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Door staff@engadget.com (Jackson Chen) - 05 Oct 2026
As much sense as a battery icon makes, USB PD has somewhat of an identity crisis when it comes to the symbol that represents it. According to the USB Implementers Forum, the nonprofit corporation that created and set the official USB standards, the official symbol is a battery shape made with negative space.
USB Implementers Forum
Members of the USB Implementers Forum include Apple, Microsoft and HP, but not all companies align with how they indicate that a USB port is equipped with the Power Delivery charging protocol. Across devices, there can be the official battery symbol from the USB Implementers Forum, a different battery logo, a lightning bolt (not to be confused with the Thunderbolt symbol) or even simply the letters "PD" to indicate that it's a USB PD port. On top of that, some companies will have USB ports that are compatible with the USB PD protocol but don't indicate it, like Apple's Thunderbolt ports for its MacBooks. If in doubt, it's best to check the manufacturer's specifications in a user manual.
USB Implementers Forum
Members of the USB Implementers Forum include Apple, Microsoft and HP, but not all companies align with how they indicate that a USB port is equipped with the Power Delivery charging protocol. Across devices, there can be the official battery symbol from the USB Implementers Forum, a different battery logo, a lightning bolt (not to be confused with the Thunderbolt symbol) or even simply the letters "PD" to indicate that it's a USB PD port. On top of that, some companies will have USB ports that are compatible with the USB PD protocol but don't indicate it, like Apple's Thunderbolt ports for its MacBooks. If in doubt, it's best to check the manufacturer's specifications in a user manual.