Apple Marks 25 Years of the iPod With a Playable Easter Egg on Its Music Site

Apple has added a hidden tribute to the iPod on its website, timed to the 25th anniversary of the device's debut. The company first introduced the music player on October 23, 2001.

The feature was spotted by a user known as Kian on X. It takes the form of an easter egg on Apple Music's web domain, where the error page for missing content now displays a working replica of the original iPod.

To see it, a visitor can go to music.apple.com/ipod or add any other path that doesn't exist to the music.apple.com address. Instead of a standard 'Page Not Found' message, the browser shows the classic player on screen.

The virtual device responds to clicks on its buttons, which let users move through a set of pre-installed songs. The scroll wheel also works: users can click and drag around it to scroll, much as they would turn the wheel on the physical player.

The tracks on the digital iPod come from artists who were popular when the product launched in 2001. Selecting a song plays a 90-second preview directly in the web interface, so no separate app is needed.

The iPod has long been discontinued, but the easter egg suggests it still holds a place in the memories of many Apple fans. The company has not made the player available for years, and the web version offers a small way to revisit its look and feel.

The page is a lighthearted nod rather than a product announcement. There is no indication in the available details that Apple plans anything beyond the web tribute for the anniversary.

9to5Mac, which reported on the discovery, asked readers whether Apple should still make a dedicated music player like the iPod. For those who prefer streaming, Apple Music costs $11.99 per month, and it is also included in the Apple One bundle.