How to install an eSIM when you cannot scan the QR code

The problem: the code is on the phone that needs it

An eSIM QR code is designed to be scanned by a camera, and a phone cannot point its camera at its own screen. If the email with the code is only on your phone, and there is no laptop or tablet around, you need another route.

The good news is that the image is only a wrapper. Behind it is a short line of text that the phone reads when it scans. As our guide on keeping the QR code private explains, that text holds the address of the provider's eSIM server, called SM-DP+, and a matching ID for your specific profile. Whether the phone gets that text from a camera, a long press or your typing makes no difference to the result.

Whichever method you use, do it on Wi-Fi, because the profile is downloaded from that server the first time.

iPhone: touch and hold the code

Apple added a shortcut in iOS 17.4. If the QR code is in your default email app or browser, Apple says to touch and hold the QR code and tap Add eSIM. From there the steps are the same as after a scan: tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan, and enter a confirmation code if your provider gave you one.

Apple describes this for a code shown in the email app or the browser. If all you have is a screenshot in Photos, or the Add eSIM option does not appear, switch to one of the other methods instead of trying the same code repeatedly.

Once the line appears in Settings, the profile is installed. Give it a label such as Travel and check which line carries data, as in our installation guide.

Typing the details by hand

Phones also let you enter the details yourself. On an iPhone, Apple's route is Settings, Cellular or Mobile Data, Add Cellular Plan, then Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the screen. On a Samsung Galaxy, Samsung's guide goes through Settings, Connections, SIM manager, add a plan, and the option to add it with an activation code. On Windows laptops with eSIM, Microsoft offers the same choice under Cellular, eSIM profiles, Add profile.

What you type depends on how the provider presents it. Some send a single string that begins with LPA:1$, followed by the SM-DP+ address, another $ and the activation code; that format comes from the GSMA eSIM specification. Others list the SM-DP+ address and the activation code as two separate items; enter each one where the phone asks for it.

Type exactly what you were given, with no spaces added. Both are long strings, so copy and paste them from the email rather than retyping when you can.

A second screen is still the easiest

If anyone nearby has a laptop, a tablet or even another phone, open the email there and scan the code with your phone's camera, or from Settings if the camera does not pick it up. On iPhone, Apple says a Cellular Plan Detected notification appears; tap it and follow the steps.

A printout works too, as long as it stays with you. What you should avoid is sending the code to someone else's phone in a chat just to display it. The code installs the eSIM on whichever phone uses it first, and a curious tap on the wrong device is enough to lose it.

Doing this at home before the trip removes most of the problem: the laptop is right there, the Wi-Fi is yours, and you have time if something needs a second look.

When it still does not go through

• Check the Wi-Fi connection first; the download needs internet.
• If the new line already shows in Settings, the installation worked. Do not add it again.
• If you are asked for a confirmation code, it comes from the provider, not from the QR.
• If the phone says the code is no longer valid, contact the seller instead of retrying.

A Snoozim eSIM installs once and then stays on that phone, so repeated attempts with the same code do not help if the profile is already somewhere. Write to the seller with your order email so they can check it. If the phone refuses every method, check that it supports eSIM and is unlocked on our compatibility page.