Thunderbolt and USB-C compatibility?
Are Thunderbolt ports able to work with USB-C connected devices on a 2016 MacBook Pro?
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FYI, USB-C is a connector type and not a communication protocol. I really hate the USB-C designation for the connector as it is very confusing to people.
Thunderbolt 3 & 4 as well as USB 3 & 4 utilize the physical USB-C connector. Thunderbolt and USB are two different types of communication protocols. With the Thunderbolt 3 ports on the Macs, it means the "USB-C" ports on the Macs are able to connect both Thunderbolt based devices as well as USB based devices. However, not all USB-C ports on all Macs allow for Thunderbolt with the main exception being the front ports on the low end model Mac Studio (don't recall about the Mac Pro).
Device manufacturers are supposed to label the USB-C ports so that people know which protocol they support, however, many don't always do so. Thunderbolt capable devices are supposed to use a lightning bolt icon near the port or on the USB-C connector of the cable. If there is no lightning bolt icon on the USB-C cable connector on next to the USB-C port of the device, then assume the device is likely utilizing the USB protocol although the device should have what looks like a trident looking icon. To be certain what protocal each USB-C port supports, you should check the manufacturer's documentation. Unfortunately the manufacturer information may be misleading, so if that is the case, then assume the device only supports the USB protocol since the manufacturer would clearly state Thunderbolt otherwise to differentiate their product. Unfortunately Apple does not label their USB-C ports at least on their laptops so the user must know that they are Thunderbolt 3 ports (or Thunderbolt 4 on later models) which also support USB 3 (and 4 on later models). It is really hard to find a good simple article which properly explains this, but here are two that are Ok:
hthttps://www.pcmag.com/news/thunderbolt-3-vs-usb-c-whats-the-difference
https://www.pcmag.com/news/thunderbolt-3-vs-usb-c-whats-the-difference
