A device Apple discontinued in 2022 is quietly becoming cool again. Gen Z is breathing new life into the iPod, the very device many of their parents once carried everywhere.
Across eBay and Facebook Marketplace, young buyers are hunting down iPod Classics and iPod Nanos, pushing demand for a product line officially retired by Apple four years ago.
And the data backs it up.
According to internal figures shared by eBay with Axios, searches for the iPod Classic rose 25% between January and October 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Searches for the iPod Nano climbed 20%. Google Trends shows a similar spike in interest for the original iPod and Nano last year.
For a generation raised on streaming, infinite scroll, and nonstop notifications, the appeal is surprisingly simple: they want out.
The Anti-Smartphone Device
An iPod does one thing. It plays music.
There are no notifications. No algorithmic recommendations. No social feeds sliding into your listening session. No temptation to check your DMs mid-song.
Cal Newport, computer science professor and author of Digital Minimalism, has long argued that single-purpose technology creates healthier boundaries. A smartphone merges everything into one device, music, news, messaging, social media, making self-control almost impossible. The iPod strips that back to its core function.
For Gen Z, who grew up fully immersed in the smartphone era, that simplicity feels radical.
Taking an iPod on a walk means music without distraction. Studying with one means no sudden notification pulling you back into the feed. It’s not nostalgia for them, it’s relief.
The Comfort of Slower Technology
There’s also an emotional layer.
For some young buyers, especially those receiving secondhand iPods over the holidays, the device represents something softer and more hopeful. In an era defined by economic anxiety, climate stress, and digital overstimulation, holding a piece of “simpler tech” feels grounding.
Playing music with the sole purpose of listening, no ads, no autoplay, no algorithmic steering, feels almost therapeutic. You choose the songs. You load them manually. You sit with them.
The trend even has a name: “friction-maxxing.”
Instead of chasing seamless convenience, younger users are intentionally choosing experiences with effort built in. Loading songs one by one rather than relying on Spotify’s Discover Weekly. Owning a finite library instead of streaming from infinity. Friction becomes meaning.
Streaming Isn’t Dead, But Control Is Trending
Let’s be clear: streaming still dominates. US on-demand audio streaming hit 1.4 trillion songs in 2025, up from 1.3 trillion the year before, according to Luminate. Platforms like Spotify remain the default for most listeners. The iPod resurgence is niche in comparison.
But it’s culturally significant.
The New York Times recently reported that students are even using iPods to work around school smartphone bans. A dedicated music device offers a loophole: entertainment without the broader digital distraction. In a world trying to regulate phone use, the iPod feels almost practical again.
What This Says About Culture
This isn’t just a hardware comeback. It’s a cultural signal. Gen Z has grown up inside algorithmic ecosystems optimized for engagement. Every platform is frictionless by design. Every moment can be monetized. Every scroll is curated.
The iPod disrupts that logic. It’s offline. It’s finite. It’s intentional.
And in 2026, that might be the most rebellious thing of all.