USB ports, cables and colours explained

Can i plug a purple on a teal ?

January 1966! :D

What does cyan mean?

I know this is about USB, technically, but I suppose as USB 4 is based on Thunderbolt 4 and they both use USB-C....


Today Thunderbolt 5 was announced and shown working in a video of Intel.

Many thanks! 😃👍👏👏👏

Since 2017
USB 3.0 or (3.1 Gen 1 previously renamed in 2013) has been renamed to 3.2 Gen 1 -->5Gbps
USB 3.1 or (3.1 Gen 2 previously renamed in 2013) has been renamed to 3.2 Gen 2 -->10Gbps
USB 3.2 has been renamed to 3.2 Gen 2x2 -->20Gbps

So...are the ones that look like micro A but are too wide to fit actually type C? I gotta say, usb phone cables are just plain infuriating.

Thumbs down.


"quick" videos aren't 8 minutes long with the cadence of a mall walking crowd.

As far as I understand, what you call Micro-A is really Micro-B, and what you call Micro-B is really Superspeed Micro-B.

Excellent video. Very well explained,and very easy to understand. Thanks a lot.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😎

Sooo what type of USB port is yellow?

Micro USB is Fantastic so manny Devices use this PS4 Controller manny phones Samsung until the S7 series and manny manny more

This is an awesome video on the uses of each type in the history of the USB. Thanks Daniel for allowing me to use this video in my class happening next week. I know the students will enjoy your presentation. I have subscribed to your channel. More power to ya.

Thanks for that history, but I’m seeing new 2023 USB mains chargers mainly USB-C device (phone, iPad etc) chargers with Green ports, Orange ports, Teal ports, Pink ports, White ports, even Blue ports, plus Black ports. So what’s the difference in these colours related to chargers, does anybody know?

informative video! thanks! but I have tried to find a USB C port on my pc a Ryzen 5 and cant find any. If I try to plug in my Usb c cable for my elgato in my type B port, then my PC just shuts off. Is there any way to fix this? thanks in advance! :D

very helpful thanks!

What about purple?

Question: USB v2, 3 & 4.0 or faster devices can be connected to slower ports?

Your fancy blue flash dot is on the wrong connector. should I trust your info? LoL

Thank you so much

Hi there , it was perfect

Great tutorial. Exactly what I was looking for as my new desktop has many different colors and I wasn’t sure what they signified. Thanks to this video, I understand their potentials.

thank you so much! scanners and printers only had the parallel port in the 90s but when the usb port came out I bought my first agfa scanner with the USB port (type B).
it was a revolution!

trying to find a round plug name its for 12v to 220v charging

Your audio too low, I stopped watching your video

If im gona sit here watch a forced 20 second commercials i expect better. Should invest 20 seconds and fix ur sound.

Just wait. USB D and USB E is also coming i guess.

I have the mini B charging port in my bluetooth speaker but from where I can buy that mini B charger?

Just want to make sure even more...so like my gameplayer usb port is bigger than my phone usb (type c) port. So that means it's the usb 2.0?

Useful tutorial for beginners

Very nicely explained

many thanks !

I have a purple one how do I know if it is a 3.0

I have a camera from 2009 with a weird cable that is not any of these, could I send you a picture of the port and possibly identify it? I've done alot of research and can't figure it out

Unfortunately the USB-IF does not seem to have an official color standard for USB ports and plugs, or if they do it's not being enforced. Instead they went with a confusing set of logos and names (like Superspeed+) that almost nobody puts next to their ports or on their plugs. We are left with this crazy world of de-facto color standards, proprietary charging standards and the mess that is USB-C. For example, a red port could mean that it supports USB 3.1 or USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3 or just that it is a USB 2.0 port that supports USB power deliver/fast charging or even that it is just a OnePlus fast charger. A USB-C port can support anything at all and you have no way of knowing what any individual unit actuality supports unless you read the manual (if there even is a manual) or find out from trial and error. The consumer is left confused and frustrated. It is fucking stupid how USB-IF didn't create or enforce any kind of standard for this. It would have been so damn easy to do. Color coding cables and ports as part of a standard has been a thing since forever so the USB-IF has no excuse for leaving the USB ports and cables a confusing mess of colors that don't follow an official standard. God damn it, even PS/2 ports are color coded!

The USB-IF is not alone in ignoring color codes though. Ever tried to figure out which version of the standard that an HDMI or Display Port port or cable supports? Well the ports and plugs are all colored black, black, black, black, black and also black (some black ports may occur, see black for absolutely no details) so good luck figuring which is which without running a long batch of tests. At least RAM slots are keyed.

Thanks for this video, Daniel. You have answered all of my USB questions except one. I understand that there are different USB cables, the wire between the two plugs, available. Some are said to allow the USB to transfer data faster than other USB cables and cost much more. Is this true? If true, how do I know if I'm buying a ' premium' USB cable?

Thanks for posting this! Very informative.

Your Micro-A is wrong, that's a Micro-B. Micro As were used almost exclusively on Nikon cameras and one of the early Jaybird Freedom headphones (wonder where mine are). Also makes it damn near impossible to search for. Your Micro B example is 3.0 not 2.0 and combines a micro A and a Micro B connector in one port. Fun fact, you can literally plug in a Micro B 2.0 in to a 3.0 connector and it still works just fine, at the 2.0 speeds.

I only listened to the intro and already liked & subbed. Because I NEEDED the color coding chart in my nerd repertoire.

What is wrong with your micro b image? It's doubling?

We measure things in feet & inches in the country, not meters.

You have the soft, soothing voice of a all night rock & roll radio disk jockey announcing '60s rock & roll songs in the tiny hours of the morning on a quiet, clear night full of stars in the summer time. Rock on.

great video !

I have a red usb port at the back of an Asus Z170 Pro Gaming MB and the specs state it is 3.1. Im confused.

What are the car images for?

I have a usb 3.0 but above it it says ss what does that mean

Hey