3GP / 3G2 Video
| Format | 3GP / 3G2 Video |
|---|---|
| Short name | 3GP |
| Category | media |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, QNX |
| Crush support | Supported (MediaParser) |
| Status | Reviewed |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-04 |
Forensic relevance
Mobile video container format based on ISOBMFF, defined by 3GPP (3GP) and 3GPP2 (3G2) for 3G mobile networks. 3GP targets GSM/UMTS networks; 3G2 is the CDMA2000 variant with lower bandwidth usage. Both are required formats for MMS and IMS multimedia services. Shares the ISOBMFF box structure with MP4 — same mvhd timestamps (QuickTime epoch, seconds since 1904-01-01 UTC) and udta metadata. Typical video codecs: H.263, H.264; audio: AMR-NB, AAC. Typically low resolution (QCIF 176x144 to CIF 352x288) and bitrate, optimised for 2G/3G transmission. Found in older acquisitions, MMS message attachments, voice call recordings, and legacy Android and feature-phone camera recordings. Some devices stored 3GP files with an .mp4 extension.
Signatures
| Offset | Hex | ASCII (non-printable as .) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| offset 4 (0x4) | 66 74 79 70 33 67 | ftyp3g | ftyp box with a 3GPP/3GPP2 major brand ('3gp…', '3g2…', '3ge…' etc.) |
Known extensions
.3gp, .3g2
References
- 3GP format specification (3GPP TS 26.244) https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/26_series/26.244/
- 3GP and 3G2 overview (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GP_and_3G2
- Forensic analysis of video file formats (Gloe, Fischer, Kirchner — DFRWS EU 2014) https://dfrws.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2014_EU_paper-forensic_analysis_of_video_file_formats.pdf
Cite this entry
Crush Format Reference, “3GP / 3G2 Video”. https://kalink0.github.io/crush-forensics/formats/3gp/ — source: crush/data/build_formats_db.py at commit 640a2a9928f4e36a976b89901512a8dce824d093, built 2026-10-21 06:46:19 UTC.
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