3gp extension. Video formats for mobile devices. What is the .3GP file format used for?


The 3GP format is already a thing of the past, but today its echoes are still heard. This video format was popular in older phone models, produced in 2005-2010. Modern phones have already switched to other formats, but while the old models are in service, you may need to download 3GP Media Player for Windows 10, otherwise you will not be able to view videos from older phones.

Download 3GP Media Player – video player for mobile formats

The 3GP format was abandoned due to its quality. Today, phones take pictures of much better quality, which means that a weak format simply won’t suit them. Video of this format typical for phones with cameras up to 3 megapixels, and such models are already very rare. However, if you want to open videos from your archive, or you are using an old phone even today, 3GP Media Player may come in handy. The player is designed only for mobile formats and was released in 2010. So it’s not surprising that the list of supported formats does not include some modern ones. This video player will be able to play the following formats:
  • MPEG-4;
As you yourself understand, the range of supported formats in 3GP Media Player is very meager. So the player obviously cannot become your main player. But for mobile video, this format is ideal. It efficiently uses the resources of your Windows 10 32/64 bit device and partially improves video quality. Modern devices often experience problems with older formats, but not in the case of .3gp if you have a specialized player.

But if you want a universal player, then we recommend that you download modern solution. For example, it will allow you to run not only 3gp, but also dozens of other formats. The downside of modern players is that they are not designed for outdated formats, and sometimes there can be problems. For example, that a modern player will not open an old video, but an old player, such as 3GP Media Player in Russian, will open it. Another advantage of this player is that it works also on tablets, and is also available for free download.

How to open a 3gp file?

The 3gp format was created for playing video from mobile phone. 3gp can be classified as a simplified version of MPEG-4 Part 14. The purpose of creating 3gp using this template was to reduce the size of video files.
As you understand, files created in this format are not of superior quality - it makes no sense to compare them with the simplest videos created on a PC. So the video size can be either 128x96 or 176x144, which is much smaller than on any PC. Maximum frequency for this format is 15 frames per second.
Often, many people encounter a problem - the inability to open video or audio created in 3gp format on a PC. You should not try to open it through standard players and assume that the problem is in the computer. In order to open a 3gp file you will need to install special codecs. Below is a list of programs that can open absolutely any file in 3gp format:

  1. Quick time player. This player overcompresses the file size, which leads to its growth or deterioration in quality. To open a file in this program:
  2. a) Open the program.
    b) Run the file->export command.
    c) Find the options button in the lower right corner and click “Next”. After this, you will need to select the settings as you wish.
  3. ImTOO 3GP Video Converter. The program converts 3GP to any other format. The converter allows you to set settings “manually” and change the video quality at your discretion.
  4. Mobile Media Converter. The program converts videos made on a mobile phone into formats that can be viewed on a PC. The program's very simple interface makes it easy and fast to work with.
  5. VLC Media Player. A multifunctional media player that has a huge number installed components inside yourself.
  6. Apple QuickTime Player. A new multifunction player that can how to open a 3GP file, so, and edit it.
  7. Total Video Converter. Shareware is a free program that can convert completely different video and audio formats.

The 3GP format appeared relatively recently. There are not many programs that could reproduce it without problems. Basically, these are converters that can not only compress, but also degrade video. From this we can conclude that it is impossible to obtain high-quality video from a mobile phone. We hope that you have received the answer to the question: “ How to open 3GP?", and you won't have any problems with it.

Are you having trouble opening .3GP files? We collect information about file formats and we can tell you what 3GP files are needed for. Additionally, we recommend programs that are most suitable for opening or converting such files.

What is the .3GP file format used for?

Files with the extension .3gp are multimedia containers for creating, storing and delivering audio and video data to mobile devices Oh. They reduce the size of the original media files and thus minimize the use of bandwidth and storage space.

The 3GP file extension refers to the "third generation" of high-speed communications networks, which allows rich multimedia content to be transferred quickly and efficiently. As the extension itself indicates, files .3gp are used mainly on wireless devices third generation, although they are also supported by some 2G and 4G phones.



Unlike some popular video formats, 3GP allows you to save audio and video streams in a single file. Typically, video is stored in MP4 format and audio in AMR format.

If you are looking for a way to open videos created using your mobile phone .3gp on your computer or, conversely, copy your favorite movies from DVD to a 3GP-compatible phone, you can install a special software player or video converter.

Programs for opening or converting 3GP files

You can open 3GP files with the following programs: 

The 3GP extension refers to a group of multimedia files and is used to play videos. The basis for creating 3GP was the MOV format, which is used in MacOS.

Where is the 3GP extension found?

Thanks to a simplified image encoding system, the 3GP format is used in mobile technology for recording and playing video. The extension significantly degrades the image quality, but reduces the final file size.

As a rule, in the camera settings of any smartphone you can select the video recording quality. Among the list of proposed formats there is always 3GP. The extension is cross-platform - it can be played on any computer or phone, regardless of the installed operating system. It only requires a media player that recognizes the format.

Programs for viewing 3GP

To view 3GP use the following programs:

  • KMPlayer, Windows Video, Groove Music, Xilisoft Video for Windows OS;
  • Adobe Animate CC, Apple QuickTime, MPlayer for Windows, Mac OS and Linux;
  • MXPlayer, KMPlayer for Android;
  • OPlayer for devices based on iOS.

You can convert the 3GP format using online converters to MP4, MP3 AVI, FLV and others extensions.

Format playback error

If the player does not play the 3GP format, you should download one of the above programs or install a codec to recognize the extension. A codec is a format decoder. It unpacks the file and converts it into a player-readable format. You can download codecs for the player you are using on the official website of the program developer.

You can solve the problem of loading codecs using KMPlayer. The developers of the multimedia player have released a free software package K-Lite Codec, which allows you to play more than 100 formats of audio and video content.

The 3gp file is being developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for third generation devices, primarily smartphones with low resolution and small screen size, as well as weak central and GPU. Due to a higher compression ratio, 3gp files take up less disk space than other formats for storing video, but this is also a minus of 3gp - the quality of video and sound deteriorates. 3gp is open format, and anyone can take part in the development. Videos in 3gp format can be opened by any player, a list of the best of them is presented below.

What free programs can open a 3gp file?

  1. – media player from apple. The interface is as simple and convenient as possible, with the main menu at the top, the playback area in the middle, and the control panel at the bottom, which contains volume control and playback control buttons, nothing superfluous. The functionality is also excellent, supporting 40 formats, including karaoke.
  2. – another free tool for viewing media files. The simplest interface does not distract from viewing, and the presence of built-in codecs will make you forget about searching for them on the Internet - everything is in the program. But if you still were unable to open the video, then you can always find a module or codec on the Internet.
  3. – a free utility for viewing media of all formats*582 The program has a very good “Output to TV” function, in which case a second monitor or TV screen will be allocated for playback, while the main one will remain for operating system. When you first launch the program, you will be able to select codecs, configure video output, and configure the display of subtitles.
  4. – a free player that works on all systems in two versions – console and graphical. At the same time, graphical shells are often provided by individual developers, for example KMPlayer is just a graphical add-on for MPlayer. MPlayer also has a convenient function: it remembers where playback stopped when the program is closed and, when opened the next time, continues from the same place.
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