Turn 3GP phone videos into MP4
This 3GP to MP4 converter is for the videos trapped on old memory cards and in MMS backups: clips from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and other phones of the 2000s, saved as .3gp or .3g2. Modern phones, browsers and photo apps often show them as a black box or refuse them outright. Converting to MP4 makes them playable, shareable and easy to keep with the rest of your library.
A 3GP file is a close relative of MP4 — both follow the ISO base media file format — so the container is rarely the problem. The codecs are. Phones of that era recorded H.263 or MPEG-4 video with AMR speech audio, which today’s browsers cannot decode. Later phones used H.264 and AAC, which MP4 holds directly. The converter checks which you have, copies what it can and re-encodes only what it must.
How to use the 3GP to MP4 Converter
- Drop the 3GP or 3G2 file onto the box above, or click to choose one. The details table shows its resolution (often 176×144 or 320×240), duration and codecs.
- Read the path label. H.264 clips get a Lossless remux; H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2 or AMR clips need the FFmpeg (WebAssembly) converter.
- For AMR clips where only the picture matters, choose Sound → Remove sound to convert instantly without the converter.
- Press Convert 3GP to MP4 — or Download converter (32 MB) & convert — and follow the progress bar.
- Watch the result in the preview and press Download MP4.
3GP to MP4 Converter features
Lossless when possible
H.264 video and AAC sound are copied into the MP4 without re-encoding, so nothing of the original — already small — quality is lost.
H.263, MPEG-4 and AMR
The classic camera-phone codecs are decoded by ffmpeg.wasm and turned into H.264 video with AAC sound, playable on every current device.
3GP and 3G2
Files from GSM phones (3GPP) and CDMA phones (3GPP2) are recognised by their brand and handled alike.
Stays on your device
Family videos are converted inside your browser tab; nothing is uploaded, stored or watermarked.
Compare before downloading
The original and the MP4 sit side by side, with size, duration and the codecs actually written.
What is inside a typical 3GP file
AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) is a speech codec: it keeps voices clear at a few kilobits per second but has no frequencies above 4 kHz, so music sounds muffled. Converting to AAC keeps it exactly as clear as it was — it cannot add detail that was never recorded.
| Phone era | Video | Audio | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2007 camera phones | H.263, 176×144, 15 fps | AMR-NB, 8 kHz mono | FFmpeg: H.264 + AAC |
| 2006–2010 phones | MPEG-4 Part 2, 320×240 | AMR or AAC | FFmpeg: H.264 + AAC |
| Later feature phones and early smartphones | H.264 | AAC | Lossless remux |
| MMS messages | H.263 or H.264 | AMR | FFmpeg, or remux without sound |
Getting the most out of old phone videos
- Keep the original size. Upscaling a 176×144 clip only makes the blocks bigger; modern players scale it smoothly when you go full screen.
- Convert a whole memory card one file at a time — each conversion takes seconds once the converter is cached.
- To keep just the voices from a clip, extract the sound with Video to MP3 after converting.
- Have AVI clips from a digital camera of the same era? Use AVI to MP4; for Flash videos, FLV to MP4.
How the conversion works
The 3GP file is read with Mediabunny (MPL-2.0), which also writes the MP4. When the codecs are already MP4-compatible, packets are copied across unchanged. Otherwise, after you agree, the page loads ffmpeg.wasm — FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, licensed GPL-2.0-or-later — into its own worker and runs it with a fixed command line. It works on one CPU core, which is plenty for low-resolution phone video.
3GP to MP4 Converter FAQ
How do I convert 3GP to MP4?
Drop the file into this 3GP to MP4 converter and press Convert. H.264 clips are remuxed instantly; H.263 or AMR clips use the FFmpeg converter, which downloads once (32 MB) and is cached for every later file.
Why won’t my old 3GP videos play on my new phone?
Most 3GP clips from the 2000s use H.263 video and AMR audio. Current phones and browsers dropped both, even though they still understand the 3GP container. Converting to H.264 and AAC in an MP4 fixes it.
Will converting improve the quality?
No converter can restore detail a phone camera never captured. The MP4 looks the same as the original, just in a format everything can play.
What is the difference between 3GP and 3G2?
3GP comes from 3GPP, the standards body behind GSM, UMTS and LTE networks; 3G2 comes from 3GPP2, which served CDMA networks. Both are ISO base media files with similar codecs, and this page converts either.
Is it safe to convert private videos here?
Yes. The video never leaves your device: it is opened by your browser and converted in this tab. Only the converter software is downloaded from a public CDN.
Can I convert a 3GP without the 32 MB download?
Yes when the video is H.264. When only the sound is AMR, choose Remove sound and the video is copied straight into an MP4 without FFmpeg.