3G2 File Format (.3g2)
A 3G2 file holds video and audio in the multimedia container 3GPP2 defined for CDMA-lineage mobile phones, the same MPEG-4 Part 12 lineage as 3GP but tuned to the codecs and networks used across North America and parts of Asia.
3G2 at a glance#
| Full name | 3GPP2 Multimedia |
|---|---|
| File extension | .3g2 |
| Category | Video Files |
| Developer | 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2) |
| First released | 2004 |
| MIME types | video/3gpp2audio/3gpp2 |
| Compression | Lossy |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .3g2 file can hold#
These are the things a 3G2 file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Lossless compression | No |
|---|---|
| Embedded metadata | No |
| Audio | Yes |
| Video | Yes |
| Subtitle tracks | No |
| Chapters | No |
| Encryption | No |
| Streaming | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of 3G2#
What 3G2 does well
- Shares 3GP's MPEG-4 Part 12 structure, so general MP4-aware software can often read the container even without full codec support
- Adds CDMA-specific audio codecs like EVRC and QCELP that matched the voice and multimedia networks CDMA carriers ran
- Was the native video-recording format for CDMA-network phones from carriers like Verizon and Sprint before 3G data made bitrate limits less of a constraint
- Typically produces smaller files than 3GP for equivalent content, since it targeted the narrower bandwidth of CDMA networks
Where 3G2 falls short
- Far rarer than 3GP, since CDMA never had the global reach GSM did, so software support for it is comparatively thin
- Does not support Enhanced aacPlus or AMR-WB+ audio, which limits which audio a 3G2 file can carry compared to 3GP
- Inherits 3GP's low resolution and bitrate ceiling, built for handsets and networks long since replaced
- Effectively obsolete now that CDMA networks themselves have been shut down by every major North American carrier
There's little reason to create new 3G2 files today; it matters only for handling video already recorded on an older CDMA phone.
Convert 3G2 to MP4 to play old CDMA phone footage on current devices, since almost nothing besides that original phone's own software still targets 3G2 directly.
How to open a .3g2 file#
A .3g2 file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts 3G2 into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | VLC |
| macOS | VLC |
| Linux | VLC |
| Android | VLC, MX Player |
| Web | FileFlip |
3G2 questions people ask#
What produces a 3G2 file?
3G2 files come from older CDMA-network mobile phones, the kind carriers like Verizon and Sprint sold before those networks were shut down. Video recorded or received as an MMS message on those phones typically saved in this format.
Why won't my 3G2 file play?
3G2 is rare enough that many players never added support for it, and its CDMA-specific audio codecs like EVRC or QCELP aren't included in general-purpose decoders. VLC is the most reliable option for opening a 3G2 file directly.
What's the difference between 3G2 and 3GP?
Both are the same MPEG-4 Part 12 family of mobile video container, but 3GP was defined by 3GPP for GSM-network phones while 3G2 was defined by 3GPP2 for CDMA-network phones. The practical difference is mainly which audio codecs each permits, matched to the voice codecs their respective networks already used.
What should I convert a 3G2 file to?
Convert 3G2 to MP4 to get old CDMA phone footage playing on a current device. MP4 supports far more codecs and doesn't depend on decoders that were only ever built for CDMA-era handsets.
Converting 3G2 files#
Convert 3G2 to another format
FileFlip does not write .3g2 files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.