Video conversion
Convert 3GP to FLV
Updated Jul 2026
3GP is the compressed video format older mobile phones recorded in, and FLV is the older web video format some browser-based players and legacy systems still expect. To convert 3GP to FLV, open the file in a converter and export it as FLV. Doing this on your own computer means the clip never has to be uploaded anywhere just to change its format.
- Extension
- .3gp
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Old mobile phones
- Compression
- Lossy
- Extension
- .flv
- Type
- Video
- Typically
- Legacy web video
- Compression
- Lossy
Convert 3GP to FLV on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert 3GP to FLV
- Open Morphjet and drag in the 3GP video you want to convert, or drop in a whole folder of clips.
- Choose FLV as the output format.
- Convert. The FLV file is written next to the original, and nothing leaves your machine.
3GP vs FLV: what actually changes
| 3GP | FLV | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Video recorded on older mobile phones | Web video from the Flash era |
| File size | Very small, built for slow mobile networks | Larger, since it usually holds higher resolution and bitrate |
| Quality | Low resolution, heavily compressed | Can hold noticeably better quality, depending on the codec used inside it |
| Plays today | Rarely, most modern phones and browsers dropped support | Rarely, since it depends on Flash, which browsers retired in 2020 |
| Needs a plugin to play | No, just codec support | Historically yes, and now needs a standalone media player instead |
| Audio | Usually a low quality codec made for voice calls | Usually a general purpose codec, better suited to music and speech alike |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert 3GP to FLV when an older website, digital sign, kiosk, or piece of legacy software specifically requires FLV and won't accept 3GP directly.
If nothing you own actually asks for FLV, skip the conversion, since both are aging formats and a current format like MP4 will serve you better today.
Why not just use an online converter?
3GP clips are often old personal recordings, calls, or family videos shot on a phone that's long gone. Uploading them to a random online converter means that footage sits on someone else's server, with no way to know how long it's kept. Converting on your own computer keeps the video exactly where it started, on your machine.
Questions
Does converting 3GP to FLV lose quality?
A little. Both formats are lossy, so re-encoding adds a small further loss, though since 3GP is already low resolution to begin with, the difference is usually hard to notice.
Will anything actually play an FLV file today?
Not out of the box. Phones and browsers dropped Flash support years ago, so you'll generally need a dedicated media player that still reads the format.
Why would I still need to convert to FLV in 2026?
Usually because of an older system, internal tool, or piece of digital signage software that was built around FLV and hasn't been updated to accept newer formats.
Can I convert 3GP to FLV without uploading the video?
Yes. Doing the conversion locally on Morphjet means the clip never leaves your computer, not even to a cloud service.
Does the converted FLV keep the original audio?
Yes, the audio track carries over, though older 3GP files recorded with a phone microphone tend to have lower audio quality to begin with.
Morphjet converts 3GP, FLV, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.