This Mac App Will Help You Sort Out Tangled Wires.
Understanding cable technology can be complicated—more complicated than it needs to be—and weighing the pros and cons of a new gadget is hard enough without having to know the difference between HDMI 2.1 and HDMI 2.2, or why some USB-C ports are also Thunderbolt ports.
But help is at hand: WhatCable does a great job of analyzing the cables connected to your Mac—it doesn’t just list the characteristics, it also explains what those characteristics mean.
The app can be useful, for example, for explaining why your MacBook is charging slowly. The charger and cable you’re using could be the culprit, and WhatCable will explain all the details in detail without using technical jargon. You’ll see your laptop’s charging speed and the reasons for it.
Why Your Cables Matter
A full explanation of modern cable infrastructure would require an article many times longer than this one, but the basics can be learned relatively quickly. Every connection consists of three elements that must be considered together: the port on the device you’re connecting to (such as a monitor or charger), the intermediate cable, and the port on the device being used (such as a phone or laptop).
To achieve the best results (for example, the fastest possible charging or a smooth display), all of these elements must meet the same standards. Otherwise, you may not get optimal results, or the setting may not work at all.
Unfortunately, for us consumers, simply finding a cable that fits a port isn’t enough to guarantee everything will work or function as expected. Both cables and ports support various standards that need to be taken into account, such as various USB variants (for reference, we currently use USB 4.0 version 2).
Today, the most common port on laptops and phones is USB-C, but that’s just the beginning. USB-C ports can also support Thunderbolt and DisplayPort protocols, as well as various USB speeds—check the device’s specifications for details. Even ports of the same size on the same device can have different configurations.
Once you’ve determined the port capabilities of your computer or phone, you need to find a cable that supports the same standard to get the best results. Carefully examine cable specifications and lengths before purchasing—cables longer than one meter (just over three feet) typically require additional technology to support the highest data transfer rates and, therefore, are usually more expensive.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that these standards change quite frequently: sometimes manufacturers quickly implement changes, while others take some time to implement them. In short, don’t rush into buying cables and don’t assume all cables and ports are the same. Taking a few extra minutes to thoroughly analyze the relevant specifications will pay off.
How WhatCable Can Help You Manage Your Cables
You can download WhatCable for free from its website or GitHub page , and in both cases you’ll be redirected to a ZIP archive. Launch the app, and WhatCable will appear in your menu bar; click its icon to see detailed information about connected USB cables. You can launch WhatCable alongside macOS using the gear icon (top right), and it will run as a regular app rather than from the menu bar. Once you connect a cable, you’ll see information about charging speed and data transfer rate (where applicable), as well as a description of the cable’s capabilities.
If you’ve connected a charger, you’ll be notified whether it’s compatible with your MacBook. To confirm, look for the “charging is good” message and the charging speed. If the cable isn’t charging your MacBook at its maximum speed or if the MacBook itself is limiting the charging speed (because the battery is almost fully charged), you’ll also be notified.
If you’ve connected a phone or other peripheral, its identifier will be displayed in WhatCable, and this is where the data transfer rate may be more relevant. If you’ve connected an external storage device, you’ll see the data transfer rate specified by the Apple operating system.
WhatCable also checks the electronic identifier (e-marker) inside the cable, which is essentially its digital identifier that communicates its capabilities to the computer it’s connected to. If there are discrepancies between this e-marker and generally accepted technology standards, you’ll see an orange flag. This doesn’t necessarily mean the cable is counterfeit, but simply warns you of something that seems suspicious.
In short, all the data the cable transmits to macOS will be displayed in WhatCable, and you should see a significant difference between cheap, limited-capability cables and more expensive, powerful ones—a sign of quality if you’ve paid more.