3GPP to MP4 Converter

How to Convert 3GPP to MP4 Online

1. Upload Your 3GPP Files: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select .3gpp or .3gp clips — old MMS attachments, Nokia/Sony Ericsson/early-Samsung phone recordings, dumped camcorder cards, IMS voicemail saves. Batch is supported; drop a whole folder and each file converts in parallel.
2. Pick Quality Preset or Bitrate Mode: Default is the "Very High (Recommended)" Quality Preset, which keeps the source low-resolution detail intact while transcoding to H.264 inside an MP4 container. Switch to Specific file size to cap output at an exact MB target (useful for re-MMSing or attaching to email), Constant Bitrate for predictable streaming sizes, Variable Bitrate for the smallest file at the same quality, or Constant Quality (CRF) where 18 ≈ lossless, 23 = default, 28 ≈ noticeably smaller.
3. Resize, Re-codec, or Trim (Optional): Under Video resolution, keep original (recommended — upscaling 176×144 to 1080p just adds blur), pick a Preset Resolution, scale by Resolution Percentage, or enter Width × Height. Change the Video codec (H.264 default, H.265/HEVC for smaller files, MPEG-4 for legacy editors) and Audio codec (AAC default, replacing the AMR-NB or AMR-WB voice codec common in 3GPP). Use Trim → Time Range with start time + duration in seconds or HH:MM:SS.sss to clip the recording.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files process in your browser session — no sign-up, no watermark, no email. Download individually or as a ZIP.

Why Convert 3GPP to MP4?

The 3GP file format (extensions .3gp and .3gpp) was defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project for GSM-based 3G handsets and registered with IANA in RFC 3839 (July 2004). It was designed to shrink storage and bandwidth requirements so video could ride over 2G/3G cellular links and through the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). 3GP and MP4 are both built on the ISO base media file format (ISO/IEC 14496-12), so structurally they're cousins — but 3GP restricts itself to a narrow codec set (typically H.263 or MPEG-4 Part 2 video with AMR-NB/AMR-WB audio; later releases added H.264 and AAC), while MP4 (ISO/IEC 14496-14, standardized 2003) plays on everything modern. Common reasons to convert:

• Old MMS or feature-phone recordings won't play on modern devices — iPhones since iOS 11 and recent Android builds don't always recognise AMR audio inside a .3gp container, and Windows Media Player has never supported AMR natively. Re-wrapping to MP4 with H.264 video + AAC audio fixes silent or refused-to-open playback in one pass.
• Sharing old Nokia / Sony Ericsson / early Samsung clips — Phones from the Nokia N-series, Sony Ericsson W-series, and early Samsung feature phones (roughly 2003-2010) recorded directly to 3GP at 176×144 (QCIF) or 352×288 (CIF). Converting preserves the recording in a format every modern device, browser, and social network accepts.
• Editing on modern software — DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, CapCut, and Shotcut all import MP4 natively; many refuse 3GP or quietly drop the AMR audio track on import. Convert first to keep audio + video together.
• Recovered camera-card or carrier-voicemail saves — Network operators historically used 3GP for IMS voicemail and operator-side video voicemail. Files exported from carrier portals often arrive as .3gpp and need conversion before they'll open in QuickTime, Photos, or the Windows Movies & TV app.
• Attachment limits and modern messaging — Re-encoding to H.264 or H.265 cuts size further; the resulting MP4 fits comfortably under Discord's 10 MB free cap, Gmail's 25 MB attachment limit, and WhatsApp's 16 MB media cap.
• Long-term archive — MP4 has been an ISO standard since 2003 and remains the dominant video container 23 years later. 3GP/3GPP is a frozen mobile-era spec with declining native support; archiving as MP4 future-proofs the footage.

3GPP vs 3GP vs 3G2 vs MP4 — Format Comparison

Codec Choice Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between .3gp and .3gpp?

They're aliases for the same container. The 3GPP specification (TS 26.244) registers video/3gpp and audio/3gpp MIME types in RFC 3839, and both .3gp and .3gpp are recognised filename extensions (with .3gp being the more common one in the wild). The underlying ISO BMFF structure, codecs, and metadata are identical — XConvert treats them interchangeably.

Will converting improve the video quality?

No, and that's not what the conversion does. 3GPP recordings from feature-phone-era handsets are typically 176×144 (QCIF) or 352×288 (CIF) at 15 fps — that detail simply isn't in the source file. Converting to MP4 changes the container and (optionally) the codec so the file plays on modern devices and editors. Upscaling to 1080p won't add resolution that wasn't captured; it just enlarges blurry pixels. Keep original resolution for the most honest output.

My 3GPP file plays video but has no sound after converting. Why?

Most 3GPP recordings use AMR-NB (narrowband) or AMR-WB (wideband) audio — voice codecs designed for cellular calls, not general media playback. MP4 (per ISO/IEC 14496-14) does not officially register AMR as an audio codec, so the conversion needs to transcode the audio track. XConvert defaults the Audio codec to AAC, which handles the AMR → AAC re-encode automatically and gives you a sound-bearing MP4 that plays in QuickTime, Photos, and Windows Movies & TV.

How is 3GPP different from 3G2?

3GPP (.3gp/.3gpp) was defined for GSM-based 3G phones (the global UMTS network that became the dominant 3G standard). 3G2 (.3g2/.3gpp2) was defined by 3GPP2 for CDMA2000-based 3G phones, used primarily by Verizon, Sprint, and several Asian carriers. Both are built on the same ISO base media file format. 3G2 adds CDMA-specific voice codecs (EVRC, QCELP, SMV, VMR-WB) and drops AMR-WB+. For a CDMA-side conversion see 3G2 to MP4; for the bare .3gp flavor see 3GP to MP4.

Can I extract just the audio from a 3GPP file?

Yes — see 3GPP to MP3. The output keeps the original AMR voice recording transcoded to MP3, useful when you want a voicemail or recording without the video track.

Why do my MMS-recovered 3GPP files look so blocky?

MMS imposed strict size limits (typically 100-300 KB per message in the 3G era) and carriers transcoded video aggressively before delivery. By the time a 3GPP file reaches your phone it may be 176×144 at very low bitrate. Converting to MP4 preserves what's there; it can't recover bits the carrier discarded. For best playback, keep original resolution and accept that the source is what it is.

Will old Nokia N-series and Sony Ericsson recordings convert?

Yes. Phones from roughly 2003-2010 that recorded .3gp files (Nokia N70, N73, N95; Sony Ericsson W800, W810, K750; early Samsung feature phones; early Android phones pre-2012) all used the same 3GPP container with H.263 or MPEG-4 Part 2 video and AMR audio. XConvert reads all those codec combinations and outputs a standard MP4.

Can I trim the video while converting?

Yes. Under Trim, select Time Range and enter start time and duration in seconds (e.g., 5.5) or HH:MM:SS.sss format (00:00:30.500). Trimming during conversion is much faster than converting then trimming separately — it skips the unwanted footage before re-encoding. For more advanced editing see Video Cutter.

Can I batch convert multiple 3GPP files at once?

Yes. Upload as many 3GPP/3GP files as you want and apply the same settings to all, or configure per-file options. Files process in parallel within your browser and download individually or as a single ZIP — useful when transferring a whole folder of old phone recordings.

Do I need to install anything?

No. Conversion runs in your browser session — no plugin, no desktop app, no account, no email. Files stay local until you choose to download them. If you also need the reverse direction, see 3GPP to AVI or 3GPP to 3GP for sibling conversions, and Compress MP4 if the resulting file still needs to shrink to hit an attachment cap.