your device, then navigate to the videos icon. It looks like a blue icon with a director’s scene marker stripe at the top. A list of your videos will appear in the pane. Scroll down to the name of the video you want to delete. Take your finger and place it at the right side of the video’s label. Slide your finger quickly to the left. A big red “Delete” button should appear on the video.

Press the red delete button. A confirmation dialog box will slide up from the bottom of the device. Click this deletion button to confirm that you want to delete the video.

If you clicked the wrong video, or if you changed your mind, you can cancel the deletion process by clicking the “Cancel” button at the top right of the screen.

Deleting the Video in iTunes

As mentioned previously, this process does not delete the video from the device completely. Thus, when you plug it into iTunes, you’ll still notice that it is listed as an entry on your device.

Once you plug it into iTunes after deleting it without the computer, you’ll need to navigate to the “Movies” tab on the left side of the screen. A list of all your current movies will show up on the right side of the window.

The name of the movie you deleted will appear here as well. But you’ll notice something funny about the way it shows up. On the left side of the title, you’ll see a yellow triangle outlining an exclamation point. This means the media is in some way “corrupted” or “unavailable.” That’s fine. Just click on the title, and delete it in iTunes. iTunes will sync the device again, and you’ll see the name of the video completely disappear.

The video has now been completely removed from your device.

Removing the File from the Library

Chances are that if you have your iTunes library automatically sync with your device every time you plug it in, you’ll end up getting that video right back on your iPod. This will be the case if that video is present in the iTunes movie library.

Navigate to the “Movies” category under the “Library” heading on the top left of the iTunes interface. Scan through the videos in your library to find the one you want to delete. Click its name and delete the file. You will be given two options – one to delete it from the library, and one to delete it from your computer altogether. Make your selection, then confirm the deletion process.

Final Tips

Take care in deleting videos from the iTunes interface, however. If you choose to delete the file permanently (or send it to the recycling bin), you either won’t be able to get it back, or you’ll have difficulty getting it back.

When in doubt, select the option to merely remove the video from the library. You don’t have to remove the video from your computer altogether to hide it from the library and prevent it from syncing back onto your iPod. Then, if you change your mind and want it back, you can always put it back in your library.

References

Article written based on author’s own personal experience.

Image credit:

Photo courtesy of Apple.com