The QR code will not scan

Show the QR on another screen or print it, and raise the screen brightness. If it still fails, use the manual entry details included with your order.

• Do not scan the QR from the same screen you are installing on
• Increase brightness and clean the camera lens
• Reduce glare and reflections on the screen showing the code
• Failing that, use the manual entry details instead

The camera hovers over the QR code and simply will not read it, and moving the phone back and forth gets tiring fast. This is a fairly common hiccup during eSIM installation, and the cause is rarely anything complicated — it is usually something basic like screen glare, insufficient brightness, or the QR appearing too small on screen for the distance the camera is working at.

This page runs through quick fixes that can be tried right away, all the way to the fallback of entering details manually for cases where the QR simply will not scan no matter how many attempts are made — without referring to any specific brand or model's menu, since settings menus and scanning behaviour vary by device manufacturer and operating system version.

First, tell apart a scanning problem from a QR already used

The essential thing to check before troubleshooting the scan itself is whether this particular QR code has already been installed once, because an eSIM installation QR is typically usable only a single time. If it was already scanned successfully once, whether on this device or another one, scanning it again will show a message that it has already been used or cannot be installed — which is a different symptom from 'will not scan' at all, where the camera cannot read the code in the first place.

Raise screen brightness and cut down on glare

If the QR is being shown on a phone screen or another computer for the device you are installing on to scan, turn the brightness of the screen displaying the QR up to maximum. Screen glare, especially under sunlight or bright indoor lighting, is the single most common reason a camera cannot read the pattern of a QR code. Tilting the screen slightly or moving to shade to cut the glare often fixes it immediately.

Conversely, if the screen showing the QR is so bright that the image washes out or the pattern blurs together, try lowering brightness slightly instead. A very high-brightness screen can overexpose the other camera enough that the black-and-white pattern of the QR is no longer distinct. Finding the balance between bright enough and not overexposed matters just as much.

The size of the QR and the distance from the camera

A QR shown on a small phone screen can be too small for the other camera, which needs to stand back far enough to focus. Try enlarging the display of the QR as much as possible, or, if possible, view it on a larger screen such as a tablet or computer instead of a small phone. Printing the QR out on paper is another option that helps, since the size stays fixed and there is no screen glare to interfere.

The distance between the camera and the QR matters too. Too close and the camera may not manage to focus in time; too far and the pattern becomes too small for the camera to resolve. Try moving slowly closer or further until the camera locks focus, then hold steady for a moment, rather than moving too quickly for the camera to keep up.

Scanning through the operating system's own eSIM setup step

Most eSIM installation uses the camera embedded directly inside the operating system's own setup flow, not an ordinary photo-taking camera app. This step usually sits inside a settings menu related to mobile or eSIM, and the exact menu location and wording differ by brand and OS version. If it is unclear where that menu lives, reviewing the detailed installation guide that walks through the overall flow gives better direction than guessing.

See the step-by-step eSIM installation guide

If the system's scan step is opened but the camera never activates, or the screen just shows black, camera access permission for the settings app may not be granted. Try closing the step and re-entering it, or restarting the device before trying again. If the camera still never comes up, skip straight to manual entry instead.

Different devices scan in different ways

Some devices scan the QR in the eSIM installation step live from the rear camera. Others expect a photo of the QR to be taken first, then selected from the photo gallery instead of a live scan. Some support both. This difference depends directly on the brand, model, and OS version. If it is unclear which method a given device supports, there is no harm in trying both.

If the device already has more than one eSIM profile installed

A device that supports multiple eSIM profiles sometimes caps how many can be installed at once. If the device is already at that limit, scanning a new QR may not bring up a confirmation screen at all, or it may show a warning message instead of proceeding. Check the mobile or eSIM settings menu for any old, unused profile that can be removed first.

Check the manual installation details on the order page

Every order always comes with manual installation details — a server address and an activation code — which can be typed directly into the settings menu instead of scanning. This information sits alongside the order in your account and in the confirmation email. If the QR will not scan no matter what has been tried, manual entry is a route that always works, without waiting for the scanning problem to be resolved first.

Where the manual entry menu sits

Where the 'enter details manually' option sits during eSIM setup varies by brand and OS version. Some devices show it right on the scanning screen as soon as no QR is detected. Others require tapping a small link below the scan screen first. If it cannot be found, the detailed installation guide points to where to look more precisely.

The order of steps worth following

1. 1Confirm this QR has never been installed beforeIf it was already installed successfully once, scanning again will not behave normally. Contact the team instead of continuing to try scanning.
2. 2Raise the brightness of the screen showing the QR and cut glareTilt the angle or move to shade, then raise the brightness of the screen showing the QR to maximum before scanning again.
3. 3Enlarge the QR or show it on a larger screenIf it is on a small phone screen, enlarge the image to fill the screen, or view it on a tablet, computer, or print it out instead.
4. 4Adjust the distance between the camera and the QR slowlyMove a little closer or further until the camera locks focus clearly, then hold steady for a moment rather than moving too fast.
5. 5If it still fails, switch to entering the details manuallyOpen the account's order page or the confirmation email and find the server address and activation code to type directly into the settings menu.

If manual entry still does not install successfully

If the server address and activation code were entered manually and an error still appears, first check that every character was typed correctly, with no extra or missing spaces, since these codes tend to be long strings of letters and numbers that are easy to mistype. If it still fails after rechecking, contact the team with the full error message shown on screen.

• Confirmed this QR has never been installed anywhere before
• Raised the brightness of the screen showing the QR and cut down glare
• Tried enlarging the QR or showing it on a larger screen
• Adjusted the distance between the camera and the QR slowly
• Have the manual entry details from the order page ready if needed

Check what kind of eSIM installation your device supports before the trip

Talk to us on LINE if every method has been tried and the QR still will not scan

Preventing this before installation even starts

Before starting the scan, prepare the environment first — find a spot with even lighting that is not too bright, clean fingerprints or dust off both the camera lens and the screen, and have the screen showing the QR already open and ready before entering the actual installation step. These small preparations go a long way toward avoiding the need to troubleshoot in the first place.

For anyone who travels often and installs an eSIM regularly, remembering what worked for that specific device — the distance where the camera focuses easily, or the brightness that worked well — makes the next installation faster without having to work through every step again from scratch.