Step 1: Share your MKV files using the button above or by drag and drop.
Step 2: Click the 'Transform' button to start the transformation.
Step 3: Grab your converted 3GP files.
MKV to 3GP Transformation FAQ
How do I re-encode MKV to 3GP without losing video quality?
+
Upload your MKV file and set Quality to High Quality in the conversion options. That re-encodes the video at the highest quality setting (CRF 18 for H.264 and VP9 output), which keeps the most detail at the cost of a larger file. The default, Balanced, uses the standard setting. The 3GP output gets a codec its container supports: H.264 for MP4, MOV and MKV, VP9 for WebM. MKV is codec-agnostic: H.264, HEVC, VP9 and AV1 video sit happily beside AAC, FLAC, Opus, DTS or Dolby audio in the same file. 3GP holds H.263 or MPEG-4 Part 2 video with AMR narrowband speech audio, all tuned for minimal bitrate rather than quality.
What happens to the subtitle tracks in my MKV file?
+
They are dropped. 3GP has no soft-subtitle stream to hold them, and the converter neither burns them into the picture nor exports them as a separate file. If you need them, extract the subtitles to an .srt file with a desktop tool such as ffmpeg or MKVToolNix before converting, and load that file alongside the 3GP in your player. 3GP is capped at low resolutions and mono speech-grade audio; upscaling it will not restore detail that was never captured.
My MKV has several audio tracks — do they all survive into the 3GP?
+
No. The converter keeps one audio track, the one with the most channels (normally the main mix), and drops the rest; there is no setting to pick a different one. To keep another track, remux the MKV with that track first (VLC or ffmpeg can do this), then convert it. MKV is the archival container of choice because it stores unlimited audio tracks, soft subtitles, chapter markers and cover art in one file.
Both MKV and 3GP are modern containers — which should I actually keep?
+
Keep whichever matches where the file is going, because neither is better in the abstract. One of these two is built for playback compatibility and the other for holding everything a file might contain, and they trade against each other exactly along that line. The pragmatic answer for most libraries is to archive in the feature-rich container and export to the compatible one on demand. 3GP files are tiny and decode on the weakest hardware imaginable, which is why feature phones and low-end handsets still record it.
Which video codec does the 3GP output use?
+
It depends on the 3GP container. MP4, MOV and MKV output use H.264, which plays on practically every phone, browser and TV. WebM output uses VP9. AVI, WMV and MPEG output use the older codecs those formats were designed for. 3GP is the container the 3GPP standardised for early mobile phones, when video had to fit a 176x144 screen and a 2G data plan.
Will my audio track survive MKV to 3GP conversion?
+
Yes, the main audio track comes through, re-encoded to a codec the 3GP container plays, for example AAC in MP4 and MOV or Opus in WebM. Most conversions keep only that one track (the one with the most channels), so alternate languages and commentary are dropped. MP4 to MOV, and AVI, WMV, MPEG, FLV, VOB or M4V to MKV, keep every audio track.
Can I keep the original framerate when converting MKV to 3GP?
+
Yes. The frame rate is kept unless you change it: a 24 fps MKV stays 24 fps in the 3GP. The Frame Rate setting can also convert to 60, 30 or 24 fps. It changes the rate only; it does not deinterlace the video or remove 3:2 pulldown.
How much will the file size change going from MKV to 3GP?
+
It depends on what happens to the video. MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings copies the video stream unchanged, so the size stays close to the source. Most other pairs re-encode it: a high-bitrate MKV usually comes out smaller, while an already heavily compressed one can grow. Smaller File under Quality gives the smallest output, and H.265 in the Codec setting (MP4, MOV and MKV) is usually smaller than H.264 at similar quality but plays on fewer devices.
Will the 3GP file play on iPhone, Android, and Smart TVs?
+
MP4 with H.264 plays on practically every phone, browser and TV. MOV with H.264 plays on Apple devices and most TVs but not on every older Android phone. MKV needs an app such as VLC on iOS, and WebM is at home in browsers. There is no device preset on this page, so choose the target format your device supports.
How long does converting a 1-hour MKV video to 3GP take?
+
There is no fixed time: it depends on the length, the resolution and the target format. Conversions run on our servers' CPUs with software encoders; there is no GPU acceleration. MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings copies the video stream and is the quickest. A re-encode to H.264 takes longer, and WebM (VP9) is the slowest target, several times slower than H.264 in our tests.
What is the maximum resolution supported for MKV to 3GP?
+
The converter has no resolution cap of its own; the limit is the upload size allowed on your plan, and the resolution stays as it is unless you choose 1080p, 720p or 480p. There is no HDR processing or tone mapping. When the video stream is copied (MKV to MP4 or MOV with the default settings), HDR10 passes through untouched. A re-encode drops the HDR10 mastering metadata, and with a Quality, Resolution or Frame Rate setting some pairs also reduce the video to 8-bit colour, so an HDR MKV can look washed out.
Is my MKV video private during conversion to 3GP?
+
Yes. Uploaded MKV files are processed on our own conversion servers, no person reviews them, and they are never shared. The upload and the converted 3GP are both deleted automatically about 24 hours after the conversion, which leaves time to download the result. See /privacy/ for the full policy.
