Every USB Port Symbol & Icon Explained

junio 3, 2025

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Ah, USB; where would we be without it? Introduced in the late 1990s as a one-size-fits-all replacement for the handful of ports and connections common on devices, USB revolutionized the way we use computers and has now become the standard way of connecting peripherals and external storage devices to a PC, laptop, or smartphone. Gone are the days of serial and PS/2 ports, and in their place is a relatively straightforward standard.

Well, kind of. You see, while USB is indeed a whole lot more convenient than having to deal with two or three different types of ports on a motherboard, the protocol isn’t as monolithic as we might think. Even though connectors like USB Type Mini B and Micro USB have mostly faded from newer consumer devices, today’s ubiquitous USB-A and USB-C ports still support a confusing range of speeds and standards.

Thankfully, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has outlined a selection of icons that allow consumers to quickly identify the protocol a particular USB port uses, and thus the performance they’ll offer. Sadly, not every device or component uses these logos, as they require paid-for certification. Despite that, these are the official, USB-IF-approved symbols for USB ports as of 2025, and they’re the ones we’ll focus on. That said, logos and branding have changed over the years, so we’ll also mention any older versions of the logos where possible.

USB 2.0

USB 2.0 wasn’t the first version, but it’s the one that put the protocol on the map and sounded the death knell for those outdated serial and parallel ports of old, so that’s why we’re starting here. Besides, you’re not likely to encounter any USB 1.0 or 1.1 ports anytime soon, even on the most budget-friendly computing devices.

Introduced as a standard in April 2000, USB 2.0 was a game-changer, bringing with it a 480 Mbps transfer rate that dwarfed the 12 Mbps of USB 1.1. These increased speeds meant that USB could now be used for bandwidth-hungry peripherals such as Wi-Fi adapters, freeing users from having to commit to installing one inside their PCs. But USB 2.0 didn’t just make USB mainstream; it also introduced the iconic USB Trident logo.

That logo would go on to be modified as the USB-IF introduced newer and faster protocols — at least, until the introduction of the current standards — but the plain old unadorned Trident isn’t one you’ll often see these days. Laptop makers, for example, have mostly abandoned USB 2.0. Even the top-rated laptop under $100 on Amazon, the Samsung Chromebook 4, opts for USB-C and USB 3.0. Some mainstream gaming motherboards still sport USB 2.0 ports, but most will use text instead of the Trident logo. Even the USB-IF seems to have left USB 2.0 behind, with its current iconography starting at USB 3.0.

USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.2 Gen 1)

The third generation of the USB protocol, USB 3.0, launched in November 2008 and brought with it a huge bump in theoretical maximum speeds to 5 Gbps (or 625 MB/s). Still, even the lowliest USB 3.0 device should be able to double the speeds of a USB 2.0 product, making it a big upgrade, even if the full 5 Gbps is mostly out of reach.

The USB-IF then introduced a few updates to USB 3.0, which resulted in a branding change. In 2013, USB 3.0 was renamed USB 3.1 Gen 1, and a new 10 Gbps version was introduced as USB 3.1 Gen 2. In 2017, USB-IF introduced a 20 Gbps mode and rebranded existing speeds: 5 Gbps became USB 3.2 Gen 1, 10 Gbps became Gen 2, and 20 Gbps became Gen 2×2. Confusing? Imagine living through it back in the heady mid-2010s. The USB-IF was aware of the confusion and tried to simplify consumer branding in 2019, introducing the USB SuperSpeed 5 Gbps brand and a port logo that riffed on the old Trident logo, adding the letters “SS” to the base of the Trident and the number “5” to signify the speed.

But that quickly changed, and from 2021 onward, USB 5 Gbps ports have been signified by a stylized USB cable and text that says “5 Gbps.” But that’s only the official guidance; manufacturers sometimes use other ways to label USB 3.0 ports, including using blue USB ports. Some, like the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 laptop, even stick to the old USB 3.0 SuperSpeed logo.

USB 10 Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2)

Next up is USB 10 Gbps, the current name for the protocols you may have known as USB 3.1 Gen 2 and USB 3.2 Gen 2. As we discussed in the previous section, USB 3.1 Gen 2 came onto the scene in 2013, doubling the protocol’s theoretical maximum bandwidth to 10 Gbps, or 1,250 MB/s. Most devices couldn’t quite max out the connection, with some external SSDs (for example) quoting maximum transfer rates of around 1,000 MB/s instead, but it was still a welcome bump in speed nonetheless.

Like its slower sibling, it went through a few name changes, first becoming USB 3.2 Gen 2 in 2017, before the USB-IF introduced the USB SuperSpeed 10 Gbps branding for customer-facing use sometime in 2019, then dropping the “SuperSpeed” label for all USB 3.0 variants in 2022. In what’s going to become a bit of a theme, the USB-IF’s current official logo for a USB 10 Gbps port is exactly the same as the USB 5 Gbps logo, just with “10 Gbps” in place of the slower protocol’s “5 Gbps.” This replaced a version of the old SuperSpeed Trident logo that had a tiny “10” above one of the Trident’s branches.

As you might expect, though, not every manufacturer adheres to the USB-IF’s official branding. Many gaming motherboards use red USB ports to indicate a 10 Gbps USB port, for example. More interestingly, some manufacturers, like ASRock, actually use the old Trident logo for the USB 5 Gbps and 10 Gbps ports on certain motherboards.

USB 20 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2×2)

USB 3.0’s messy history reached a zenith in 2017, when the USB-IF introduced what was initially called USB 3.2. This new version would be able to hit 20 Gbps and was compatible only with USB-C connectors and ports. Of course, as you’re probably aware by now, the USB 3.2 name didn’t stick, at least not entirely. The USB-IF renamed the 20 Gbps protocol to USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 in 2019, bumping what used to be known as USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 to USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Gen 2 in the process.

Like USB 10 Gbps, the official branding for consumer use — although few companies followed the advice — was different, dropping the generation numbers in favor of “USB SuperSpeed 20 Gbps.” That, sans the “SuperSpeed,” is currently the USB-IF-certified way of referring to this protocol: USB 20 Gbps. And the logo is the same as all the previous ones we’ve seen, just with a bigger number. That said, USB 20 Gbps had a different logo in the 2010s, with the SuperSpeed “SS” indicator and “20” added to the classic Trident.

You may not see this particular logo often, as laptop manufacturers seem to skip 20 Gbps in favor of combining 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps ports, like on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 we reviewed last year. Some skip USB 20 Gbps altogether, like Apple. New 20 Gbps-capable USB cables will use this logo, albeit usually in a variation that also displays their rated USB power delivery capabilities (a whole other topic altogether — more on this later).

USB 40 Gbps (USB4)

After just over a decade of USB 3.0, the USB-IF finally introduced a big version update in 2019 with USB4. USB4 brought with it another two-fold increase in the protocol’s theoretical maximum bandwidth up to 40 Gbps, or a whopping 5,000 MB/sec — precisely the sort of blazing-fast speeds that the fastest portable SSDs needed to facilitate fast data transfers.

When it debuted, USB4 ports were supposed to use a brand-new version of the classic Trident. This updated Trident dropped the “SS” text and moved the speed indicator to the Trident’s base. It also had a fancy little half-circle around the number “40,” presumably to add some visual flair (and to separate it from USB 3.0’s imagery).

But this logo didn’t last long. USB-IF introduced the current logo guidelines in 2021, before dropping the “SuperSpeed” branding the following year — and yes, this is the logo you’re probably familiar with by now, consisting of the transfer speed and a stylized USB cable for emphasis. Asus is one of the few major device builders that has gone through the certification to be able to use the official logo, and you’ll find the USB-IF’s logos on products like the lightweight Asus Zenbook A14 that we reviewed recently. That said, given the fact that there are fewer than 2,000 products with USB-IF certification as of mid-2025, you’re almost guaranteed to find quite a few USB 40 Gbps-capable ports without any labeling whatsoever, which probably defeats the purpose, but hey.

USB 80 Gbps (USB4 Version 2.0)

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Just when most of us thought we wouldn’t see a repeat of the USB 3.x naming fiasco, the USB-IF introduced USB4 Version 2.0 in 2022. Sure, it came with the supposedly more user-friendly “USB 80 Gbps” name, but the sight of a “Version 2.0” probably conjured up memories of the bad old USB 3.x days for tech journalists and anyone with a technical bent.

On a positive note, USB 80 Gbps saw speeds double again, to an impressive 80 Gbps or 10,000 MB/s. Yep, USB could now crack five-figure transfer speeds — at least on paper. But let’s not dwell too much on the performance, as that’s probably not why you’re here.

Thankfully, the USB-IF’s introduction of USB4 Version 2.0 came after the 2021 logo change, so there’s only ever been one logo for the protocol: the now-familiar two-dimensional curved USB cable graphic and “80 Gbps” text to signify the transfer speeds. But while you won’t see any legacy logos, whether you’ll see the USB 80 Gbps logo at all is a whole other question, at least as of mid-2025. Asus, for example, has yet to launch a USB 80 Gbps-capable laptop, while the Razer Blade 18, which has a single USB4 Version 2.0-compatible Thunderbolt 5 port, doesn’t use an icon to indicate the port’s capabilities. Which brings us to a factor that muddies the water slightly …

Thunderbolt

In the interest of warding off angry emails, we’ll start by stating that Thunderbolt is not USB. However, recent versions of Thunderbolt use the USB-C connector and are cross-compatible with USB, so it’s worth discussing Thunderbolt to help avoid confusion. The latest version of Intel’s protocol is capable of the same 80 Gbps limit as USB4, and the two are similar enough that some devices — like the current-gen Razer Blade 18 — label their highest-speed USB-C port as a Thunderbolt 5 port first, and a USB4 2.0 port second.

Conversely, products like the 2025 version of Asus’ ROG XG Mobile external GPU only claim Thunderbolt 5 support, with no indication of USB4 2.0 compatibility — although it’s almost certainly there, given that Thunderbolt 5 uses USB4 Version 2.0 as a base. Officially, a Thunderbolt port requires the Thunderbolt logo next to it, which is a lightning bolt sporting an arrowhead at the bottom. Unsurprisingly, though, this isn’t always the case: Razer and Dell, for example, opt to go logo-less. Good guy Asus, on the other hand, makes it clear that the XG Mobile’s USB-C port is Thunderbolt, as does Acer on laptops like the Thunderbolt 4-equipped Swift Go 14.

Note that some companies also use a lightning bolt for other purposes. Asus, for example, used a lightning bolt to indicate the USB Charger+ function on older laptops and now uses it to indicate that a USB port can charge devices. Dell did the same on some 2020s laptops. However, these ports usually use a lightning bolt without the arrowhead, so they’re reasonably easy to differentiate.

USB Power Delivery

In 2012, the USB-IF introduced USB Power Delivery, often shortened to USB PD. USB PD codified USB 2.0 and 3.0’s ability to, well, deliver power to devices, allowing power adapters to supply 100W of power with a compatible cable and USB port. The USB-IF upped this to 240W with USB PD 3.1, introduced in 2021, while the latest version — USB PD 3.2 — mandates support for adjustable voltage sources, which should make for better charging thanks to more granular voltage steps.

All of the recent USB protocols can support USB PD, so you’ll find PD-capable ports ranging from 5 Gbps up to 80 Gbps (although the latter may take a while to become mainstream). The USB-IF’s branding for USB PD features the protocol’s logo in negative, on a stylized battery image. As with the USB protocols themselves, the logos have changed over the years: until 2021, the battery would feature variations on the Trident logo for all speeds. That changed in 2021, with the USB-IF swapping the Trident logo for the new “Gbps” logos we’ve featured across this article. The battery image looks to be the same, though.

Whether you’ll see these logos in the wild is another topic, of course. Even big-name USB-C-powered laptops like the Microsoft Surface Laptop and HP Spectre x360 14 eschew the branding on their PD-capable USB-C ports. So, you’re better off reading the spec sheet to see whether a port supports USB PD.

DisplayPort over USB-C

We end our list with DisplayPort over USB-C, conveniently indicated by the presence of the DisplayPort logo next to a USB-C port. DisplayPort over USB-C — or, to give it its proper name, DisplayPort Alternate (or Alt) Mode — was first introduced by VESA in 2015, before the organization updated the protocol to 2.0 in 2020. VESA developed DisplayPort Alt Mode with the USB-IF, and the logo indicates a specific set of capabilities.

These include displaying an image of up to 8K resolution at 60 Hz, transferring data at USB 3.1 rates, and supplying 100W of power. So, a DisplayPort-capable USB-C port can power a monitor and feed it whatever you want it to display via a single cable, all while doubling as a conventional data transfer port. The downside, as you may have noticed, is that newer versions of USB have long since superseded its power and transfer capabilities. So it’s no surprise that you’ll mostly see DisplayPort Alt Mode ports on older laptops, such as HP’s ProBook 430 G8 from 2020 – which, as a reminder, is half a decade ago at the time of writing. Time flies, eh?

While you will still see USB-C DisplayPort support on some laptops (sometimes without the official DisplayPort logo), USB4 and Thunderbolt increasingly appear to be the eventual replacements. The SlashGear Editor’s Choice-winning Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, for example, connects to external displays using Thunderbolt ports.

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