The QR code will not scan — what now?
Raise the brightness of the screen showing the QR, enlarge it, and hold the camera about a hand's width away. If it still fails, use manual installation with the SM-DP+ address and activation code. If the phone says the code is invalid, confirm it is on Wi-Fi and that a battery saver is not blocking background downloads.
A QR code refusing to scan is one of the most common snags when installing an eSIM, and it usually strikes at the worst moment — in a boarding queue, or right after stepping off a plane wanting to connect immediately. Most of the time the cause is not complicated: it is lighting, distance, or the sharpness of the displayed image, rather than a problem with the order itself or the systems behind it.
This page is written for anyone facing this problem right now and wanting to fix it as fast as possible. We work through adjusting the screen showing the QR, using the camera correctly, and the fallback of manual installation when scanning genuinely fails, without pinning guidance to one specific device model or menu, since manufacturers and operating-system versions lay their screens out differently.
First, confirm the phone actually supports eSIM
If scanning fails every single time with no exceptions, the first thing to check is whether the phone actually supports eSIM at all. Some models, especially versions sold in particular regions or older than expected, may carry no eSIM chip whatsoever even though they look like a supported model. Repeatedly rescanning on a phone that does not support it will never succeed no matter how the lighting or distance is adjusted.
Our device checker can give an initial read on whether a stated model likely supports eSIM, but the most accurate final answer is the phone's own settings screen. If a menu for adding a mobile plan, or anything eSIM-related, does not appear at all, that is a clearer signal than relying on the model name alone.
Adjust the brightness and size of the displayed QR
If the phone definitely supports eSIM but still will not scan, start by raising the brightness of the screen showing the QR to the maximum it can go. Many phone cameras struggle to read a code from a dim or dark screen, especially in bright sunlight where reflections interfere. Enlarging the QR image on the displaying screen also helps a great deal, since a code that is too small makes it hard for the camera to focus on the tiny square markers within it.
The distance between the camera and the screen showing the QR matters just as much. A commonly suggested distance is about a hand's width — not so close the image blurs from failing to focus, and not so far the code becomes too small for the camera to capture its key markers. Try moving slowly in and out rather than shifting quickly, since the camera needs a brief moment to focus before it can successfully read the code.
Use the correct camera for scanning
Most eSIM installs need the QR scanned through the phone's own default camera app, or through the settings menu specifically for adding a mobile plan — not a generic QR-scanning app downloaded from an app store. Those apps often do read the code but fail to hand the data off correctly to the phone's own eSIM installation flow. The result is a scan that appears to succeed but nothing follows, or a message saying the code cannot be used.
If unsure which route your own phone expects, open our eSIM installation guide alongside this page, since it walks through the general sequence that applies to most phones, even though the finer menu details differ by manufacturer and operating-system version.
Showing the QR on a different device from the one being set up
The recommended approach is opening the QR on a separate device, such as a computer or tablet, then using the phone that will receive the eSIM to scan it from that other screen — a phone cannot scan a QR from its own display. If the email or order page is open on the same phone that is about to be set up, switch to opening it on a different device before starting to scan.
If a second device is not on hand, that is fine, since the fallback is manual installation, described in the next section, which works from start to finish on a single phone with no second device required.
When scanning genuinely fails: manual installation
If every method above has been tried and scanning still fails, manual installation using the SM-DP+ address and activation code is always a workable substitute. That information sits in the same email or order page as the QR, usually shown as text and digits to type into the settings menu for adding a mobile plan manually.
The finer steps of the manual menu differ by phone manufacturer and operating-system version. What stays common is typing the SM-DP+ address and activation code to match exactly what is stated, with no extra spaces and no missing character, since being off by even one character makes the system reject the installation.
It says the code is invalid after typing it manually
If the SM-DP+ address and activation code were typed correctly but it still says the code is invalid, first check whether the phone is genuinely connected to a working Wi-Fi network, since installation needs to download the profile over the internet. With no connection at all, the system can report the code as wrong when the real problem is simply having no path to download the data in the first place.
Another point worth checking is a battery saver mode or a setting that restricts background downloads, since some phones with battery saver enabled automatically block certain kinds of background connections, causing installation to stall or report failure even while Wi-Fi is genuinely connected. Try turning battery saver off temporarily and attempt installation again.
Can the code or QR expire before use?
The details of how long a code remains valid before first installation depend on the supplier and the specific plan. We cannot state one fixed number of days or hours that applies to every order. If a purchase has sat uninstalled for a long stretch and the code turns out not to work when installation is attempted, check your own order's details page first, then contact the team if that is not clear enough.
The general recommendation is to install the eSIM profile as soon as possible after receiving it, especially if the plan is to use it immediately on arrival, so as to reduce the risk of hitting this issue and to leave time to resolve it before the actual day of travel.
Checking whether the profile installed after several attempts
After several rounds of scanning or typing the code, the profile may have actually installed successfully on an earlier attempt without you noticing. Before trying again, open the phone's cellular or mobile plan list to check whether a new profile is already sitting there, since reinstalling on top of one that already works can add further confusion.
If a profile is already there but data roaming has not been enabled, or it has not been set as the primary line for data, check those settings separately, since that is a different step from installing the profile itself. A scan-that-will-not-work problem and a no-data-after-installation problem usually trace back to different causes.
Steps to troubleshoot QR scanning systematically
- 1Confirm the phone supports eSIM firstUse the device checker or look in the phone's own settings for a menu to add a mobile plan.
- 2Open the QR on a separate device, raise brightness and sizeDisplay it on a computer or tablet, push brightness to maximum, and enlarge the image before scanning.
- 3Scan with the default camera app or the add-plan menu directlyAvoid third-party QR apps from an app store, and keep the camera about a hand's width from the screen.
- 4If it still fails, switch to manual installationCopy and paste the SM-DP+ address and activation code from the email or order page into the manual installation menu.
- 5If it says the code is invalid, check Wi-Fi and battery saverConfirm a genuinely working Wi-Fi connection, and turn off battery saver temporarily before retrying.
Summary table: symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Camera never finds the code, no square frame appears | Screen too dim or QR too small; raise brightness and enlarge the image |
| Frame appears but it hangs there, nothing follows | May be using a generic QR app instead of the default camera or add-plan menu |
| Says the code is invalid after manual entry | Check the Wi-Fi connection and battery saver setting first |
| Scans fine but the phone never supported eSIM | The add-plan menu never appears; confirm with the device checker |
| Tried scanning many times, unsure if it already installed | Check the cellular list for a new profile before trying again |
Comparison table: scanning a QR versus manual installation
| Method | What it needs | Best suited when |
|---|---|---|
| Scanning the QR | A clearly displayed QR and a camera that focuses well | Lighting is good and a second device is available to display it |
| Manual installation | The SM-DP+ address and activation code from the email or order page | Scanning fails, or only one device is on hand with no second screen to show the QR |
Checklist before contacting the team
- Confirmed the phone supports eSIM via the device checker or its own settings
- Tried adjusting the brightness, image size, and distance of the QR
- Tried scanning with the default camera app or the add-plan menu directly
- Tried manual installation with the SM-DP+ address and activation code but it still failed
- Checked Wi-Fi and battery saver
A short recap before the FAQ
In short, start by confirming the phone supports eSIM, adjust the brightness and distance of the QR, use the correct camera app or menu, and switch to manual installation if scanning still fails. If it says the code is invalid, check Wi-Fi and battery saver before concluding the code itself is at fault.
Întrebări frecvente
How many times can a QR be scanned before it stops working?+
Repeated attempts to scan until it succeeds do not damage the code, as long as the profile has not actually installed yet. The issue only arises once the profile has installed successfully once, and the same QR is then tried again on the same or another phone — a different situation from scanning failing outright.
Why did a friend with the same model scan instantly while mine will not?+
Even with the identical model, variables such as the brightness of the screen showing the QR at that moment, ambient lighting, the angle and distance the camera is held at, and which app is used to scan can all differ — even between two identical phone models.
Does switching from the front camera to the back camera help?+
Most eSIM QR scans use the back camera by default when opened through the add-plan menu. But if opened through a general camera app and it happens to be set to the front camera, switch back to the back one first, since the back camera is usually higher resolution and focuses better for reading a code.
Does scanning the QR itself require an internet connection?+
Reading the code itself does not need an internet connection, but the step right after a successful scan, where the system downloads the eSIM profile, does need working Wi-Fi. Without a connection, installation will stall or report an error after the scan has already gone through.
If an older phone has no add-mobile-plan menu at all, what then?+
That means that model does not support eSIM, regardless of how the QR is scanned or the code typed manually. The options are using a different, supported phone instead, or asking the team about an alternative specific to that model.
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