What is 3GP?

3GP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) is a simplified version of MP4 designed for mobile phones with limited processing power and storage. It uses highly compressed codecs like H.263 (older phones) or H.264 (newer phones) for video and AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) or AAC for audio. 3GP files are typically small (1-10 MB per minute) with low resolutions (176×144 to 320×240).

3GP was the standard format for mobile phone video recording and MMS (multimedia messaging) in the 2000s-2010s. Early smartphones, feature phones, and basic mobile cameras all used 3GP. While largely replaced by MP4 on modern smartphones, 3GP is still used in some regions with older mobile networks and remains important for legacy video compatibility.

Did you know? 3GP was designed to work over 2G/3G mobile networks with limited bandwidth!

History

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project created 3GP to enable video and multimedia on early mobile phones with limited capabilities.

Key Milestones

  • 1998: 3GPP founded for 3G standards
  • 2000: 3GP format specified
  • 2003: Mobile phones adopt video recording
  • 2005: MMS uses 3GP for video
  • 2010: Smartphones begin using MP4
  • Present: Legacy format on older devices

Key Features

Core Capabilities

  • Small Files: Optimized for mobile storage
  • Low Bandwidth: Efficient streaming
  • H.263/H.264: Mobile video codecs
  • AMR Audio: Optimized voice compression
  • MMS Compatible: Multimedia messaging
  • Universal: All phones supported it

Common Use Cases

Mobile Recording

Phone camera videos

MMS Messages

Video messaging

Feature Phones

Legacy device videos

Low Bandwidth

2G/3G network streaming

Advantages

  • Extremely small file sizes
  • Low bandwidth requirements
  • Universal mobile support
  • Efficient for voice/video calls
  • MMS compatible
  • Works on old devices
  • Fast encoding/decoding

Disadvantages

  • Very low video quality
  • Limited resolution (typically 240p)
  • Outdated codecs
  • Poor audio quality
  • Not supported by modern apps
  • Legacy format

Technical Information

Format Specifications

Specification Details
File Extension .3gp, .3g2
MIME Type video/3gpp, audio/3gpp
Video Codec H.263, H.264, MPEG-4
Audio Codec AMR, AMR-WB, AAC
Typical Resolution 176×144 to 320×240
File Size 1-10 MB per minute

Common Tools

  • Players: VLC, MPC-HC, QuickTime
  • Converters: HandBrake, FFmpeg, Format Factory
  • Mobile: MX Player, VLC for Android/iOS
  • Editors: Adobe Premiere (import), Movavi