Your phone's USB-C port does a lot more than just charge - Here's what else it can do

For a rocky couple of years in the 2010s, smartphone ports were a bit of a free-for-all. Apple was off doing one thing with Lightning, while Android devices were off doing another. The classic 3.5 mm headphone jacks disappeared, to the initial dismay of many audiophiles and anyone annoyed by the need to buy yet another cable adapter.

It took some time, but mobile devices have finally reached an accord. No matter the manufacturer, it's a pretty safe bet that any smartphones made during this decade will be fitted with a USB-C port.

USB-C has become a convenient catch-all that offers more consistency across device types. While this approach does have a handful of downsides , the main benefit is being able to use one universal connector in some creative and convenient new ways. A USB-C port is obviously your path to wired charging, but that's just the start of its potential.

Most of us think of charging our phones by connecting them to a laptop, but the power dynamic can go the other way too. A smartphone can give some extra juice to another phone, wireless headphones or a smart watch via USB-C. All you need is a cable with USB-C connections at both ends.

If you have sensitive documents you don't want to risk transferring by email or by cloud, a flash drive is the best solution. In past years, these portable drives only offered USB-A, but that has happily changed with the times. For maximum access across devices, consider a device that has both USB-C and USB-A extendable ports.

In a similar vein, a smartphone can also be equipped with a portable memory card reader. This is particularly useful for anyone regularly working with very large files, such as photographers or videographers. Again, if flexibility is your goal, there are models on the market that have USB-A as well as USB-C port options. Depending on your most common activities, look for a device that can read and write both SD and microSD cards.

Laptops are plenty portable, but sometimes you might want the flexibility to turn your smartphone into a petite workstation. USB-C can be used to connect many wired keyboard models for more efficient typing. It's great to have this option in case you don't want to compose an important work email entirely with your thumbs.

As bulky as they may be, even the phablet-sized phones only have so much screen real estate. Connect your device to an external monitor or a television with a USB-C for a better view. It's nice to have this wired approach as an alternative to the battery-intensive task of screen mirroring or casting. Use a dedicated USB-C to HDMI adapter if you only want to link up to a monitor, or hook up an entire smorgasbord of options by looking for a hub that offers as many as eight different ports.