You Can Enjoy a Classic iPod Experience on Your iPhone (If You Act Quickly)
Credit: Andres Urena
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If you’ve ever felt nostalgic for the days of traditional iPods, it turns out there’s an app for that. However, you may want to grab it soon as we’re not sure how long it will survive.
That’s because Apple doesn’t look too kindly on apps that violate what it considers to be its intellectual property. Apps like this have to fly well below the radar to avoid the ire of the App Store Review team and get through the approval process.
In this case, the app in question is a rather innocuous-looking thing that we would surely have missed if the folks at Macworld hadn’t discovered it. Unfortunately, now that it’s been “outed,” there’s a good chance Apple is about to do something about it — just like it’s done with every other iPod emulator that’s snuck onto the App Store over the years.
It’s an unfortunate tradeoff, as the only way you’ll likely find out about these apps is if sites like ours share them with you, but it’s impossible to do that without also bringing them to Apple’s attention.
The app is called My Classic-Retro Console. On the surface, it’s designed to show a GameBoy-style interface that acts as a front-end for your music library. It also connects to Podcasts and the Camera (presenting a green monochromatic view on the virtual GameBoy screen) and even lets you play a few games of Breakout.
It’s kind of cool, but you’d have to be a serious GameBoy fan to pay the $3 the developer is asking for. However, hidden away inside — and mentioned nowhere on the App Store page or even in the app — is an iPod emulator.
The theme is referred to as “My Classic” (as opposed to “Music Boy”) and wisely avoids using the word “iPod” anywhere. It can be accessed by hitting the Settings button on the GameBoy screen and selecting it under Device. When you switch to this mode, even the app icon on the Home Screen changes to match.
As someone who lived through most of the original iPod era (and still keeps a 2007 iPod classic on my desk), I can say the iPod emulator is remarkably well thought out. It faithfully replicates the click wheel and menu layout as much as possible. It even includes themes representing all the classic iPods, from the white and black plastic versions of the 2004–2006 era to the silver and black metallic fronts introduced in 2007. The Special Edition U2 iPod is even included here with its iconic red click wheel.
In iPod mode, the app can tie directly into Apple Music (the app, not the service), in which case it’s effectively a controller for the Music app; it will mirror what’s already playing there, and anything you start from the virtual iPod will be queued up in the Music app. If you prefer, you can use it as your primary player instead. In this mode, the app still accesses your music library but plays the tracks directly without touching the Music app, and the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen controls will return you to the virtual iPod. This is the only behavior available with the “Music Boy” theme.
The app is great fun for anyone who enjoyed Apple’s classic iPods or even new users who are curious about how we all lived in an era before the iPhone. The app costs $2.99 on the App Store, with a donation button inside to buy the developer a Coke ($0.99), a coffee ($3.99), or a meal ($9.99). These don’t unlock any additional features — they’re just a way of showing your appreciation — but they will get rid of the “Donate” button from the main screen, tucking it into the Settings menu instead.
