Micro-USB
A standard type of USB connector, often found on phones and other small mobile devices, for connecting those devices to chargers, computers, TVs, cars, and more.
Older phones use it for charging the battery, and can also support one or more types of data connection via the same port.
See: USB
A newer connector called Type-C or USB-C replaced micro-USB starting in 2015. As of 2022, USB-C is dominant and very few new phones use micro-USB.
See: USB Type-C
A single micro-USB port can support many types of connections depending on the phone settings and the device at the other end of the cable.
"Mass storage mode", MTP, and PTP modes allow a computer to access files and media stored on the phone.
See: Mass Storage mode
See: PTP
Data tethering over USB allows a computer to use a phone to connect to the Internet.
Some phones support MHL or SlimPort, both of which turn a micro-USB port into a video connector.
See: MHL
See: SlimPort
Some phones also support OTG, which lets a phone connect directly to accessories such as keyboards and memory sticks.
See: USB OTG
There is also an older, larger connector called Mini-USB. It was replaced by micro-USB and effectively obsolete as of 2013.
See: Mini-USB
Last updated Jan 22, 2022 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
