WhatCable app identifies USB-C cable specifications

WhatCable is a new application designed to identify the specific technical capabilities of USB-C cables, which often appear identical externally despite having vastly different performance specifications.

When a cable is connected to a Mac, the app reveals its data transfer speeds, maximum charging power, and supported standards, such as USB or Thunderbolt. This functionality helps users distinguish between cables that may only support basic charging and those capable of high-speed data transfers for external SSDs or video output for monitors.

The technical variations can be significant: while a standard USB 2.0 cable might offer 480 Mbps and 60W of power, modern USB4 or Thunderbolt cables can reach speeds of 40 Gbps and power delivery up to 240W. The software is available for free on GitHub.