Connecting thumb drives to new MacBookAir

Here's a photo of the Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter with a USB-A thumb drive plugged into it:

The USB-A socket end of the adapter looks like this:

The little rectangular piece of plastic is to keep you from being able to fully insert a USB-A plug if you try to put it in the wrong way.

Here's the USB-C end that would plug into a USB-C / USB4 / Thunderbolt port on a recent Mac. The plug is small and rounded and reversible – if you plug it in "upside down", the computer will figure that out and make it work, so there's no need for a little plastic insert like there is with USB-A.

Here's a thumb drive that has both USB-A (right) and USB-C (left) connectors. You can't use the thumb drive as a USB-C to USB-A converter, but having both USB-A and USB-C means that you can use whichever one happens to be most convenient at the time.

(E.g., your computer might have USB-C ports … but a digital photo kiosk at a store might have USB-A ones.)

linda pfromolympia wrote:

I purchased the Apple USB-C adapter when I bought new MacBook Air laptop. I have thumb drives containing photos. The thumb drives do not fit into the adapter. They are smaller than the USB end. What do I need?

What connector do the thumb drives have. If they are usbc thumb drives just plug them into the usbc port on the Mac. If they have usb-a connectors, use a usb-a to usbc adaptor.

linda pfromolympia wrote:

OK - I understand. Sounds like I need to purchase another adapter. This laptop only has what I think are called Thunderbolt drives. So the USB-A plugs directly into the Thunderbolt drive & my thumb drive into it.

Is that correct?

No. The MacBook Air has two multi-function ports, with USB-C connectors, that support

• Charging
• DisplayPort
• Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40 Gb/s)
• USB4 (up to 40 Gb/s)
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gb/s)

When you plug something into one of those ports, the Mac and the accessory negotiate which protocol(s) to use. Thumb drives have no idea about Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3, or USB4 (yet). They're going to want to "speak" USB 2, USB 3, or USB 3.1 Gen 2.

That will be true whether the thumb drives

• Have USB-A plugs (only) – in which case, you'll need some sort of USB-C to USB-A adapter
• Have USB-C plugs (only) – in which case, you can plug them in directly
• Have both USB-A and USB-C plugs (like a thumb drive I have on my keychain) – in which case, you can plug in the USB-C ends directly

Apple likes to call the ports Thunderbolt ports – because Thunderbolt is an optional, high-end feature (found on virtually every Mac that has a USB-C port), and they like to show it off for marketing purposes. But a lot of your everyday uses (like connecting a USB thumb drive, or connecting a monitor with a resolution of 4K or less) don't involve Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is just something that's nice to have in reserve for when you do need it.

The Macbook Air has usbc ports (thunderbird, usb 4). Naming terminology is confusing.

linda pfromolympia wrote:

Thank you.

It's all confusing to me; but I'm trying. (Thunderbird, thunderbolt - I had the 'thunder' part correct. LOL)

I'm a retired & a widow - trying to figure this out on my own:-)

I appreciate the picture. Now when I purchase the adapter I will be speaking the correct terminology.

Thank you for your help!!

The terminology has me confused as well. I meant thunderbolt not thunderbird.

linda pfromolympia wrote:

Thank you for your answers & pictures. They are very helpful.

I tried my USB-C adapter again. I had to really push the thumb drive in. It did fit. I feel rather silly that I didn't try harder, but I thought it would slip right in.

Don't feel silly. I've been there, too. Especially with thumb drives that have sliding covers or retractable plugs. You have to hold those just the right way – or else the push closes up the thumb drive, instead of seating it into the USB-A socket on the Apple adapter.

If your thumb drive has a usbc connector it will plug directly into your Mac. If the thumb drive is usba you will need a usba to usbc adaptor. You do not need two adapters chained together.