FAQ
Can it brick my iPod?
Section titled “Can it brick my iPod?”We’ve built it so it can’t leave you stuck:
- Apple’s firmware is never changed by the Rockbox or Scrollwheel install. Bootloaders sit in front of it, and Hold at power-on always reaches it.
- Apple’s disk mode is built into the iPod’s read-only memory. Nothing we install can block it, so the app can always reach the disk to fix things.
- A backup first. Before the app changes the firmware area or the music database, it saves a copy on your phone that you can write back.
- Typed confirmations. Anything that erases asks you to type ERASE. Installing Rockbox asks for ROCKBOX, changing the bootloader BOOT, and swapping the start order SWAP.
- It refuses what doesn’t fit: an unknown bootloader, a firmware file for another model, or
a
/linux.binthat belongs to something else. - The app’s health checks only read, never write.
- On the iPod nano 2nd generation we never write the boot flash, and Scrollwheel OS will only ever be started by Rockbox’s own, unmodified bootloader.
That said, Scrollwheel comes with no warranty, and a full restore erases the iPod. Use it on an iPod whose contents you can afford to lose, or keep a copy of your music.
What does Scrollwheel OS write to the iPod’s disk?
Section titled “What does Scrollwheel OS write to the iPod’s disk?”Almost nothing. Scrollwheel OS reads your music and never changes, adds or deletes your files. It writes in only these cases:
- When you use its USB disk mode, it writes exactly what the connected phone or computer sends, the same as any USB drive. It writes nothing of its own then.
- Its own small save file,
/.scrollwheel/state.bin, which holds your place and settings. - Game saves and save states: one fixed file per game in
/.scrollwheel/saves/.
The app creates those files at a fixed size. Scrollwheel OS only rewrites them in place. It never creates, grows, renames or deletes a file. Each save keeps two copies with a checksum, so a battery dying mid-save loses at most the latest change. It writes nothing when the battery is low.
Everything else (themes, settings, lyrics, games) is written by the app, over USB.
How do I undo everything?
Section titled “How do I undo everything?”In the app:
- Firmware › Scrollwheel OS › Remove
- Firmware › Rockbox › Uninstall (or Firmware › Bootloader › None (Apple only))
That leaves the iPod with Apple’s firmware alone, and your music in place. If you’d rather have
it exactly as before, Write Back the firmware-area backup, or do a full restore with your
.ipsw. See Going back to Apple’s firmware.
Do I need iTunes or a computer?
Section titled “Do I need iTunes or a computer?”Not for an iPod mini or iPod nano (1st generation): music, restore, Rockbox and Scrollwheel OS all work from the phone. The firmware file for a restore comes from Apple’s servers, and you download it on the phone.
For newer models, some things still need a computer for now. The iPod classic’s Rockbox bootloader is installed with Rockbox Utility, and the nano 2nd generation and later are restored with iTunes or Finder. See Supported iPods.
Which formats play?
Section titled “Which formats play?”| Format | Apple’s firmware | Scrollwheel OS |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Yes | Yes |
AAC (.m4a) |
Yes | Yes (AAC-LC; HE-AAC plays at reduced quality) |
| WAV, AIFF | Yes | Yes |
| FLAC | No | Yes |
| Ogg Vorbis, Opus | No | Yes |
| ALAC (Apple Lossless) | Yes | No (keep it as AAC or let the app turn it into FLAC) |
By default the app converts FLAC, ALAC, WavPack, Ogg and Opus to AAC, so every firmware plays them. Turn on Keep lossless songs lossless if you only listen in Scrollwheel OS. See Adding music.
Why Android only?
Section titled “Why Android only?”Managing an iPod means reading and writing its disk directly over USB, sector by sector, as a computer does. Android lets an app take a USB storage device and do exactly that, with no root and no extra hardware. iPhones don’t give apps that kind of access to a USB drive, so an iPhone version can’t do the same job.
Which phones work?
Section titled “Which phones work?”Any Android phone that supports USB host (OTG) should work. So far it has been tested on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Does it cost anything or collect data?
Section titled “Does it cost anything or collect data?”It’s free, with no ads, accounts or analytics. The code will be open-sourced at launch. See the privacy policy.
Is this made by Apple or Rockbox?
Section titled “Is this made by Apple or Rockbox?”No. Scrollwheel is an independent project. It isn’t affiliated with Apple or the Rockbox project. See Credits and licences.