Another way to distinguish USB connectors is through colors. This color-coding scheme is not imposed but recommended. USB 1.0 and 2.0 ports and plugs can be white or black. USB 3.0 ports and plugs are blue.
Blue USB Port Meaning
The blue USB port is also known as USB 3.0 or SuperSpeed (SS) USB. It was introduced in 2008 and offers a data transfer speed of up to 5 Gbps, which is more than 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
Nowadays you can see USB A ports in many colors like black, blue, teal blue, yellow, red and other colors. For the most part, the color of the USB port indicates the version of the port, but there are few exceptions.
USB 3.0 (blue ports) have higher data transfer rates than the older, USB 2.0, ports. USB 3.0 ports are great for storage devices such as flash drives, external hard drives, or video input devices that are USB 3.0 capable and require faster speeds.
Are all USB 3.0 ports blue? Many computers identify USB 3.0 with blue ports, but newer PC's typically don't. Mac computers have never used blue ports. When initially released, USB 3 ports were used alongside USB 2 ports.
Does USB 3.0 work with USB 2.0? — A guide to USB versions and compatibility. The short answer is yes—USB 3.0 does work with USB 2.0, but you won't get the speeds of USB 3.0 technology.
Generally, you can plug standard devices like mice and keyboards into a USB 2.0 port, as speed isn't a priority for them. But any devices that will transfer data, like an external hard drive, should be plugged into a USB 3 port for best results.
A USB-C connection can charge devices up to 20 times faster than basic USB. USB-C ports support USB Power Delivery, a fast-charging standard that can deliver 100 watts of power to compatible devices.
Typically white connectors are USB 1.
White USB Port
The white color in USB port indicates it is USB 1. X, which is some of the very early standards. It supports much lower transfer speed of 1.5 Mbps, or 12 Mbps at full bandwidth . You will likely only encounter this port in an old computer, if at all.
This type of connector has black colour code, but can also be found in white. The USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 versions, or according to the new nomenclature USB 3.2 Gen 1 and 2, have a blue interior.
Are USB Ports Colour Coded? A common way to identify the USB version is to see what colour the inner plastic part of the connection is. White indicates USB 1.0, black USB 2.0, and a blue USB port is USB 3.0.
Check the physical ports on your computer:
Or within Control Panel open System and Maintenance then Device Manager. Scroll down until you see Universal Serial Bus Controllers and open that. You will see a list of the USB ports installed on your computer.
In terms of speed, the teal 3.1 ports are fastest, followed by blue USB 3.0, black USB 2.0 and old-school white USB 1.0 ports.
With USB ports being pretty universal, you don't have to worry too much. Almost every, regular, USB plug will work in any USB plugs, minus USB-C. A bit of knowledge is helpful, as you always want to use the best of the plugs (I am looking at you USB 3.1).
Interior Color -- To tell the difference between these two technologies with a quick glance, look for a black or blue block inside the port. The black interior indicates USB 2.0, while the blue one indicates 3.0.
Data Transfer Rates and Directions
USB 1.0 only had a data transfer speed of 12 Mb per second, but was later sped up to 480 Mb per second with USB 2.0. 3.0 and 3.1 have since improved upon this speed by bringing it up to 5 Gb per second and 10 Gb per second, respectively.
Compared with ordinary older UBS ports, USB 3.0 ports usually have a bit of blue around or within the jack itself. Some laptop makers will also label the faster port with a “3.0” or sometimes “SS,” which stands for SuperSpeed USB.
In practical terms, a device with a type A connector is expected to provide power, so if you connect two of them together, they will attempt to power each other, leading most likely to Bad Things Happening.
USB 2.0 devices may not work with USB 3.0 port because: USB controllers may not have the correct configuration. The USB controller drivers on your PC may have been outdated. The USB legacy support might be disabled.
Color-Coded Ports™
White is always input, yellow is always RF, blue is always data, red is always power, green is always gateway and black is always MoCA.