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Free Mac App Reveals Capabilities of USB-C Cables

WireByte Staff · July 13, 2026

A free Mac app, WhatCable, has been released to help users identify the capabilities of their USB-C cables. The app works by reading data already collected by Apple Silicon Macs, which can include information on data transfer speed, video transmission bandwidth, and power delivery. This can be useful for users who have multiple cables with different capabilities.

Key points

  • WhatCable, a free Mac app, has been released to identify the capabilities of USB-C cables.
  • The app works by reading data already collected by Apple Silicon Macs, including information on data transfer speed, video transmission bandwidth, and power delivery.
  • This can be useful for users who have multiple cables with different capabilities, such as data transfer speed, video transmission bandwidth, and power delivery.
  • WhatCable can also read the identifier in the embedded chip in the cable to determine the vendor and whether it is certified by USB-IF.
  • The app does not require root access or private entitlements and uses Apple's public APIs to read the data.

A new free Mac app, WhatCable, has been released to help users identify the capabilities of their USB-C cables. This is particularly useful for users who have multiple cables with different capabilities, such as data transfer speed, video transmission bandwidth, and power delivery.

WhatCable works by reading data already collected by Apple Silicon Macs, which can include information on data transfer speed, video transmission bandwidth, and power delivery. This data is not normally surfaced anywhere in standard macOS tooling, but WhatCable reads it using Apple's public APIs.

The app can also read the identifier in the embedded chip in the cable to determine the vendor and whether it is certified by USB-IF. This can be useful for users who want to ensure that their cables are genuine and meet certain standards.

WhatCable does not require root access or private entitlements, making it a safe and easy-to-use tool for users. Overall, WhatCable is a useful tool for users who want to get the most out of their USB-C cables.

Sources

WireByte Staff — Editorial Team

The WireByte editorial team synthesises technology news from multiple primary sources, verifies the facts, and links every source. Articles are produced with AI assistance and reviewed under our editorial policy.