How can an iPhone generate a 3gp video file?

My Friend has an iPhone 5 just like I do. She took a video with her phone and sent it to me, the file I received was an IMGxxx.3gp. This quality of the file was really bad, pretty much unsable. My question is, how did her phone generate a .3gp file type? I have looked all over the internet and as far as I can tell the iPhone will play .3gp files but it doesn't generate them and when I take a video with my phone it generates a .mov file and they play just fine. I just cant figure out how she generated with .3gp file from her iPhone. Any ideas?

iPhone 5, iOS 6.1.4

Posted on May 23, 2013 8:59 AM

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Feb 12, 2014 5:46 PM in response to Carreonclan

Result 1

  • I own an iPhone5S (AT&T customer)
  • I received an emailed video attachment from another iPhone owner (Sprint customer)
  • File Type Received = 3GP file (...not MOV)
  • Quality of the File Received = Extremely blurry

Result 2

  • I own an iPhone5S (AT&T customer)
  • I sent an emailed video attachment to another iPhone owner (AT&T customer)
  • File Type Received: MOV file
  • Quality of the File Received = Clear and Sharp


I hope this helps someone to troubleshoot their issue. It seems as though the carrier makes a difference, as noted in the other posts. There is some type of file compression or conversion being done at the carrier level.

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Feb 12, 2014 5:55 PM in response to truapple

truapple wrote:


Result 1

  • I own an iPhone5S (AT&T customer)
  • I received an emailed video attachment from another iPhone owner (Sprint customer)
  • File Type Received = 3GP file (...not MOV)
  • Quality of the File Received = Extremely blurry


It was sent as MMS, not iMessage.

Sprint converted it.

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May 23, 2013 12:03 PM in response to Carreonclan

MMS and iMesssge are not the same - completely separate.


You said it was sent as an MMS previously and no iMessage, so which is it?


Doubtful that Apple is changing the file type and reducing the quality when sent via iMessage which is similar to exchanging email, but Verizon can and does when sent via MMS over their CDMA network.

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Feb 12, 2014 6:01 PM in response to truapple

SMS/MMS are not sent via wifi.

iMessages can be sent via ifi or cell and the format will not be changed.

And just because they are connected to wifi, does not mean it was not sent as MMS over cell.


In Messages at the bottom in the text box, it will say iMessage, if they and you both have iMessage enabled.

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How can an iPhone generate a 3gp video file?

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