How to Convert MP4 to 3GP for Old Mobile Compatibility

3GP is a video container format primarily used on 3G mobile phones. It’s intended to save disk space and bandwidth for easy transfer and storage. While MP4 is the most popular video format today, its modern codecs and higher resolutions make it incompatible with those early devices. This guide will show you the best ways to convert MP4 to 3GP for playback on old phones.

 Cisdem Video Converter

Best MP4 to 3GP Video Converter for PC & Mac

• Convert MP4 or any other video to 3GP
• Customize video/audio paramerters and quality
• Offer device presets for Androids, iPhones, game consoles, etc.
• Batch conversion
• Trim, crop, and merge videos
• Also download online videos and rip video DVD/BD discs
• Secure and fast offline conversion

Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 Free Download macOS 10.13 or later

Best Parameter Settings for 3GP

Before we dive into the steps, here’s the best 3GP output settings you can use with all the converter tools.

Key Notes:

• H.263+AMR-NB are the default 3GP codecs for max compatibility, but the quality will be reduced. MPEG-4 video and AAC audio provide better quality but may not be supported by older devices.
• 176x144 is the default 3gp video size for playback on most basic phones. Resolution limits vary on different devices, higher options are also available for wider screens.

Method 1. Convert MP4 to 3GP With a Professional Video Converter

To convert videos from MP4 to 3GP without any problems, it’s best to use a dedicated video converter. Cisdem Video Converter is an outstanding video converter software that supports a wide range of formats, including MP4, 3GP, 3G2, WebM, MKV and more. It allows you to custom the video codecs, resolutions and various parameters to control the file format and quality. It lets you bulk convert hundred of files at once, view the estimated output file size, preview the editing effects, making it easy to achieve optimal results even for beginners. Besides, you can also use it as a video downloader, compressor, and DVD/BD ripper.

Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 Free Download macOS 10.13 or later

How to convert MP4 to 3GP using Cisdem Video Converter:

1. Download and install Cisdem Video Converter on your computer.
2. Launch it, and drag and drop your MP4 files into the first interface.
3. Click the button next to “Convert all tasks to” to bring up the format selection menu.
4. Go to Video tab, find "3GP" option, and select the Auto profile.
5. For smooth playback on old cell phones, click the gear button to access the Settings window. Here, set the video encoder to H.263 and the audio encoder to AMR-NB, then click Save or Save as New Preset.
6. Click the Start button to start converting. When the video has finished converting, click the Check icon to locate the 3GP file quickly.

Tips:

1. To edit the video, click the pencil-like  icon. In the new window, you can trim, crop and rotate the video or modify the effects. Note that 3GP format doesn’t support chapter feature.

2. Youtube video to 3GP. Cisdem Video Converter has a built-in video downloader for downloading videos from numerous websites, such as YouTube and Facebook. To convert YouTube video to 3GP, go to the third tab at the top, paste the video URL into the bottom box to download it. Then convert the downloaded MP4 video to 3GP following steps above.

Method 2. Use Best Online MP4 to 3GP Converters

Option 1: Zamzar

Pros: easy to use, legacy device presets.

Cons: no advanced settings, 50 MB max file size.

Zamzar allows you to convert MP4 to 3GP in the default format - H.263 video +AMR-NB audio in 176x144 resolution. It doesn’t offer customizable settings, and it only allows free users to convert 2 files per day.

How to convert MP4 to 3GP online with Zamzar:

1. Go to https://www.zamzar.com/ on any browser.
2. Click “Choose Files” to upload an MP4 video.
3. Click “Convert To” drop down list to select “3gp” as the output format. Note: Scroll down and you’ll see some video presets for legacy devices such as Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry, which may suits your target phone.
4. Click the “Convert Now” button to begin the conversion process.
5. Download the converted .3gp file.

Option 2: Online-Convert

Pro: optional video/audio settings.

Con: need to buy credits if conversion time exceeds a certain limit.

Online-convert.com is a great online MP4 to 3GP converter that lets you choose from 5 different 3GP video standards, change video start/end time, select codecs and more.

How to use it to convert MP4 to 3GP:

1. Go to https://video.online-convert.com/convert-to-3gp/.
2. Drag your MP4 files into the drop zone to upload it to the website.
3. Head to the “Optional Video Settings” below and select a preferred 3gp format type. Adjust other options based on your needs.
4. Click START to begin the file conversion.
5. Click Download to save the converted file to local disk.

Method 3. Use FFmpeg to Convert MP4 to 3GP for Free

FFmpeg is a free command-line tool for multimedia processing. If you have knowledge base on using command prompt and terminal, this is the most flexible way to convert to 3GP at no cost. When I tried to convert with the basic command line ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.3gp, it failed. So to ensure successful conversion, we need to specify the parameter values in detail.

Steps to convert MP4 to 3GP using FFmpeg:

1. Install FFmpeg. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
2. Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac), both are built-in apps.
3. Run this example command line: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v h263 -s 176x144 -r 15 -c:a libopencore_amrnb -ar 8000 -ac 1 output.3gp

Notes:

-c:v video codec

-s video size

-r frame rate

-c:a audio codec (FFmpeg make use of the OpenCore libraries for the AMR-NB encoding)

-ar audio sample rate (in Hz)

-ac audio channels

Can I Convert MP4 to 3GP Using HandBrake or VLC?

Unfortunately, neither HandBrake or VLC offers 3GP output profile. Users can only convert MP4 with the MPEG-4 or H.263 video and AAC audio, then rename the file extension to .3gp. There’s a high risk of being unable to play the video or audio on old phones.

Conclusion

3GP is a rather dated format designed for old mobile devices, and is not supported by many video converters now. Above I have outlined the best tools I tested for converting MP4 to 3GP and recommended settings. Of all the tools, Cisdem Video Converter is more recommended for its efficiency and user-friendly interface.