Video format
The 3GP format
3GP is a small mobile video format from the feature-phone era. 3GP was defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project in the early 2000s for camera phones on slow mobile networks.
When to use 3GP
You make 3GP only for an old handset; you convert from it to rescue old phone videos.
It is best for very old phones and low-bandwidth playback, and it opens on old phones, VLC and some Android galleries; modern apps often refuse it.
How to open it: VLC plays 3GP files, and so do most Android phones.
| Full name | 3GPP Multimedia |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .3gp, .3g2 |
| MIME type | video/3gpp |
| Introduced | 2003 |
| Compression | Lossy |
| Usually contains | H.263 or H.264 video with AMR or AAC audio |
| Support | Legacy format |
| Typical size | Often just a few MB a minute |
Good at
- Tiny files
Not so good at
- Usually very low resolution
- Many modern players and editors can’t open it
The common mistake
Old 3GP clips often carry AMR audio, which many players can’t decode, so the video plays in silence.
Questions
What is a 3GP file?
3GP (3GPP Multimedia) is a small mobile video format from the feature-phone era. 3GP was defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project in the early 2000s for camera phones on slow mobile networks.
How do I open a 3GP file?
VLC plays 3GP files, and so do most Android phones.
How do I convert 3GP to another format?
Pick the target on this page, or open the Video Converter, drop the 3GP file and choose a format. It converts in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.