┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : 3rd Generation Partnership Project
│ CATEGORY : Video
│ MIME TYPE : video/3gpp
│ MAGIC BYTES : 00000014667479703367
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘
What is a 3GP file?
3GP is a multimedia container format defined by the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) for mobile phones. It was designed to reduce storage and bandwidth requirements for video over 3G networks. The format uses MPEG-4 Part 14 as its base.
How to open 3GP files
- VLC Media Player (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free
- Windows Media Player (Windows) — With codec pack
- QuickTime Player (macOS) — Basic support
- MPV (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Lightweight
Technical specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Container | MPEG-4 Part 14 variant |
| Video Codecs | H.263, H.264, MPEG-4 Part 2 |
| Audio Codecs | AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC |
| Max Resolution | Typically 176×144 to 720×480 |
| Streaming | RTSP protocol support |
Programs that open 3GP files
- VLC Media Player — Universal media player
- FFmpeg — Command-line conversion
- HandBrake — Free video transcoder
- Any Video Converter — GUI converter
Common use cases
- Mobile video: Legacy phone recordings (pre-smartphone)
- MMS messages: Video in multimedia messages
- Low-bandwidth streaming: Video over slow connections