To convert a 3GP video to text, send the clip to the Potok bot on Telegram and the transcript comes back in the chat. 3GP is a container made for video on mobile phones, so most files are short clips from older handsets. Files up to 2 GB are accepted. Export TXT, DOCX, PDF, SRT or VTT.
Transcribe a recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram
Files up to 2 GB · export to TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT and VTT · speaker labels and timestamps · about 30 languages
Key facts
- Most 3GP clips are short, so the transcript usually arrives as a message rather than a file.
- The bot works from the sound of the clip, so a clip with a muffled or silent soundtrack gives little text.
- An old handset often recorded speech through a weak microphone, which makes names and numbers risky.
- Timestamps are useful here because many clips have no other label for who spoke when.
How to do it
- Find the original clip. Look in the memory card or the backup of the old phone. A copy sent through a messenger is usually shrunk again, so take the file that came off the device.
- Play it once. Make sure the sound works. If you hear nothing, there is no speech to transcribe.
- Start the chat. Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram and press Start.
- Send the file as a document. Sending it as a document keeps the clip as it is. Most 3GP files are small, so the Upload button is rarely needed.
- Pick labels and export. Switch on timestamps, and speaker labels if people talk in turns. Then choose DOCX for notes or SRT if the text will go back onto the clip.
What the result looks like
[00:00] Speaker 1: Okay, it is working, look at the camera.
[00:04] Speaker 2: Is it recording already? Say that again.
[00:08] Speaker 1: We are at the lake, and the boat leaves at noon.
Sample text written by us to show the layout of a transcript. It is not the output of the recognition engine and not a real recording.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Telegram bot @potok_now_bot; large files go through the bot's mini app |
| File size | Up to 2 GB |
| Export | TXT, MD, DOCX, PDF, SRT, VTT |
| Speakers and time | Speaker labels and timestamps can be switched on |
| Languages | About 30 languages with good published results; a few more with warnings |
| Translation | The transcript is not translated into another language |
| Dictation | A separate Potok desktop app lets you dictate text into any program; it recognises Russian speech |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sending a copy that came through a chat app | The app has already compressed the video and its sound again, so quiet words are blurred. | Copy the clip from the card or the old phone and send that file. |
| Renaming the file to .mp4 | The name changes but the inside does not, and some programs now refuse the file. | Send the 3GP as it is. The bot takes video files. |
| Expecting clear speech from a very old handset | Old phones recorded with a small microphone and heavy compression, so distant voices are weak. | Treat the text as a draft and check names against the clip. |
| Merging many short clips into one file by hand | A cut in the middle of a word hides the start of the next sentence. | Send the clips one by one and join the texts afterwards. |
More
See the full list of languages, the tools and the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 3GP file?
It is a container made for video on mobile phones. It holds the picture and the sound of a short clip in one small file.
Can I send a 3GP file to the bot?
Yes. Send it as a document or as a video from your Telegram chat. Files up to 2 GB are supported.
Do I need to convert 3GP to MP4 first?
No. Conversion is not required. Send the clip as it is, and convert only if you want to play it somewhere that rejects 3GP.
Why is the text of my old clip full of gaps?
Small microphones and strong compression lose quiet words. A clip with wind or traffic noise loses even more.
Can I get subtitles for the clip?
Yes. Export the transcript as SRT or VTT to get lines with times that a video player can read.
Sources
Each source was opened by hand on the date shown. Pages change, so open the source if a detail matters to you.
- 3GP and 3G2 (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- MP4 file format, MPEG-4 Part 14 (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
- Bit rate (Wikipedia), Wikipedia · checked
Try it on your own recording
Send your voice message, audio or video to @potok_now_bot on Telegram and the text comes back in the chat.
Open @potok_now_bot in Telegram