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USB Type-C, is a 24-pin connector (not a protocol) that supersedes previous USB connectors and can carry audio, video and other data, e.g., to drive multiple displays or to store a backup to an external drive. It can also provide and receive power, such as powering a laptop or a mobile phone. It is applied not only by USB technology, but also by other protocols, including Thunderbolt, PCIe, HDMI, DisplayPort, and others. It is extensible to support future standards.

Design for the USB-C connector was initially developed in 2012 by Apple Inc. and Intel.^[2] Type-C Specification 1.0 was published by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) on August 11, 2014.^[3] In July 2016, it was adopted by the IEC as “IEC 62680-1-3”.^[4]

The USB Type-C connector has 24 pins and is reversible.^[5][6] The designation “C” is to distinguish it from the various former USB connectors it replaced, all termed either Type-A or Type-B. Whereas earlier every USB cable had a host end A and a peripheral device end B, USB-C replaces both; a USB-C cable connects either way, and for older equipment a legacy cable has a Type-C plug at one end and either a Type-A (host) or a Type-B (peripheral device) plug at the other. The designation “C” refers only to the connector’s physical configuration, or form factor, not to be confused with the connector’s specific capabilities, such as Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort 2.0, or USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. Based on the protocols supported by both devices, host and peripheral device, a USB-C connection normally provides (much) higher signaling and therefore data rates than the superseded connectors.