How to distinguish a USB charge-only cable from a USB data cable

Ever tried utilizing a USB cord to transfer data from a PC to your smartphone, but the computer wouldn't detect the device? All it does is charge it. We've all probably been there, and it happens. But why does this occur, exactly? The cable could occasionally be "fake." Another possibility is that your cable is defective or damaged. But often, your USB cable is OK; it's simply not designed for data transfer.

Types of USB cables

You could have been led to assume that all USB cables facilitate data transfer because the bulk of them are sold and included with smartphones. Of course not.

Generally, there are two types of cables;

Charging cables: can only charge your smartphone and other devices but cannot transfer data. These are commonly called “Charge-only” cables.

Data cables: does both; charges your devices and transfer data.

How are these cables different?

The method of production is what distinguishes a charge-only USB cable from a data cable. more specifically, the quantity of wires in their wiring system—the cable itself. Your USB cables have nice bodies, but there are wires below, right? A cable's ability to charge your phone, transport data, or do both depends on how many wires it contains.Four wires (positive, negative, data transmission, and data reception) are commonly present in data cables. Electricity is supplied to the device via the positive (+) and negative (-) wires, while data exchange is handled by the other two data transmission (D+) and data reception (D-) lines. On the other side, charge-only cables are devoid of the data exchange wires and just have the positive and negative power wires.

All USB cables have the positive and negative wires (because they are the most important) but not all USB cables have the data exchange wires — this is why some cables only charges your smartphone.

How to tell the difference？

It is nearly impossible to distinguish between charge-only connections and data-transfer cables since the USB Implementers Forum has no regulation requiring USB manufacturers to identify or differentiate between the two. However, there are still several tested methods to determine if a USB connection permits data transfer or is merely a charge-only cord.

Physical examination

USB data cables are often thicker than USB charging cables because they include more wires. Data cables, which feature four wires instead of the two (2) wires found in charge-only cables, have stronger outer insulation or lining as a result.

Contact customer support

The best course of action is to get confirmation from the website's customer care if you are buying a USB cable online and the product page does not specifically say that the cable permits data exchange.Make sure you see the store employee to get confirmation that the cable you're buying is in fact a data cable if you're buying it from an offline retailer.

Preliminary test

Testing the cable(s) is another way to distinguish a USB charging cable from a data transmission cable. You really have to utilize the cables to find out because the USB Implementers Forum does not have a standard, symbol, label, or icon to identify these cords.

Your cable is most certainly not a data-transfer USB cable if you are having trouble using your device on your computer or if your smartphone is simply charging.