How can I connect devices to my MacBook without USB?

There are many ways to go back and forth between USB-C and USB-A. These include

• The Apple USB-C to USB adapter (uses one USB-C port, gives you one USB-A port)
• Powered hubs that give you several USB-A ports and that plug into a USB-C port on your Mac
• USB-C and Thunderbolt docks and hubs that give you several types of things (e.g., a dedicated video port, a few USB-A data ports, a SDXC card slot, and an Ethernet port)

If you are using portable drives that have Micro USB 3.0 B ports on the drives themselves, and that came with Micro USB 3.0 B to USB-A adapter cables, you can get cables that go directly from Micro USB 3.0 B to USB-C, letting you do a simple cable swap instead of plugging the old cable into an adapter.

Can you be more specific?

USB-C connectors are the standard for Apple.

There is 12" MacBook with 1 port (can be confused for charging only) - as it can be used for data as well.

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

Unfortunately, it seems we all need to purchase some sort of docking station, in order to attach peripherals of our choices.

Best

samtenor wrote:

There is 12" MacBook with 1 port (can be confused for charging only) - as it can be used for data as well.

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

All of the 12" Retina MacBooks (Early 2015, Early 2016, 2017) have a single USB-C port. It supports USB and DisplayPort, and is also used for charging the MacBook.

It does not support Thunderbolt, and so if the OP was looking for a dock for such a MacBook, it would need to be a plain USB-C one.

I'm guessing that we are talking about a MacBook Air released within the last six years or so, i.e.. a

• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018 – 2020) or
• M1, M2, or M3 MacBook Air

Those MacBook Airs have USB ports. Their USB ports do not have USB-A connectors. They have USB-C ones (which Apple likes to refer to as Thunderbolt ports). Those USB-C ones support

• Traditional USB
• USB4 20 Gbps and 40 Gbps (M1, M2, and M3 MacBook Airs only)
• DisplayPort
• Thunderbolt

The ports adapt to whatever is plugged into them.

You use USB-A to USB-C adapters. They are about 2/$10 on Amazon and other places and look like this: