AV1 to 3G2 Converter

AV1 to 3G2 Converter

A raw .av1 file is a video-only AV1 elementary stream — the modern, royalty-free codec from the Alliance for Open Media. .3g2 is the 3GPP2 mobile container built for old CDMA2000 handsets, carrying H.263 or MPEG-4 video alongside AMR or AAC audio. This converter re-encodes AV1 down into that legacy container for the narrow case where you still need to feed an old CDMA phone or an MMS-style workflow.

This is a downscale, not an upgrade. If you are targeting any phone made in the last decade, convert AV1 to MP4 instead — MP4 plays everywhere and keeps far more quality at the same file size. Only reach for 3G2 if a specific legacy device or pipeline demands the .3g2 extension.

AV1 (Source) at a Glance

3G2 (Output) at a Glance

How to Convert AV1 to 3G2

1. Upload Your AV1 File: Drag and drop your .av1 file onto the page or click "+ Add Files". You can queue several files and convert them with the same settings.
2. Set the Quality Preset: Open Advanced Options and choose a Quality Preset (the default "Very High" is recommended), or switch to Constant Quality / Specific file size if you need to hit a tight size target for the device.
3. Pick a Preset Resolution: Under Video resolution, choose a small Preset Resolution such as 240p or 144p — the preset list is height-only, so the width follows your source's aspect ratio; type 320 × 240 or 176 × 144 into Width × Height if the handset needs those exact dimensions. If you pick the H.263 codec, note it accepts only 128×96, 176×144, 352×288, 704×576 and 1408×1152, and our layer snaps anything else to the largest of those that fits — so 320 × 240 becomes 176 × 144 there; H.264 and MPEG-4 take any even size. Legacy 3G2 handsets expect low resolutions, so keeping the original 1080p frame size wastes space and may not play back.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert and download your .3g2 file. No sign-up, no watermark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 3G2 still worth converting to in 2026?

For most people, no. 3G2 was built for CDMA2000 networks, and the major CDMA networks have shut down — Verizon ended its CDMA service on December 31, 2022. Convert to 3G2 only if you have a specific legacy handset, emulator, or archival workflow that requires the .3g2 extension. For any modern phone, MP4 is the better target.

Will my AV1 file have sound after converting to 3G2?

Only if your source already carries an audio track. A raw .av1 elementary stream is video-only by design — AV1 OBUs do not include audio — so if your input is a bare .av1, the resulting 3G2 will be silent. If your file already muxes audio with the AV1 video, the converter encodes that audio to an AMR or AAC track that 3G2 supports.

What is the difference between 3G2 and 3GP?

Both are ISO-base-media containers and share most video and audio codecs, but 3GP (3GPP) was designed for GSM/UMTS phones while 3G2 (3GPP2) was designed for CDMA2000 phones. 3G2 adds CDMA-specific speech codecs like QCELP and EVRC, and unlike 3GP it does not support HE-AAC v2 or AMR-WB+. If your device is GSM-based, convert to 3GP instead.

Why does the output look lower quality than my AV1 file?

3G2 relies on older codecs (H.263 or MPEG-4 Part 2) at low mobile resolutions, so it cannot match AV1's compression efficiency. Going from a modern high-resolution AV1 clip to a small 3G2 file is inherently lossy — detail is discarded to fit the legacy format. To preserve quality, keep an MP4 copy and use 3G2 only for the legacy device.

Is my file safe during conversion?

Yes. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared or made public.

How large can my upload be?

The practical limit is upload size and time rather than your device, since processing happens on our servers. In our testing, a one-minute 1080p AV1 clip downscaled to a 320x240 3G2 file finished in well under a minute on a normal connection; very large source files mainly take longer to upload.

Why can't I just rename my AV1 file to .3g2?

Because the extension does not change the data inside. A 3G2 file must contain video in H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2, or H.264/AVC inside an ISO base media structure; AV1 is not part of the 3GPP2 specification. Renaming leaves an AV1 stream in the file, which a 3G2 player cannot decode — the video has to be re-encoded, which is what this converter does.

What frame size should I choose for a 3G2 file?

Legacy CDMA handsets were built around small frames, so QCIF (176x144) and QVGA (320x240) are the safe targets. Typing one of these into Width x Height keeps the file small and playable — the Preset Resolutions list only sets a height, so the width would follow your source's aspect ratio; leaving a modern 1080p frame size wastes space and may exceed what an old device can decode.

Can a modern phone still play a 3G2 file?

Often not out of the box. 3G2 was tied to CDMA-era hardware, and current iOS and Android builds no longer prioritize it, so playback is inconsistent. On the desktop, VLC opens 3G2 reliably. If you need something a current phone plays without extra apps, convert to MP4 instead.