Now that the European Parliament has agreed that all electronic devices that are marketed within Europe have a USB-C port (thus normalizing this type of input once and for all), it is therefore convenient to know what the different functions of this type are of port .
For this reason, we explain everything that can be done with the USB-C port of the mobile , from the most basic and well-known, to other somewhat more extravagant but completely useful functions.
What is a USB-C port and what is it for?
Although when thinking of a USB-C port, the idea of a rounded connector that transmits data much faster than another type of port may come to mind, the reality is that it does not. To clarify what it is, let’s start by defining what a USB type C port is :
- It is an input with about 24 connection pins which are arranged symmetrically, thanks to this they can accept a connector in a reversible direction (so it does not matter which side you try to connect with).
- Also, while USB-C ports share the same shape, they don’t all use the same protocols . In this way, some are capable of using USB 3.0 or higher technology to transmit huge amounts of data (even 10 GB/s), but there will be others that only accept USB 2.0 and therefore have lower capacities.
- In addition to all this, most USB-C ports and connectors today are capable of supporting a wide range of data transmission functions (including audio and video in high definition).
- USB-C ports and connectors are also capable of negotiating the sending and receiving of varying amounts of power. Thus, for example, a USB-C with specific characteristics can provide up to 100 watts , thus ensuring fast charges.
10 functions of the USB-C port of your mobile that you may not have known
The enormous number of functions that a USB-C port enables us is surprising, some are quite common (such as charging the mobile battery) while others become very complex. Although, in all cases, they are useful both for the general public and even for cybersecurity experts.
In any case, here we leave you a list with 10 things that we can do thanks to the USB-C port of our mobile.
Charge the mobile battery
Yes, we know, this is the most obvious possibility that we can do thanks to the USB-C port. But, if you didn’t know, thanks to this type of high-capacity port, ultra-fast charging of more than 120W is now possible .
Thanks to this, a battery can be brought to 100% in just a few minutes . Of course, you must make sure that your mobile supports that amount of watts.
Similarly, you can use other electronic devices with a USB or USB-C port to charge your mobile (for example, here we explain how to do it on a Smart TV).
PC connection method
Connecting the mobile to a computer through a USB port is to find new possibilities. And it is that you can charge the mobile, transfer data such as multimedia files and you can even transform your phone into one more computer peripheral.
Thus, with some tricks and apps you can easily turn your mobile into a webcam , a mouse or a drawing table.
Charge another mobile using reverse charging
Many mobiles and devices out there today offer the reverse charging feature . This means that using the battery of one, the other can be charged . The key is to make sure that the device that acts as an energy donor has this function.
In addition to the latter, you will also need to have an OTG adapter or a USB-C to USB-C cable (sometimes called reversible, double output or double male). We leave you a very good option on Amazon of the latter.
Wireless charging method
If you are not one to use wired connections much or you do not want to wear out the USB-C port of your mobile, you can always charge it wirelessly . But… what to do if your smartphone does not have this function?
Well, just add a Qi wireless charging receiver through the USB-C port . Here below you can get one of these in the form of a patch (being quite thin and easy to hide with a lining).
Stream videos to a monitor or Smart TV
We mentioned how USB-C allows in some cases to transmit large amounts of data. Thus, if you have a mobile phone with DisplayPort capabilities , you can connect it to a monitor or Smart TV and transmit multimedia files (videos and sounds) in high definition.
All this as if it were an HDMI port. For this, it will be enough to have a USB-C cable with double output, or, in case your monitor only has an HDMI input, you can connect it with a USB-C to HDMI cable . We leave you a very good option from Amazon.
Connect a mouse or keyboard
Most modern Android-based OSes are capable of supporting connection to some types of peripheral devices , such as a mouse or keyboard. For this, it will only be enough to use an OTG adapter with which we can make said connection.
Once we do, a cursor will appear within the mobile user interface or we can fill in the writing options directly using the keyboard. If you want an OTG cable, we leave you an option here.
Connect a controller to the mobile
Video games for mobile phones dominate the market, some of which are truly competitive, for example, Call of Duty: Mobile or Apex Legends. Thus, in this kind of games it is more than advisable to connect a controller to improve the gameplay .
You can do this through wireless networks with which to connect, be it a PS5 DualSense controller, one from Xiaomi or another brand. In any case, we prefer controllers with a USB-C connection that are more comfortable on mobile phones and have less input lag.
So, we leave you the link of the Razer Kishi V2 controller which continues to sweep Amazon and which we had already told you about here.
Connect the mobile to a LAN network when the WiFi is unstable
Some interesting functions that you can try thanks to the USB-C port are related to Internet connections. In this sense, you can connect your mobile to a LAN network through an adapter cable, called USB-C to Ethernet.
Note that some Android devices simply won’t be able to connect to the Internet this way.
On the other hand, you will also be able to carry out other somewhat more specialized functions, such as data transmission via LAN or connecting to a server by wire. With this in mind, we leave you with a USB-C to Ethernet cable option.
Use wired headphones
Mobile phones that have a single USB-C port are becoming more and more common, thus eliminating the 3.5 mm jack connections for audio . This has forced many to get wireless headphones.
This has the drawback that the playback of high-fidelity files (such as those that come in FLAC format), is totally obstructed .
To avoid this, you have two options: the first is simply to use headphones with a USB-C connection, while the other way is to use a USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter cable , such as this option from Amazon that we leave you down here.
Test the networks with the USB-C port of your mobile
If you work in cybersecurity or want to test your networks through penetration tests , you can use different tools. One of the most comfortable is the Shark Jack adapter developed by Hack5 .
Said adapter consists of a USB-C to LAN connector which can be connected to a mobile phone and execute different attack functions on wired networks automatically. If you are a novice, it is highly recommended that you stay away from these devices, but otherwise it will easily become another work tool.
You can get the Shar Jack adapter directly from Amazon , keep in mind that Hack5 also manufactures other types of devices related to cybersecurity.
What should you keep in mind when using the USB-C port of your mobile?
Although it seems that with USB-C we only have to connect a cable and forget about anything else. The reality is that even charging your phone’s battery can be a risk .
This is because many times the cables, chargers, adapters and other devices that are connected to the USB-C port of the mobile are not appropriate. In this sense, if you use a high-wattage charger with a low-capacity cable, in the worst case, a short circuit will occur that will melt the battery of your mobile.
Whatever the case, you should always make sure to use accessories that are suitable for your phone .
Now that you know some interesting functions of the USB-C port of your mobile , tell us… do you know of any other utility that can be given to this port?
