3G2 to MOV Converter

How to Convert 3G2 to MOV Online

1. Upload Your 3G2 Files: Drag and drop, or click "Add Files" to select 3G2 or 3GP recordings from your phone backup, SD card, or computer. Batch conversion is supported, so you can queue an entire folder of old CDMA mobile videos at once.
2. Pick Quality Preset and Codec: The default is "Very High (Recommended)" with H.264 video and AAC audio — the safest combination for QuickTime, iMovie, and Final Cut Pro. Switch to H.265 for ~50% smaller files on Apple Silicon Macs and iPhone 7 or later. For Final Cut Pro editing, set Video Codec to ProRes 422 or ProRes 422 LT to drop the long-GOP H.264 stream from a 3G2 in favor of an edit-friendly intra-frame codec.
3. Set Resolution, Bitrate, or Trim (Optional): Keep original resolution to avoid scaling artifacts on already-low-res CDMA footage, or pick a Preset Resolution from 144p up to 4320p. Use Resolution Percentage to scale by a fixed factor, or set Width and Height with "Keep aspect ratio" enabled. Switch from Quality Preset to Constant Bitrate, Variable Bitrate, Constant Quality, or a Specific file size target. Use Trim with a Time Range to extract only the seconds you need.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files process in your browser session — no sign-up, no watermark, and your originals never leave your device unencrypted. Download each MOV individually or as a single ZIP.

Why Convert 3G2 to MOV?

3G2 (3GPP2) is a mobile video container defined in January 2004 for CDMA2000 networks — the format that Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular, and Japan's KDDI/au phones used to record clips before MP4 became universal. Like MOV, it is structurally based on the ISO base media file format (MPEG-4 Part 12), so the underlying H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, or H.264 video stream can be remuxed into MOV without re-encoding when codecs match. Converting to MOV gives you a container Apple's built-in tools treat as native.

• QuickTime Player playback — QuickTime documents 3GPP2 support, but real-world results vary by codec and audio stream (EVRC, QCELP, SMV, and VMR-WB are CDMA-specific voice codecs that QuickTime cannot decode). Converting to MOV with H.264 + AAC eliminates ambiguity.
• iMovie and Final Cut Pro import — iMovie's accepted-formats list does not include 3GPP2, so a raw 3G2 typically appears greyed out in the import sheet. A MOV with H.264 video and AAC audio imports cleanly; ProRes 422 LT (~102 Mbps) is the recommended intermediate for Final Cut Pro timelines.
• iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV sharing — AirDrop, Messages, and Photos handle MOV containers without prompting for an external player. 3G2 attachments often fall back to "no preview available."
• Archiving CDMA-era recordings — Old Verizon BlackBerry or Sprint feature-phone clips are typically 176×144 (QCIF) or 320×240 at sub-1 Mbps. Repackaging into MOV preserves bit-for-bit video while making the asset compatible with Time Machine, iCloud Photos, and Photos.app.
• Removing CDMA voice codecs — If your 3G2 carries an EVRC or QCELP audio stream, most non-mobile players output silence. Converting forces a re-encode to AAC, which every modern device decodes.
• Editing in DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro — Both editors prefer MOV with ProRes for proxy workflows; 3G2 is unsupported on the free Resolve tier on macOS.

3G2 vs MOV — Format Comparison

Codec & Quality Quick Guide

ProRes data rates are Apple's published targets at 1920×1080 @ 29.97 fps and scale with resolution and frame rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won't my 3G2 file open in QuickTime Player even though Apple says 3GPP2 is supported?

QuickTime documents 3GPP2 container support, but the audio stream usually decides whether playback works. CDMA voice codecs — EVRC, EVRC-B, EVRC-WB, QCELP (13K), SMV, and VMR-WB — were never licensed for desktop QuickTime, so a 3G2 carrying those streams typically plays video without audio, or fails outright. Converting to MOV with H.264 + AAC bypasses the codec gap entirely.

Will the conversion improve my video quality?

No. Conversion cannot recover detail that was never recorded. A typical 3G2 from a Verizon flip phone is 176×144 or 320×240 at well under 1 Mbps; the output MOV will look identical at the original size. You can upscale to a preset resolution (480p, 720p) for fewer scaling artifacts on a 4K display, but pixel detail will not appear from nothing.

Should I pick H.264, H.265, or ProRes for the MOV output?

Pick H.264 for universal playback (any Mac since 2008, every iOS device, every web browser). Pick H.265 for ~50% smaller files when you only need to play on Apple Silicon Macs or iPhone 7+. Pick ProRes 422 or 422 LT only if you plan to edit in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve — ProRes files are ~10× larger than H.264 but are intra-frame, which means scrubbing and trimming are fast.

Can iMovie import 3G2 directly?

iMovie's documented accepted-formats list does not include 3GPP2, and CDMA-era 3G2 files commonly appear greyed out in the import sheet. Apple's recommended workaround is to convert to a supported container — MOV with H.264 + AAC works in every iMovie release since iMovie '11.

What's the difference between 3G2 and 3GP?

3G2 was standardized by 3GPP2 for CDMA2000 networks (US: Verizon, Sprint; Japan: KDDI/au). 3GP was standardized by 3GPP for GSM networks (US: AT&T, T-Mobile; rest of world). The containers are nearly identical — both descend from MPEG-4 Part 12 — but 3G2 supports the CDMA-specific voice codecs (EVRC, QCELP, SMV, VMR-WB) that 3GP does not, and 3GP supports newer audio codecs (HE-AACv2, AMR-WB+) that 3G2 does not. xconvert accepts both — see 3GP to MOV for the GSM equivalent.

Can I trim a 3G2 during conversion to skip the dead-air intro?

Yes. Set Trim to "Time Range" and enter a start time and duration in seconds or HH:MM:SS.sss. Only the selected segment is encoded into the output MOV, which also reduces output file size. For frame-accurate cuts on existing MOVs you can also use Video Cutter afterwards.

Do I have to keep the original resolution?

No. The converter defaults to "Keep original" so a 320×240 phone clip stays 320×240, but you can pick any Preset Resolution from 144p up to 4320p, scale by a percentage, or enter a custom Width × Height with "Keep aspect ratio" enabled. Upscaling does not add detail; it just sets the pixel dimensions of the output frame.

Is there a file size limit, and are my files private?

3G2 files are tiny by modern standards — typically under 10 MB even for several minutes — so the per-file cap rarely matters. Files process in your browser session and are not retained after the workflow completes; nothing is shared with third parties.

What if I want MP4 instead of MOV for cross-platform sharing?

Use 3G2 to MP4. MP4 and MOV share the same MPEG-4 Part 12 base, so the conversion is essentially a remux when codecs match. Pick MOV when the destination is Apple-native (Final Cut Pro, QuickTime, iCloud Photos); pick MP4 when the destination is mixed (Windows, Android, web upload).