I thought my car's USB port was just for charging until I discovered what else it could do

Published Oct 27, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT Dhruv Bhutani has been writing about consumer technology since 2008, offering deep insights into the personal technology landscape through features and opinion pieces. He writes for XDA-Developers, where he focuses on topics like productivity, networking, self-hosting, and more. Over the years, his work has also appeared in leading publications such as Android Police, Android Authority, CNET, PCMag, and more. Outside of his professional work, Dhruv is an avid fan of horror media spanning films and literature, enjoys fitness activities, collects vinyl records, and plays the guitar. My car's USB port doesn't always get much use. For the most part, I've switched to the 12V socket and a hub for faster charging. So lately, I've been thinking about ways to use that extra port. Sure, charging is one option, but there have to be more ways to use it. Turns out there is. From playing music stored on a flash drive to connecting an old iPod, it solves a few problems that I hadn't even thought of. Here's everything you need to know. My car's USB port lets me use my iPod in the car USB gives me better controls than an auxiliary cable I'm one of the few who never stopped using iPods for listening to music. Yes, I'm aware that Apple's old-school music player is back in fashion, but for me, it never went away. But when I'm in my car, I want to bring that same music with me. I'd previously connected my iPod to my car with a 3.5mm audio cable, but that meant I didn't have access to any controls, and the audio quality wasn't quite as good as it could be. Surely there has to be a better way. That's where the car's USB port comes in. On a lark, I plugged my iPod into the car's USB port and switched to the USB input in my car's infotainment system. As it turns out, my car supports connecting to the iPod as a music player. All I have to do is plug in my iPod, and it can pull up my artists, albums, genres, tracks, and more right there on the infotainment system. This gives me a full-fledged offline music library in my pocket that I can play in my car. That said, keep in mind this won't work with every car. I have an older car that still supports the Made for iPod protocol so that it can communicate with the iPod, but many newer cars no longer support it. Instead, they may recognize the iPod as a hard drive. USB-powered LED strips can add ambient lighting to an older car A USB flash drive is a versatile way to add an offline library to your car Credit: Credit: iPods are cool, but they're far from the most convenient way to carry music around in 2026. If you want to carry your offline music library around, a USB flash drive is a solid solution. All you have to do is copy a selection of albums, playlists, or even audiobooks, plug it into your car's USB port, and select USB media as your input. Even if I'm using Spotify, I keep a USB drive full of favorites plugged into my car's USB port for when I lose internet connectivity. As a fan of live albums and bootlegs, most of which are not available on streaming, this is also how I'm able to listen to my favorite Rush concerts while driving down the expressway. But I digress. It's a solid backup with the added benefit of impeccable audio quality that streaming services can't match. Of course, a car's USB port isn't only for music playback. The obvious one is wired Android Auto. It gives me a more reliable connection to the car's infotainment system and reduces battery strain. It also prevents my phone from overheating during wireless charging. It's a no-brainer for long drives. Elsewhere, I'm a fan of ambient lighting in cars, but unfortunately, my car is just a bit too old for it. So, I've experimented with adding USB-powered LED strips around the front of the console. Is it deeply integrated into the car? No, of course not. But does it work? Absolutely. There's no shortage of things to experiment with. Lately, you can even buy USB-powered vacuum cleaners to clean up bits of dirt and debris in your car. That's one experiment that I wasn't too fond of, and I went back to a 12V-powered car vacuum cleaner for the extra power. Your car's USB port is more useful than it looks A USB port isn't the most glamorous piece of tech in a car, but it's one of the most versatile. From expanding your media options to enabling features like flash drive-based playback, there's a lot to like. But it gets even better. With low-powered USB tchotchkes like LED light strips or a car vacuum cleaner, you can build a surprisingly versatile in-car setup with almost zero friction. It takes no extra wiring beyond plugging into a USB cable, adds no extra strain on your car, and is completely reversible when you're done. What's not to like here? USB-C Universal Cable with Kevlar Nomad’s 1.5-meter white USB-C cable combines Kevlar reinforcement, a durable nylon weave, and metal connectors for everyday use. It supports charging up to 240W with compatible devices and chargers, while an integrated silicone tie keeps it tidy between uses.