How to connect your existing accessories to USB-C on the MacBook Pro
- jun
- 19
Need to find a way to use all your accessories with your MacBook Pro? We've got your back!
The only ports you'll find on the MacBook Pro lineup are USB-C / Thunderbolt 3. I know that some of you are looking around the room at all your existin peripherals and probably feeling a little like this:
I'm here to tell you that there are plenty of cables, dongles, and adapters available to help you connect all your favorite accessories to your MacBook Pro. Let's take a look at some of the popular devices you may have sitting around and what you need to hook them up.
Printers, microphones, and flash drives
USB-A is the traditional USB connector that's been on Mac's since, well, the iMac. On top of printers, microphones, and flash drives, USB-A can also connect to a plethora of other peripherals such as external hard drives, webcams, and even DSLR cameras.
If you're looking to use any of these with your MacBook Pro, you'll need a USB-C to USB-A adapter. Apple sells one of its very own, and right now you can pick it up for $19.
Alternatively, a USB-A to USB-C cable would work too.
If you're not in love with the idea of carrying around both a cable and an adapter, some accessories will work just fine with a USB-A to USB-C cable.
Anker's Powerline USB-A to USB-C cable will allow you to connect a lot of your legacy technology to your MacBook Pro with ease. The cable is three feet long and comes in either black or white. The cable will only cost you about $12 on Amazon.
iPhone and iPad
Although you could use the USB-C to USB-A adapter and connect your iPhone or iPad that way, you can also just buy a USB-C to Lightning cable. That way, you don't have to use a dongle. You can pick one up from Apple for $25.
Thunderbolt 2 Mac monitors
If you're still sporting a gorgeous Thunderbolt display and don't feel any reason to get rid of it, you'll need a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter. The bonus of this solution is you can take advantage of all the ports included on the Thunderbolt Display, which would probably save you from having to get other dongles. You can pick one up from Apple for $49.
Power banks, Bluetooth speakers, and older Android devices
Micro-USB is still used quite frequently for charging batteries in many peripherals and is especially popular among Android devices (until recently). Since Apple devices have pretty much never used this technology, the company doesn't sell any adapter or cable; however, third-party companies do, and they do the trick just fine.
The AmazonBasics sells a three-foot USB-C to microUSB cable for about $7.
SD Cards
Super important to a lot of people, SD cards carry information and files from a lot of high-quality cameras. If you're a photographer, videographer, or just a person with a point-and-shoot camera, you're going to want an SD card reader.
Apple sells a third-party one from SanDisk that is designed to work with USB-C; you can pick it up for $49.
Ethernet
Some people prefer a wired internet connection rather than wireless. If that's you, you'll want to get an adapter.
This third-party dongle from Belkin comes recommended by Apple and can support Gigabit Ethernet. You can pick it up for $35
TVs and HDMI monitors
Another popular connection for 4K and HD video is HDMI. An HDMI connection is the easiest way to connect your MacBook Pro to plenty of different brands of monitors and TVs.
Apple does sell a USB-C AV adapter that has an HDMI port and two others, but it's a little pricier than some third-party options.
You can pick up a great little USB-C to HDMI dongle made be AUKEY for around $40.
Other accessories?
Are you making the jump to the new MacBook Pro, despite current peripherals? Let us know in the comments below!
Updated June 2017: Added a USB-A to USB-C cable to the list, which gives you the option of using an adapter or a cable when hooking up a USB-A-only device.